game table, unknown maker from Central Europe

Exhibition Label:
"Empire of Things," 2013, Kate Meyer
Ebony from Madagascar and amaranth from Guyana, padauk from the Isles de Vent and letterwood from the West Indies, amboyna from Molucca and rosewood from Brazil, olive from Syria and sandalwood from India-these imported materials enriched marquetry designs in Europe beginning in the mid-17th century. Examples of marquetry, or the arrangement of shaped pieces of veneer to create a pattern or design, can also be found in Asian and Islamic cultures. Increased trade and the establishment of colonial outposts brought marqueters working throughout Europe greater access to exotic woods and other precious materials, such as copper, pewter, tortoiseshell, ivory, bone, horn, mother-of-pearl, and even porcelain. Intended to emulate painting, the idyllic marquetry scene decorating the top of the Spencer Museum’s game table may have been derived from an engraving.