Straw marquetry is the art of forming a decorative panel using flattened slithers of cured natural straw. The stem is soaked, split, flattened, softened and then scraped or ironed into a flat ribbon.
From the preparation of the straw into ribbons, to the dyeing process, to the selection and inlaying of each single piece of straw onto the surface, the art of straw marquetry requires patience and a well-developed sense of colour and tone. This fine art, prized for the lustrous quality of the finish, came into vogue in the era of Art Déco, and the works of master craftsmen Jean-Michel Frank, André Groult and Jean Royères are highly valued to this day. Frank, a renowned Parisian designer, was the first to adopt the idea of using the shimmering effect of straw in panelling, furniture, screens and small boxes.
Straw is covered with a natural layer of silica which makes it impervious to moisture, rot and pests. Thatched roof cottages, common across Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, took advantage of these properties. The silica lends a unique appearance of a constant “ballet with light” to the straw due to its refractive nature. The skilled positioning to align the fibres of each individual piece in straw marquetry is essential to the final rendering. In monochromatic work, the subtle variations in the natural luminous hues of the straw are revealed in breathtaking detail as ambient light changes.