All Syrian mosaic
items, large or small, boxes or furniture, are made the same way.
Firstly, small shaped sticks of different kinds of wood (walnut, rosewood,
lemonwood, peach-wood, and more - all of which have different colors and
properties), are stuck together to form small shapes - stars, triangles,
etc. Then, the patterns created in such way are cut in thin slices, which
are then laid on the wood surface and glued together with the utmost care
to make sure all the shapes match each other perfectly. Additionally,
to lend elegance and lightness to the overall effect, pieces of mother-of-pearl
cut to exact dimensions are added. The mosaic surface created that way
is next polished and varnished. A difficult task, requiring long experience
and huge patience. Often, mosaics are made by families, where each person
specializes in slightly different skills.
On the picture above - our mosaic display case is being
made to our order.
Why Syrian Mosaics specifically? Experts value them as being the very top in outstanding quality. They are cut and set with ultimate precision, and are amazingly complex and attractive. The mother-of-pearl pieces are inlaid into specially designed matching spaces skillfully carved in the wood. Other countries have developed different methods. For example, the Egyptian technique is to stick pieces loosely into a soft glue layer, and then polish them after hardening. This is a much easier and quicker technique, however, the resulting appearance is far less attractive and visibly inferior in quality.
Mother
Of Pearl,
and Carved Furniture are made in slightly different way. Traditionally,
high quality solid, well dried walnut pieces are cut to a rough shape
of desired object. Then, they are carved by a skilled artisan, creating
complicated patterns. The next step is to cut and polish mother-of-pearl
pieces in such a precise way that they fit perfectly into the carved
spaces. This step is really time consuming, as the precision of this
work will determine the final quality of the product. Small pieces are
cut to form together various shapes - rings, stars, ornaments, etc.
Several different kinds of mother of pearl are used, adding various
colors to the sophisticated design....
Next,
a highly skilled professional will finely polish the mother-of-pearl
pieces, so they match each other seamlessly. Prepared in this way, the
pieces are glued in place, creating a perfectly uniform, flat surface,
flush with the walnut base that holds them. Sounds easy? Keep in mind
that mother of pearl is very thin, very fragile and brittle, and not
flexible, and that many parts of the furniture need to be slightly curved,
which makes it necessary to profile the mother of pearl in a third dimension,
on top of the complicated flat shapes!
The finished piece
will then be carefully polished and cut to the exact shape required
(the piece shown here will ultimately form the back portion of a President
line armchair).
When all the pieces have been mounted together, and finally create a
single piece of furniture, they are finished with high quality varnishes,
to protect the delicate mother of pearl as well as the fine walnut wood.
The main factors
determining price: Quality, kind and size of wood used, and complexity
of patterns. Volume and kind of mother of pearl used. Overall volume
of curved surfaces (important!) - particularly difficult and time-consuming
to finish. Additional woodwork ornaments (tin inlays, arabesques, fancy
shape of edges, etc.). Quality of finishing (lacquer, french polish,
etc.).
Important Note! Sometimes an artificial mother of pearl is used, which is hard to distinguish for the untrained eye. This material is very flexible and easy to work with, drastically cutting down on production time. It may be acceptable as an economical option, as long as you are informed about that! Unfortunately, many dealers overcharge inexperienced customers, or offer "great deals" - without indicating the presence of artificial material, which naturally lowers the overall value of the item. When unsure, ask the dealer to stick a pin into a piece of mother of pearl. Artificial "mother of pearl" can be easily punctured, as it is soft, plastic-like sheet. Real mother of pearl is a hard shell, and will behave similar to glass..