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Intarsia - A Little History
The technique of intarsia is believed to have been developed in the Islamic world, and later introduced in Europe through Sicily. The word “intarsia” is derived from the Latin word “interserere”, which means to insert. In the thirteenth century, craftsmen in Sienna, Italy used inlays of ivory in wood and wood inlay in wood when making wall murals, tabletops, and other furniture. The art was perfected in Sienna and in northern Italy in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Its popularity spread to German centers and was introduced in London by Flemish craftsmen later in the sixteenth century.
After about 1620, marquetry tended to supplant intarsia in urban work. A revival of the art of intarsia occurred during the 1970 era with works by Judy Gale Roberts and Jerry Booker.
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