Ginkgo Marquetry Headboard

Size:
74″ long by 20″ deep by 60″ high
Materials:
Honduran Mahogany, Curly Anigre, Sapele, and misc Marquetry woods
Description:
I completed this queen size marquetry headboard last year for a local client who saw another marquetry furniture piece of mine at a show.  This piece was designed in concert with the client to fit a particular space, so it doesn’t necessarily look like a traditional headboard.  The overall idea was to create a large floral marquetry display that featured flowers and birds from her garden.  Additionally, she wanted to have a bit of storage on the ends and a shelf like space behind the headboard for books or a lamp.

The primary materials are Curly Anigre veneer, Sapele veneer and Honduran Mahogany.   There are a variety of marquetry flowers from her garden including Fressia, Lavendar, and Bleeding Hearts along with the large marquetry Ginkgo branch flowing across the top that changes color to mimic the change in seasons going from deep rich green to light green to golden yellow and on finally to reds and browns.

The back of the headboard is veneered in ribbon Sapele and features five Ginkgo leaf medallions in a variety of colors.  These were intended to have sort of a family crest feel, though greatly simplified in design.  The inside of the cabinet is also ribbon Sapele.

The floral marquetry uses a wide variety of dyed veneers; I think there are 16 different colors altogether.  To get the fall/winter feel on the last bunch of Ginkgo leaves, I used a variety of natural veneer colors and had a few of the leaves either falling or already at the bottom of the panel.  There are also two Anna’s hummingbirds mixed in with the flowers that were inlayed using a mix of colored Mother of Pearl and Abalone.