Featured in Wohnen & Garten – Oktober 2022
Our Fairy Wren Marquetry Artwork and Bulbul Marquetry Artwork were featured in the October 2022 issue of Wohnen & Garten, a German magazine known for delivering “the most beautiful ideas for indoors and outdoors.” Each edition offers inspiration for furnishing living spaces and practical planting tips for the garden, while celebrating the finer things in life such as enjoying, relaxing and creating a warm, inviting home.
The magazine presented the work of marquetry artist Max Clerteau through two pieces created especially for Australian Woodwork. Both artworks use the traditional craft of marquetry, where designs are formed from precision-cut pieces of wood laid onto a base. Each tiny shape is hand cut from timbers chosen for their colour and grain, then individually glued into place. The process requires focus, patience and careful craftsmanship, often taking many hours and using fret saws, scroll saws and scalpels to achieve the fine detail.
The Fairy Wren Marquetry Artwork depicts one of Australia’s most loved little birds. The piece combines natural and dyed timbers with a Camphor Laurel background, a Sycamore hill and an outer frame border of Golden Sassafras. Fine detailing in the corners highlights the precision of the marquetry work. Professionally framed and ready to hang, it brings a gentle touch of nature and makes a thoughtful gift for bird lovers.
The Bulbul Marquetry Artwork features the charming red-whiskered Bulbul. This piece also uses a selection of natural and dyed timbers, with a Sycamore background, a fine strip of black-stained wood and an outer border of Sassafras. Like the Fairy Wren artwork, it is professionally framed, ready to hang and designed to bring a subtle, nature-inspired presence into any room.
Both artworks are signed and dated by Max Clerteau, who studied marquetry in France, where the craft and the guild traditions that support it span many centuries.
The appearance of these two pieces in Wohnen & Garten highlights the elegance of handcrafted work and the timeless appeal of natural materials. Both artworks capture the artistry of traditional marquetry while offering a calm, refined presence suited to interiors where beauty and craftsmanship are valued.