The development of Parisian cabinetmaking and the sophistication of marquetry techniques in the second half of the seventeenth century correspond to the popularity of essentially floral ornamental designs: scrolls, acanthus and bouquets of flowers. Marquetry techniques became diversified, with the piece-by-piece method and the “Boulle” superposition technique, and the materials used included exotic woods, metals, tortoiseshell, ivory, horn, etc. A cabinet on stand, attributed to the king’s cabinetmaker Pierre Gole, provides a fascinating illustration of these various techniques, materials and decorations. The pewter and amaranth marquetry scrolls on an armoire cabinet and a tiered writing desk echo those in tropical hardwood marquetry on a large cabinet where they are incorporated into more naturalistic compositions with bouquets of flowers in vases. Other flowered scrolls in chased and repoussé gilt brass appear on the frame of a toilet mirror.

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