All about inlaid music boxes

What is inlay?

Some people think that these exquisite inlaid designs are painted on, but they are not. In fact, inlay is a very old type of marquetry that can be traced back to the Benedictine monks as early as the 6th and 7th centuries. Tiny pieces of wood are drawn, stained and cut out by hand and then set into wood that has been cut out for that shape. There is no space between the inlaid wood and the wood it is set into. Several coats of lacquer follow and the finish is a beautiful design, handmade by the artist and considered one of a kind because no two pieces of wood are alike, and usually the artist does something different each time. Many different varieties of woods are used for these boxes. This art is first attributed to Antonio Damora of Sorrento, Italy, who began practicing this art as early as 1827. Sorrento, Italy is still considered the finest source of inlaid boxes. Because these boxes take so many man hours to make, they are usually more expensive that ordinary plain wood boxes. They make terrific family heirlooms.

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