Master inlayer seeks revival of a dying art

A former Drydocks worker who has been dedicating his time to keeping alive the dying art of inlaying (interzjar) would like to see a revival of the trade "before it is too late".

Inlaying is a process of covering furniture using veneers from different types of wood.

"The number of people who can do this intricate, time-consuming work can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Young new blood is needed so that we can pass our knowledge to them before there is no one left to hand over such skills," Longinu Farrugia said.

Making inlaid furniture requires a lot of time and endless patience. After a piece of furniture is designed, a frame is made and then left to dry for a year or two to ensure against warping. The inlaying patterns and the right woods for the job are then selected.

"It may look easy, but choosing the right kind of woods is a very important aspect. And you have to ensure you have enough of the woods that you intend using," Mr Farrugia said.

In his latest piece, a library bureau, Mr Farrugia used seven different types of wood: cocobolo, tavira, zebrano, ebony, bocote, orange and imbuia. The frame, which cannot be seen, is made of red and white deal.

"I get engrossed in the work and often spend eight hours inlaying. One can perhaps cover no more than 15 cms on the face of a drawer in all that time. You start inlaying at the centre and move outwards, fitting tiny pieces as if making a jig-saw puzzle. The main difference is that you are making the pieces yourself and you have to see that the symmetrical patterns you are creating complement each other," he said.

Different pieces of wood require different textures of glue and techniques to be fixed. "You have to wet ebony and then heat it to give it the shape you want. Then you have to dry it as otherwise the glue does not stick to it. And you have to apply glue and let it dry a little before fixing it in its place as it would otherwise warp," Mr Farrugia said.

When all the inlaying is done, the surface has to be sanded and polished repeatedly. The process of polishing starts with a metal scraper, which is used to smoothen uneven surfaces or edges. The surface is then sanded with different grades of fine sandpaper. Three coats of French polish are then applied and it is again left to dry for a few days. The surfaces are then rubbed with pieces of steel wool.

The process of applying French polish and polishing the surfaces with steel wool takes place several times. The end result is a silky surface that feels smoother than glass to the touch.

Finding the right materials is no easy task: some of the exotic woods used in the inlaying process are bought from the US and the UK, and a rather hefty price has to be paid both for the wood and for the freight. Locks made as they used to be made 200 years ago and small brass screws are unavailable locally and have to be bought from Italy.

"I hope there can be a revival of such a trade. Inlaying in the old way is an art that should not be lost. It is much more prestigious than the ready-made laminates one can buy. Such hand-made pieces are also an investment," he said.