CONTEMPORARY INTARSIA: the MEDVEDEV APPROACH to GEM INLAY by Lames Elliott
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NOTES AND NEW TECHNIQUES CONTEMPORARY INTARSIA: THE MEDVEDEV APPROACH TO GEM INLAY By lames Elliott Using precision inlay (intarsia) techniques, Russian some of the fancy boxes he manufactured around emigre Nicolai Medvedev is creating masterpieces of 1770. Already renowned for their mosaic work, the lapidary work in boxes, candlesticks, clock cases, Italians proved particularly skilled and creative at and jewelry. He uses high-quality lapis lazuli, opal, hardstone intarsia. One of the most interesting malachite, sugilite, azurite, tourmaline, and rhodo- pieces in the Gilbert collection of gold boxes is an chrosite, among other materials, to create these col- 11.3-cm (412 in.) long rectangular box inlaid with orful and precisely constructed pieces. Some of his techniques are explained in a step-by-step procedure agate, chalcedony, lapis lazuli, aventurine, and used to create the "Camellia" box. malachite (von Habsburg-Lothringen, 1983).Gem materials were incorporated into other objects of art or furniture as well, often with precious metals used as attachments and for completion of design. Today, the technique of intarsia with gem One of the most difficult and labor-intensive materials is used in many countries, including forms of lapidary art is gemstone inlay, or intarsia. Germany, Italy, India, and China. Florence, Italy, is Very much like mosaic, small, usually flat pieces generally recognized as the modern center of of gem materials are fitted together and then intarsia work (Sinlzanlzas, 1984). Because of the cemented to a base to form various designs. How- high cost of labor, however, most intarsia currently ever, while mosaics are usually done as murals or on the market lacks detail. In addition, the boxes large panels, intarsia commonly involves smaller made of various gem materials are generally plain surfaces and requires far greater accuracy and and often crudely constructed for broad commer- precision in fitting many pieces together to pro- cial distribution. It is, therefore, with great sur- duce an intricate design with a smooth finish. prise that we find an artist in New Jersey producing As an art form, intarsia using gem materials some of the finest and most intricate intarsia ever flourished throughout Western Europe from the late-17th to the mid-19th centuries. Boxes were -- one of the most common items produced. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Snuffboxes of "hardstone" were made in France as Mr. Elliott is the president of E. E Watermelon Company, a early as 1736 (Cocks and Truman, 1984). The wholesale gemstone firm. He and partner Richard Freeman German court of Dresden welcomed goldsmiths operate a gallery of gemstones, minerals, and lapidary art in Old Lyme, Connecticut, that features the work of Nicolai and hardstone cutters to produce elaborate snuff Medvedev. and presentation boxes of wafer-thin agate, ame- Acknowledgments: The author would like to thank Harold and thyst, or chalcedony, mounted in gold and often Erica Van Pelt tor their beautiful photographs and kind words of encrusted with gems. Moss agate was used by encouragement. prominent goldsmith and jeweler James Cox in @ 1987 Gemological Institute of America Notes and New Techniques GEMS & GEMOLOGY Winter 1986 229 seen. Nicolai Medvedev, an artist trained in Medvedev today has accumulated a large selec- Russia, has revived intarsia as an art form, devel- tion of fine rough, much of which has been oping new techniques and taking advantage of purchased out of private collections. After care- modern technology. The result is a number of fully selecting the choicest pieces, he slabs each beautifully designed and executed boxes as well as one. As patterns unfold, so too does his artistic eye. clocks, candlesticks, and intricate pieces for jewel- He takes great care to match the banded patterns in ry that have been carefully constructed from fine malachite, and delights in the powerful effect of its malachite, lapis lazuli, rhodochrosite, sugilite, brilliant green combined with sugilite or opal. It is and the like (figure 1). One of his most unusual at this stage that he begins to see the combinations pieces, a malachite box inlaid with sugilite and a of pieces that may six months later form a box. tourmaline "flower," demonstrates the precision What makes Medvedev's work so extraordi- required in gem intarsia. nary is not only his use of fine-quality gem materials but also his painstaking craftsmanship FROM ARTIST TO LAPIDARY and his meticulous attention to detail. Medvedev Born and raised in Ashkhabad, Turkmenia, USSR, begins all of his designs from the center. Focusing a city near the Iran border, Nicolai Medvedev on a particularly inspiring gem, he then adds attended art school and Art College before he was complimentary shapes and colors, one after an- admitted to the prestigious Art Institute in Mos- other, to complete the design. Precision, skill, and cow. In 1980, after five and a half years at the Art inordinate patience are required to achieve good Institute, he emigrated to the United States with results. his American wife. One of the most complex pieces Medvedev has Once in the U.S., Medvedev began attending created thus far is the "Camellia" box. This six- art shows. As he traveled, though, he would stop at sided malachite box is trimmed with sugilite inlay various lapidary shops, hunting for colorful mate- and incorporates a flower formed from Maine rials in stone from which he might create pieces of tourmaline on the lid (figure2). Although the basic art. Using amateur equipment, he began to fashion procedure for intarsia has been described by Sin- boxes out of this material. The colors reminded lzanlzas ( 1984)and others, the following description him of nature's colors, and he was delighted to of the process by which Medvedev created the think that he could create three-dimensional art Camellia box provides some insight into the tech- objects out of stone that would be durable enough nical skills and artistry required for fine intarsia. to last for centuries. His work continued, and within a few years he had become an accomplished THE CREATION OF THE lapidary. To produce the best pieces, though, he CAMELLIA BOX knew that he had to find the best rough material. The initial stage of the construction of this box He concentrated on malachite with its varied revolved around design sketches and the accu- patterns, the finest lapis from Russia and Af- mulation of rough. Preliminary sketches (figure3) ghanistan, gem-quality sugilite, and opal. He ex- eventually became a final color rendering, showing perimented with various combinations, trying to size, shape, angles, and organization of color to be show off pattern and color to the best advantage. translated into the gem rough. The leaves for the In addition to his 12 years of intensive training flower and the material for the greater part of the in Soviet art schools, Medvedev considers the box were chosen from approximately 35 Ibs. (16 kg) decorative and applied art of his native Turkmenia of malachite rough. After sawing, approximately to be his major source of inspiration. As a child, he 2'14 Ibs. of pieces were selected on the basis of their was surrounded by the colorfully patterned rugs, chatoyancy and distinct patterns. The centerpiece clothing, and jewelry of Middle Asia. He partic- of the flower was to be in tourmaline, and an 86-ct ularly loved 19th-century Turlzmenian jewelry, gem Maine crystal was found. For the flower and at one time owned one of the finest collections petals, a 140-gram crystal of watermelon tour- in Russia. Many of the designs and patterns of maline from Maine was chosen. All accent areas of these ornaments can be seen in his work today. the box were to be in sugilite; approximately one- Medvedev has also been influenced by American half pound of pieces were chosen from the cutting Indian art, which captured his interest on his first of 30 Ibs. of rough. Finally, six 10-pt. fine white trip to the United States. diamonds were selected for incorporation into the 230 Notes and New Techniques GEMS & GEMOLOGY Winter 1986 Figure 1. Nicolai Medvedev has carefully created a number of boxes, clocks, and pendants zzsing select pieces of colorful gem materials. These two boxes -of sugilite, malachite, lapis lazuli, and opal-are particularly fine examples of this contemporary intarsia. Photo 0 Harold d Erica Van Pelt design. With these materials assembled, the tech- crystal was cross-sectioned, and the sections were nical fashioning began. polished on both sides and then beveled on a 45' First, the tourmalines were cut. Since the box angle to intensify the color of the tourmaline. was to be a hexagon, it was decided that the center Next, the 18K gold mounting needed to house stone would be faceted in that shape. The 86-ct the center stone and the sections was built by Dave rough yielded a 23-ct flawless gem. The watermelon Woods, a New Jersey jeweler, from Medvedev's Notes and New Techniques GEMS & GEMOLOGY Winter 1986 231 sides, bottom, and legs were finally assembled and attached to an onyx base using 330 Epoxy. To soften the inlay angle from gold to onyx base, Medvedev first used Ray-Tel 260 grit dia- mond lap to grind away the hard edge and then Ray- Tel325 grit Nu-Bond to even all edges, finishing off with Ray-Tel600 Silicon Carbide to leave a gentle curve downward from the gold center to the edge of the lid. The fourth stage was the polishing of the various surfaces. This was accomplished over 90% of the total box with Linde A compound. This stage alone took approximately one week to com- plete. A final wash of pure acetone was adminis- tered to render all surfaces perfectly clean.