False wood technique popularized in France

Antiques & Collecting
  • False wood technique popularized in France
    False wood technique popularized in France
  • A wooden barrel sold for over $2,000? No, it’s a ceramic garden seat made to look like a wooden barrel. Photo Credit: DOYLE Auctioneers and Appraisers (c) 2024 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.
    A wooden barrel sold for over $2,000? No, it’s a ceramic garden seat made to look like a wooden barrel. Photo Credit: DOYLE Auctioneers and Appraisers (c) 2024 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

    For thousands of years, artisans have found ways to make one material look like another. The history of furniture is filled with examples, like wood painted to resemble marble, metal, lacquer or other expensive or exotic materials. Sometimes, other materials are sculpted or painted to look like wood.

    The faux bois (literally “false wood”) technique was popularized in France, as its name suggests, i…