The foundation by Colbert, minister of Louis XIV, of the Manufactures
Royales des Meubles de la Couronne, commonly called the Gobelins,
brought together for the production of furniture and tapestry for the
royal palaces the most talented designers and expert craftsmen of the
time. Of these Charles André Boulle was the master cabinetmaker. His
name is commonly identified with marquetry of tortoise shell and
brass, which he carried to a high state of perfection; but he was much
more than a craftsman. He developed a furniture style that harmonized
perfectly in its vigor and magnificence with the splendid proportions
of the great royal residences. Large in scale and massive in
construction, his pieces rely for their effect upon bold and striking
decoration of gilded bronze and marquetry.
[Illustration: AN EXAMPLE OF RIESENER MARQUETRY