Compagnonnage Carpentry

French
19th century, Wood with inlay work

Compagnonnage was a movement that originated in French trade guilds, particularly widespread in the Tours area of the Loire, that specialised in woodworking. The variety of woods used enabled the guilds to create numerous objects: structures, doors and windows, furniture, wheels and animal-drawn carts, all by incorporating small cut pieces so that they fit together perfectly, creating fine architectural structures, as this work clearly demonstrates – a testament to the woodworker’s skill.