Decorative inlay and bandings were a common motif in neoclassical and empire furniture. These complex moldings are often fashioned out repeating pieces of various species of woods dyed to be highly colored or shaded to create the illusion of shadows and depth.

This sideboard by Thomas Seymour of Boston c. 1810 had one of his most iconic inlay patterns around the edge of the top. However the back corners had been cut off to allow the sideboard to fit between two piers in a wall at one point. Replacing the damage required reproducing the inlay from scratch. Thin pieces of veneer were put on edge into hot sand to scorch the wood and create sheets of wood with a gradation of color.

Then, the three circular components were cut out and reassembled to make a line of lunettes. The two lines of lunettes were offset and glued to a backer to produce the final pieces of the inlay pattern. Matched to the losses and finished, the new areas are barely discernable from Seymour’s original work.