Bone and horn, placed sliver by sliver.

From fragment to pattern

The Sand collection brings together two enduring interests at Farrago: the possibilities of inlay and the natural variation of bone and horn. Pale ivory, amber and deep brown become part of the design, with fragments selected to create either a closely matched surface or a more pronounced contrast. Patterns extend around curves, across faceted tables and over larger door panels, requiring a different arrangement for each form. Alongside chevrons and geometric compositions, carved ornament and colored resin give the collection a broader design language.

Cut bone slivers, sorted by toneSerenity bone marquetry table

THE HANDS THAT MAKE IT

What the food industry leaves behind becomes the beginning of something new.

Bone and horn, sourced as byproducts of the food industry, carry natural variation in tone and grain. Through precise cutting and placement, the material becomes beehive patterns, chevrons, tattoo-fine lines or broad, continuous surfaces, sometimes stretched into a translucent field or blended with water-based resin for contrast to create this collection.

Raw bone and horn, sorted by tone before the work begins
Cut bone slivers, sorted by tone

Sorted one at a time

Every composition begins with the material. Bone and horn are sorted by tone and grain, allowing natural variations to guide the pattern.

A single piece may take several weeks to complete.

An artisan shaping bone by hand

Each fragment is cut and fitted by hand, gradually building a surface of remarkable precision

Setting bone slivers into the pattern

Set sliver by sliver, in an order drawn out weeks earlier, until thousands of fragments read as a single continuous surface.

Buffed with no top coats

Repeated polishing and hand-buffing bring out the depth, warmth and subtle variations of the material.

Artisan hand-buffing a finished bone marquetry piece
The finished Tabla, checkered bone and horn
The finished Tabla, checkered bone and horn
Farrago checkered bone and horn arch console, full frame

Selected works

Splendor
Bone

MATERIALS FROM THIS COLLECTION

Bone. Horn. Resin. Penshell.

Bone

Natural variations in ivory and cream.

Horn

Layers of browns, blacks and gold grain along with translucency

Resin

Colour incorporated into the composition.

Penshell

An iridescent surface with natural tonal variation..

FULL GALLERY

Full gallery

Customize it

An existing Sand piece may be resized, re-proportioned or developed in another pattern or verified material.

A new piece can begin with a drawing, an image or the beginning of an idea.