Headboard 18th century French pattern

Pattern from mid 1700s French from a table top to be made for Marie Antoinette.  The pattern was enlarged, redrawn several times to create a pattern the size of a queen-sized bed.  The veneers are exotic sawn veneers from Paris.  There are over 5,000 pieces.  The carved border was done by Aaron Radelow.

This close up is of the lower right hand corner to show the shaded to the tabac veneer (wreath).  The background veneer (fond) is Ferreol.

All these veneers were cut by a chevalet in a "painting in wood" method where the individual woods are stacked over the pattern strategically in a packet and then cut with a 2/0 blade.  Sometimes the layers of the packet can be as many as 9-10 stacked veneers.

This portion of the headboard is a stand where the women sit and the armillary sphere rest.  The floral design is of multiple exotic sawn veneers and the laurel leaves is dyed sycamore.  The reddish border is satine.

The armillary sphere is an astronomical sphere to show the stars and planets circling the earth initially then later the center was thought to be the sun.  These veneers are boxwood, my lady, espenille and pear.