Editing Straw marquetry

{{Short description|Craft imitating wood marquetry with straw}}
{{More references|date=January 2015}}
[[Image:MarquetryOriental.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Oriental marquetry motif]]
'''Straw marquetry''' is a craft very similar to that of wood [[marquetry]], except that straw replaces the [[wood veneer]]. It is thought to have first been practised in the East; examples were brought to England in the 17th century.

To mimic the varying shades of wood veneer, [[wheat]] or [[oat]] straw has to be split, then soaked in cold, warm, or hot water. The strips are then ironed, and there will be a variety of tones from pale gold to deepest dark brown.

There are accounts of nuns in France and Switzerland making a variety of items using straw marquetry.

The most famous straw marquetry was practised by prisoners of war from the [[Napoleonic wars]]. Dartmoor and other prisons had been built for them; the prison most famous for straw marquetry was Norman Cross, [[Huntingdon]].

[[Easter eggs]] are decorated with [[straw]] [[applique]], especially in Eastern European countries.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Osterdeko - fünf Ideen rund um das Osterei {{!}} Anton Doll Holzmanufaktur|url=https://www.antondoll.de/blog/osterdeko-fuenf-ideen-rund-um-das-osterei|access-date=2021-01-01|website=www.antondoll.de}}</ref> Geometric shapes, stars and flower motifs are the most common themes. There is a slight difference in the way the straw is prepared, however; for marquetry, the straws are soaked, split and ironed; for [[Egg (biology)|egg]] decoration the straw is not ironed.

==See also==
*[[Corn dolly]], [[Straw]], [[Oat]], [[Wheat]], [[Barley]], [[Rye]], [[Easter egg]]

==Photo gallery==
<gallery>
Image:StrawMarquetryFlowers.jpg
Image:MarquetryHouse.jpg
Image:MarquetryEggs.jpg
Image:Ukrainian Straw Easter Eggs Ukrainian Museum of Canada Ontario Branch.jpg
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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{{decorative arts}}

[[Category:Visual arts genres]]
[[Category:Straw art]]


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