Sicilia Intarsi - Sicilian Inlay Company

While visiting Catania, I had the good fortune of finding a very nice apartment in the historic center of the city.  Tucked behind the apartment building, the owner Riccardo and his brother Giovanni D'Antonne operate a wood inlay company called Sicilia Intarsi.   I spent some time in the workshop one afternoon to learn about and observe the art of wood inlay.

It's comprised of designing and cutting multiple layers of wood veneer and putting the design together like a puzzle.   Once it is put together, masking tape is used to hold in place before it is glued and finished.  They use a brandishing technique on some pieces by dipping the edges of pieces in a pan of heated lava granules from nearby Mt. Etna.   It's very detailed and painstaking work, and a bit meditative as they work quietly together at the workbench.  Riccardo tells me they are one of the few companies left that don't use computerized laser cutting technology.  They still cut on a table saw guided by hand.

Riccardo and Giovanni assemble inlay projects on the central worktable in their workshop Sicilia Intarsi.

Giovanni manually guides the table saw with precision, cutting multiple layers of wood veneer. Sicilia Intarsi is one of the few inlay companies that does not use computerized laser cutting technologies.

A sampling of the tools used to create an inlay piece. 

Riccardo inspects the inventory of completed samples in a cabinet finished with their own inlay design, while Giovanni warms his hands on a cool winter day in their unheated workshop.

Small finished inlay wood items in the samples cabinets used to supplement their online catalog. 

Inlay pieces are grouped on the worktable after being burnished in a pan of heated lava granules.

Giovanni places a single piece in an inlay panel.

Riccardo trims a corner of an inlay panel border while Giovanni uses masking tape to hold his project in place.

Riccardo uses a hammer and razor blade to trim the corner of a panel border.

Inlay pieces are dipped in a pan of heated lava granules to burnish the edges for creative effect.

Riccardo tapes pieces of a panel while Giovanni burnishes individual pieces in a pan if heated lava granules.

Burnished inlay pieces with some residue of lava granules.

Riccardo treats me to Sicilian hospitality in the showroom featuring finished products using Sicilia Intarsi's inlay work. He is pouring a glass of Cantine Intorcia Vino Alla Mandorla.  A sweet almond wine of Sicily.