Lathed standing part decorated with drops and other ornaments

These enigmatic concentric spheres and delicate arabesques attest to a dying art, ornamental turning, born in the splendour of the Renaissance. Each piece is crafted from a single block of ebony, boxwood or ivory. Fluting and braiding entwine whimsical architecture; basins are locked forever in their openwork ovals. Barreau designed incredibly complex forms and created the tools and turns in the air to exercise his art. This poetic engineering remains a mystery the secrets of which its creator never revealed.