This paper examines the role of enslaved craftsmen in Charleston cabinetmaking shops during the late-eighteenth century and how wealthy Charlestonians’ desire fashionable goods fueled the demand for this labor force. The first chapter examines the rise of the wealthy Charlestonians and the origins of their taste for fashionable goods. The second chapter explores the increased use of enslaved craftsmen in Charleston cabinetmaking shops during the last half of the eighteenth century and how they affected the production of fashionable cabinet goods.

This thesis is about a part of the marquetrytechnique, scorching. Scorching is made by heating up something, put a veneer into the heated substance and make a controlled burning. This technique is old but still used today and have according to me great potential for development. In my work I wanted to give the scorching greater room then I earlier have seen. I wanted the scorching to be the dominant ingredient for a decorative element in a piece of furniture or an interior. This, I believe, is one way of making the art of marquetry more modern.   In my report I have written about the history of scorching, both in terms of how often the technique has been used throughout history, but also for its development during time. This part of the thesis is mainly based upon studies of literature and some interviews.   The biggest part of the thesis tries to consolidate a method for how to achieve a successful scorching. The criterion for successful is an equal gradient, repeatability and controlled length for the scorching. I have mainly experimented with exposuretime, exposuretemperature and different substances to heat up. During this experiments I have tried to define the best way to work. Several different woodspieces have been used but I have mainly worked with veneer of birch. During my work I have also tested to achieve new esthetical looks still mainly using the same technique. Changing materials to heat up and changing the way of applying the veneer. These parts of the thesis is based on empirical studies and with the report there are some physical samples describing my results. / Detta examensarbete handlar om en del av intarsiatekniken, skuggbränning. Skuggbränning åstadkommer man genom att hetta upp någonting, föra ned ett faner i det upphettade och på det sättet åstadkomma en kontrollerad bränning. Tekniken är gammal men används fortfarande och kan moderniseras och vidareutvecklas. Jag har i mitt arbete önskat att ge skuggbränningen större utrymme än jag tidigare sett. Låta skuggbränningen bli det dominerande inslaget i ett dekorativt element på en möbel eller inredning. Detta menar jag, kan vara en väg att modernisera intarsiakonsten.   Jag har i min rapport i viss mån redogjort för skuggbränningens historia, både vad gäller hur utbredd användningen varit men också den metodiska historien. Denna del vilar i huvudsak på litteraturstudier och intervjuer.   Rapportens största del handlar om att befästa ett tillvägagångssätt för hur man på bästa sätt kan åstadkomma en lyckad skuggbränning. Kriterierna för lyckad är jämn övertoning, stor repeterbarhet och kontrollerad längd på övertoningen. Moment jag experimenterat med är i huvudsak exponeringstid, exponeringstemperatur och vilket upphettat ämne som är det lämpligaste mediet. Jag har för dessa moment försökt definiera det bästa tillvägagångssättet. Rapporten behandlar flera träslag men i huvudsak björkfaner. I arbetet har jag vidare försökt att med nya material åstadkomma nya estetiska uttryck men med samma grundteknik. Dessa delar av rapporten vilar på empiriska undersökningar och tillhörande rapporten finns en fysisk provkarta med mina resultat.

The connection of craft and architecture is a subject that has interested me since I began my architecture education some seventeen years ago. Although my path led me away from, then back to architecture, craft and making has remained a passion of mine through the years; specifically, the role of the individual craftsman in architecture. It is my contention that as we move further and further into a machine made world, we lose an understanding of, and an appreciation for variation. Everything in our lives is homogenous. People believe that coffee should taste the way that it does at Starbucks, and Starbucks became the monolith that it is by ensuring that their coffee tastes the same no matter where you are in the world. The craftsman never strives for homogeneity or simple duplication; it is anathema to his being. The cabinetmaker knows he will never find two pieces of wood that are the same, and he knows he can never produce two identical products, no matter his skill. He finds joy in this, and he is fulfilled. The barista, given control of the quality of the beansâ roast, the grind, the tamp, and the pressure of the extraction will never make two shots the same. This variation makes every cup a unique experience, and provides an endless opportunity to experiment and refine. I began with a house, and a study of how one generates form in architecture. I ended with a handcrafted coffee mill and portafilter. I utilized the craft of cabinetmaking that I have studied for over a decade, to produce tools for the barista to take full control of his craft. Whether a piece of furniture, or a shot of espresso - what the hands of a skilled craftsman can create when they are given the tools and the freedom to put their skills and intuition to full use, is something extraordinary, something unique, and something exceeding what the best machine can produce under ideal conditions. This is a lesson I strive to always remember, and one I endeavor to pass on to my children. Now more than ever this idea seems very much at risk of extinction. / Master of Architecture

Det här examensarbetet kretsar kring mina experiment med parkettläggningstekniker, och mina försök att bygga en möbel som ser ut som att den har tagits över av ett mönster eller en struktur. En övergång till någonting mer skulpturalt. Jag använder träbitar som blivit över från andra projekt för att tillverka dessa dekorationer. Min utgångspunkt är traditionella parkettläggningstekniker, men jag arbetar också med en slags mer tredimensionell parkettläggning, med tjockare, vinklade bitar, för att skapa djup och ett intryck av växande. / This thesis work revolves around my experiments with parquetry and my attempts to build a piece of furniture that appears to have been taken over by a pattern or structure. A transition into something more sculptural. I use pieces of wood left over from other projects to create these decorations. My basis is traditional parquetry techniques, but I also work with a type of more three dimensional parquetry, with thicker, angled pieces, to create depth and an impression of growing.

The aim of this thesis is to explore how theoretical studies on handicrafts may be rewarding and usefull for a craftsman. The aim is also to explore how quality is defined within crafts and to explore different aesthetic qualities that can be achieved within the craft of cabinetmaking. In addition, the aim is also to broaden the view on how skillfullnes may be expressed within the craft of cabinetmaking. The work begins with theoretical studies of two craft philosophers - David Pye and Soetsu Yanagi. Then, their ideas are applied practically through the making of two pieces of furniture. Aesthetic expressions characterized by randomness, imperfection and irregularity is specially sought after. The conclusions of the thesis shows that theoretical studies may be benefiting and rewarding for a craftsman. / Syftet med detta arbete är att visa hur teoretiska studier om hantverk är utvecklande och användbara för en praktiserande hantverkare. Syftet är också att undersöka vad som definierar gott hantverk samt att undersöka vilka olika estetiska kvalitéer som kan åstadkommas inom snickerihantverket. Dessutom vill arbetet bredda synen på hur skicklighet och förståelse för materialet trä kan uttryckas. Arbetet inleds med teoretiska studier av två hantverksfilosofer - David Pye och Soetsu Yanagi. Därefter tillämpas deras idéer praktiskt genom tillverkningen av två möbler. Särskilt fokus läggs på att åstadkomma estetiska uttryck som präglas av slump, imperfektion och irregularitet. Slutsatserna visar att ett teoretiska studier kan bredda en praktiserande hantverkares syn på vad som är möjligt att åstadkomma inom snickerihantverket samt att materialet trä tillåter en bredd av uttryck.