Silas Kopf
Furniture maker
Easthampton, MA, USA
Recommended by American Craft Council
Intricate inlays on fine furniture
- Silas specialises in highly detailed marquetry
- He works with wood, brass, copper, mother-of-pearl and abalone shell
- His piece, Gone Fishin', was made in collaboration with his daughter
Based in Easthampton, Massachusetts, Silas Kopf creates finely crafted furniture distinguished by intricate marquetry. He studied architecture at Princeton University, where an encounter with French Art Nouveau furniture led him to woodworking, and later resulting in an apprenticeship with Wendell Castle. A 1987 National Endowment for the Arts Craftsman Fellowship supported his studies in Paris at the École Boulle with Pierre Ramond, deepening his command of traditional techniques. Silas' work reflects a sustained engagement with historical processes alongside a commitment to innovation in decorative surfaces.
INTERVIEW
I have an undergraduate degree in architecture. I worked in a basic cabinet shop to learn the fundamentals of woodworking, with the hope of getting employed in an art furniture shop. I eventually got a job as an apprentice with craftsman Wendell Castle. Later, I began making my own pieces.
I was familiar with the French Art Nouveau furniture of Émile Gallé and Louis Majorelle. When searching for a style for my own work, I decided to learn marquetry. In the mid-1970s, I could not find any American craftspeople using the technique on furniture, so I realised it could be my niche.
Learning from a master under the real-world pressure of making a product for the market was invaluable. It taught me to appreciate the importance of production speed.
I would be completely lost without my Excalibur scroll saw.
