The dispersion of marquetry into Europe seems to have advanced no further than Italy and perhaps Sicily. Beyond that the countryside was ruled by barbarian tribes such as the Goths who were hardly interested in the advancement of the Arts. At the other end of Europe the Moors had invaded Spain by crossing the Strait of Gibraltar from Morocco and Algeria in 711 AD. With them they brought the accumalative knowledge of Greek, Rome and Egyptian civilizations. But the real problem was that much of that wisdom was not translated from Arab until Spain was reconquered during the Crusades in 1085. It was at that time that western Europe began to learn of new and exciting arts. It was also a time when the whole of Europe was settling into an enlightened civilization.
One of the major contributors to the introduction of marquetry into Europe during the High Middle Ages was Christanity. The monks of the early church had always produced books in their scriptoriums, and most if not all of these were religious in nature, but now they were copying manuscripts on such diverse subjects as biology, architecture and the arts. One example is the Benedictine monk Theophilus Presbyter who wrote the Latin codex "Schedula diversarum artium" or "List of various arts". This was written about 1120 and comprised 3 volumns. Interesting is that the second volumn deals with the production of stained glass and techniques of glass painting. It is well known that the Benedictine monks of Monte Cassino, not far from Rome, were adapt at manuscript illumination and mosaic work. They are credited with having invented the art of painting on glass. In the case of Theophilus Presbyter, he was a skilled craftsman in his own right who often employed 'niello' which is a specialized form of metalic inlay. The monastic tradition at this time was such that the well organized communities of religious allowed time for other activities in addition to their spiritual exercises. Some of these monks traveled about as craftsmen who were employed by various monasteries needing their services. These men also took the time to teach laymen the craft of inlaying wood. The apprentice would most likely have been a woodcarver since this was the only means for inlaying at the time. His tools consisted of a knife, chisel, mallet and a saw. Woods used came from about a dozen domestic species native to their area.
The "High Middle Ages" saw craftsmen moving to the larger cities which had become nerve centers of trade. This is where they would have gone to seek work - patrons sought artisans who specialized in marquetry in this manner.
