Working with intarsia has a deeply rooted tradition. Early civilizations already have worked with different techniques of inlays in wood. Originating from the Islamic culture, the sophisticated intarsia designs on furniture were introduced into Europe. At the height of the Renaissance-, Baroque- and Art Nouveau- eras unique and unrivalled works of art arose. Especially in Jugendstil it came to a fascinating connection of art and craft. Artfully intarsiated objects and furniture by Charles Spindler or Emile Gallé demonstrate a unity that became lost later on. The arts-and-crafts movement as well as the early Bauhaus school enforced (also politically) the claim to practice art and craft as a unit; however, with the beginning of industrial design Intarsia played, particularly in Germany, not a significant role anymore. After centuries it sank into oblivion. Lately, people in Germany are picking up the old techniques again, and are furthermore, developing new techniques to use in contemporary concepts. This type of woodwork provides a new perception of the quality the material wood offers. Not only in applied arts but also in free crafts contemporary Intarsia becomes construed. So, the distinct aesthetic of wood and veneer remains fascinating even in highly engineered times. Intarsia today – inner worlds created within a tree with expressive character – become conceivable as a medium of modern art.