Quillwork Sconce

Ruth Read

1720–40 · Paper, shells, wire, glass · The American Wing

A fragile form of handiwork, quillwork consists of narrow strips of paper rolled into tiny scrolls and glued, one against the other, within a shadow-box frame to form a design. In this case, sconces for candles were attached to the front of each frame, and the glittering mica-covered quillwork magnified and reflected the candlelight. This sconce and its mate (52.195.19) were possibly made by Ruth Read of Redding, Connecticut. Both sconces originally held silver candle arms made by Knight Leverett; these, however, are now at the Winterthur Museum.

Artist

Ruth Read

Date

1720–40

Medium

Paper, shells, wire, glass

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Screven Lorillard, 1952