Quillwork Sconce

Ruth Read

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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 (52.195.20) 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.

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.

Metropolitan Museum of Art