A SHORT HISTORY OF QUILLING

PAPER-ROLLING, PAPER-SCROLLING, FILIGREE, MOSAIC and QUILLING are all names which have been given to this craft during its long history. Some sources suggest that it was practised in Ancient Egypt.

Its popularity has fluctuated. Work of high quality was achieved by French and Italian nuns in the 16th and 17th centuries, genteel ladies in the Stuart period, ladies of leisure in the Georgian and Regency periods and it is currently enjoying a modern revival. It also spread to North America with the settlers. Those of us who quill today, find we have something in common with Elizabeth, daughter of George III, Joseph Bramah (famous locksmith), Mrs Delany (pioneer of other paperwork and friend of Dean Swift), Jane Austen who mentions it in 'Sense and Sensibility' and the Bronte sisters: quite a distinguished gathering of enthusiasts!

Nuns on the continent decorated reliquaries and holy pictures, adding gilding and much ornamentation. The ecclesiastical connection was maintained when the art spread to England with the development of paper, though vellum and parchment were also used. Poorer churches produced religious pictures with rolled decoration. When gilded or silvered, it was difficult to distinguish it from real gold or silver filigree work.

It was a craft never practised by 'working-class' women in the past. Indeed, it was a decorative art which ladies of leisure would use to work panels and coats-of-arms. Later it was extended to include covering tea-caddies, workboxes, screens, cabinets, frames etc. Background for these often included foil, mica or flaked shells. Beautiful boxes were made by cabinet makers, with recessed sides. These were advertised and sold, often to Boarding Schools for young ladies. '......it affords an amusement to the female mind capable of the most pleasing and extensive variety; and at the same time, it conduces to fill up a leisure hour with an innocent recreation...' (The New Lady's Magazine - 1786)

In 1875 an attempt was made to reintroduce the craft by Wm. Bemrose. A kit called 'Mosaicon' was produced, together with a handbook. Another reference has been discovered in an Edwardian book of household management entitled 'Floral Mosaicon'. In the article mention is made of pieces being purchased by Queen Mary and Queen Alexander.

Many museums have examples of antique work and our booklet, 'Finding Antique Quilling' is available from the Quilling Guild Secretary.

Two major exhibitions of quilling have been held. One was in 1927 in London, when mention is made of two Charles I pictures. Another was in New York in 1988, at the Florian-Papp Gallery, when some superb examples were on exhibition and sale. Most of these were of European origin. In 1992 and 1997 the Quilling Guild staged International Festivals of Quilling, the first at Ragley Hall and the second at Chesford Grange in Warwickshire, when antique pieces and a great many items of modern quilling were on show. The third International Festival of Quilling was held in York, North Yorkshire, in 2002, and the fourth in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, in 2007. It can be seen that this craft has a long and interesting history. One day, the Guild would like to be able to mount a permanent display of its archives, showing quilling’s and photographs, old and new.

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