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Cribbage
board with a lovely floral spray surrounded by crushed
white glass. Courtesy Florian Papp. |
Basket
and close-up of date. This workbasket is dated 1789.
Is it similar to the one Lucy made for the spoiled child?
Courtesy Florian Papp. |
History
The craft of paper filigree spanned centuries, and nations. The earliest
known works were created by nuns, primarily on the continent.
These were generally framed pieces with the filigree surrounding
religious pictures or reliquaries. Many examples of religious
paper filigree survive, most dating from the late eighteenth
and early nineteenth centuries with religious prints at the center.
Other early examples in England depict royal figures. Generally,
the faces and hands were modeled of wax, and the surrounding
paper work was dimensional and elaborate.
Most of the examples pictured here were made in England in the mid-to
late eighteenth century into the early nineteenth, when such work
was at the height of fashion. Diaries and other period references
make it clear that paper filigree was taught to young ladies in schools
as part of their “education.” (It was also taught in
American schools in Philadelphia, Boston and New York, but aside
from some intricate sconces in a few museums, little is known about
the craft in this country.)
The paper was generally purchased from a bookbinder, who would cut
the paper to size and gild the edges. In many cases, the girls would
dye the papers themselves. They would apply their rolled paper to
boxes or screens or small cabinets specially prepared by a cabinetmaker,
with recessed areas surrounded by pretty wood moldings which were
often inlaid with exotic woods. They would often use a silk background,
as can be seen on some of the items pictured. Other times, they would
fill the backgrounds with mica, to create a glittery canvas on which
to place their carefully-executed designs.
In
contrast to the Prisoner of War screen, right, this one,
done by a young lady c. 1790, is much more refined. It
is on a white silk background and has a colored engraving
of a mother and child. The elaborate frame and the delicate
garlands of flowers add to its graceful feeling. Courtesy
Florian Papp. |
This
pole screen was probably made by a prisoner of war. Note
the cruder work, and the way the background is completely
filled in by loosely rolled papers. Also note the extensive
use of accordion-folded, or crimped, paper. Courtesy
Pook & Pook. |
In 1791, at age 21, Princess Elizabeth, daughter of George III, worked
on a box made especially for filigree work by Charles Elliott,
a royal furniture maker. It had ebony molding, a lock and key,
it was lined inside and out, and came with 15 ounces of filigree
paper as well as an ounce of gold paper (obviously, for the Princess,
the paper was pre-cut).
Boxes such as the Princess’s were well constructed with the
best materials, including special hinges and locks. But we often
see humbler pieces, such as tea caddies, with ordinary hinges, no
inlay to dress up the moldings, and a plain steel lock and key. These
items were probably made by French prisoners of war in the British
prison camps during the Napoleonic Wars. They tend to be a little
cruder; that is, the paper might not be rolled as tightly, or the
designs might not be quite as artistic. These works generally have
the backgrounds filled in with tight coils of paper (although this
technique was not exclusive to the prisoners).
Technique
Today paper filigree is often called “quillwork” but
the reason is uncertain. Some sources say that quills were used to
roll the paper, but the tip of a quill is too thick for this to be
accomplished with the refinement necessary. Others say that it refers
to the Native American craft of embroidering with dyed porcupine
quills. This makes more sense, but “quillwork” is still
a confusing name for paper filigree.
As a restorer of paper filigree, I have used trial and error to determine
the correct method for rolling the paper, and after reading some
historical accounts describing the technique, I found that I am right
on target!
Paper
filigree picture. Girls often used the motif of a basket
of flowers in needlework, watercolor theorems, and paper
filigree. This folky example is signed on the back, and
reads, ÒDun by Mrs. Spooner Yarmouth Aged 81 years.Ó Proof
that ladylike crafts were not just for the young! Courtesy
Florian Papp. |
This
exquisite cabinet and stand is completely covered in
paper filigree, with the exception of two oval silk panels
on the doors which are painted with rural scenes. It
is dated 1787, and stands 41Ó tall. Courtesy Florian
Papp. |
The paper is rolled using a needle or a thin metal pin with a slit
through the middle into which the end of the paper is inserted,
and then rolled around. Today one can buy a board with various
shapes on it (teardrop, different size circles and ovals, and
ellipses), but I suspect that it was originally done by rolling
the paper and then pinching it into the desired shape by hand
before it was applied to the background. I actually prefer this
method to using the board. The shaped paper was then pinned to
the background after applying adhesive to the bottom, and left
to set. Often borders included long strips of accordion-folded
paper as filler between two straight strips. This accordion paper
was also used extensively in many of the floral designs as filler
in the leaves and stems. I have attempted to re-create this edging,
and find it virtually impossible. Perhaps I don’t have
the eighteenth-century gift of patience, but it is more likely
that some sort of miniature crimping device was used. When I
saw a Victorian crimping machine, turned by a hand crank, used
for cuffs and collars, I had an “Aha!” moment, and
have since been looking everywhere for the miniature version
which I am sure was used for this purpose.
Paper
filigree today
Two books on Georgian and Victorian crafts from the 1970s lament
the demise of creating paper filigree decorations. However, when
I began restoring boxes around 1990, many craft stores carried pre-cut
paper strips in various lengths, as well as books describing how
to make some basic designs. Since that time, it seems that paper
filigree is everywhere. When I Googled “paper filigree” I
got 148,000 hits, many of which included references to “quillwork.” Today’s
crafter uses the technique for wedding invitations or other special
cards, picture frames, small boxes, and even jewelry.
A friend who travels to Vietnam every year with her professor husband
often brings back some of the local crafts. This year she brought
small round boxes covered with paper filigree! She had two other
examples at home, which she allowed me to borrow and photograph for
this article. The work is superb, and many of the designs (with the
exception of the bamboo) could certainly have shown up in the eighteenth
and early nineteenth centuries.
About the author: Joy Ruskin is a partner in Hanes & Ruskin Antiques, info@hanesandruskin.com, www.hanesandruskin.com.
References
June Field, Collecting Georgian and Victorian Crafts, Charles Scribner’s
Sons, New York, 1973.
Carson I. A. Ritchie, Art in Paper, A. S. Barnes and Company, NY,
1976.
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