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Quilling- An Eternal History

Updated: Aug 18, 2023

Quilling, known by its multiply names like PAPER-ROLLING, PAPER-SCROLLING, FILIGREE, MOSAIC is one of the oldest art forms. It has seen a roller coaster ride in terms of its popularity and practitioners. It achieved its pinnacle in the medieval period but fell from the top in later centuries. Quilling is so ancient and diverse that it is difficult to pinpoint its origin. It was so popular in ancient times that many countries claim its origin from their strong holds. With many nationalities claiming the origins of the craft of quilling, it is almost impossible to determine which one invented it. At least it would appear that quilling has a multicultural start in life!

First traces of its origin were found in China in 105 AD or in Egypt, where some tombs have been found to contain wire shapes similar in appearance to modern quilling. But no one is sure of its birth. Around 300-400 AD Quilling was practiced by Greeks using silver and gold wire to quill around pillars and vases and in Jewelry. Practitioners started documenting the technique around 1200 AD, when this hobby became quite popular. It was known as metal filigree in the 13th century and was used for decoration of drawing/ living room objects. However, when traditional materials like metals became scarce and unobtainable to the general public, paper was used as its substitute. The First paper mill was established in England, in 1465 giving the much-needed fillip to the quill work. Paper readily substituted the expensive metals as basic quilling material make quilling affordable to the masses.

In the 1500s and 1600s, French and Italian nuns used normal paper to quill and then gild or paint the finished work to replicate expensive intricacies of wrought iron or carved ivory. They also used torn edges from guilt-edged bibles and goose feathers to quill and decorate religious articles and pictures. The work was so intricate that it was difficult to distinguish it from real gold or silver work. The practice of using quills resulted in the craft's modern age name – quilling and shaped up the modern practices of the art.

In medieval centuries, Quilling was never practiced by 'working-class' women, rather it was mostly practiced by the ‘upper-class’ rich women. In Europe, and particularly in England, quilling was seen as a proper hobby for young ladies to take up along with the needlework. In the late 1600s and early 1700s (the Stuart period), the ladies of upper classes used to decorate screens, cabinets, frames, tea caddies, cribbage boards, wine coasters, work baskets & boxes, urns and even furniture with Quilling. Another reason Quilling became popular among upper class ladies was that only those with money could afford to purchase the supplies needed to quill like foil, mica or flaked shell that were often used as backgrounds. Also, only the upper-class ladies had time to quill as they didn’t have to work to earn bread and were also spared from domestic chores. They were only passing the time waiting for an eligible bachelor to them his wife. Quilling thereby became a means of signaling wealth and leisure time to prospective husbands.

The Georgia period (early 1700s to early 1800s) was the best period for Quilling popularity when it was made a part of the school curriculum. Schools of that period advertised quilling as one of their classes, and examples of quilled work, with the date and the name of the schoolgirl and school penciled on the back, exist even today. During the Georgia period, Quilling spread to shores of North America along with the settlers from Europe. Even today, Quillers from North America finds commonalities with the likes of Elizabeth, daughter of George III, Joseph Bramah (the famous locksmith), Mrs Delany (pioneer of other paperwork and friend of Jonathan Swift), Jane Austen (who mentions it in her novel 'Sense and Sensibility') and the Bronte sisters from Europe. However, by the late 1800s, the popularity of quilling waned.

In 1875 an attempt was made to reintroduce the art of Quilling by William Bemrose, who produced a kit called 'Mosaicon', together with a handbook but the effort was not too successful. Its popularity started increasing by the beginning of the 20th century when it was introduced as part of school craft education. As the 20th century progresses the craft made a comeback with many guilds and clubs busily quilling. The increase in popularity of scrapbooking also aided in the revival of quilling, with scrapbookers using quilling in their albums. During the mid and late 20th century, quilling saw a resurgence in popularity. It was used for decorating wedding invitations, for Christmas, birth announcements, greeting cards, scrapbook pages, and boxes. Quilling has found a strong presence in art galleries in Europe and in the United States and is an art that is being practiced around the world.

In 1927, two major exhibitions of quilling were held in London, one reportedly displaying items quilled presumably by Charles- I. In New York, in 1988, Florian-Papp Gallery presented some exquisite quilling artworks, mostly of European origin for exhibition and sale. Patricia Caputo, an authority on Quilling, writes extensively on the revival of quilling in America. She has mentioned the American Quilling Guild, surviving suppliers, exhibitions, and overall growing popularity of the craft in 1970s-1980s. The Quilling guild of England is a very popular organization across Europe and Australia, staging exhibitions and providing classes extensively in both modern and classic styles of quilling. 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, where multiple 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, the fourth in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, in 2007, and our very special 30th Anniversary Celebration of Quilling guild of England was staged in Liverpool in 2013. British quilling guild has been staging the festivals of the craft across the country since the 1990s and hopes to have a permanent display of its archives. guild of England was staged in Liverpool in 2013. British quilling guild has been staging the festivals of the craft across the country since the 1990s and hopes to have a permanent display of its archives.

Quilling certainly has a rich and interesting, as well as a bit contentious, history. It has seen many ups and downs during its journey of 1000 years. However, today everyone knows that when he/she quill, they are sharing something done by many different people over many different periods! A fantastic feeling, Isn’t it?

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