Artwork preview

Quillwork Sconce

Ruth Read

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dark brown wooden sconce with a decorative top resembling a seashell. The sconce features a rectangular frame with rounded corners and a semicircular top. A gold metal candleholder protrudes from the bottom. The sconce is adorned with quillwork and various natural materials, including shells, seeds, and plant matter, arranged to resemble foliage and flowers in shades of brown, beige, green, and muted red. The background behind the sconce is plain white.

Artwork Details

Date
1720–40
Medium
Paper, shells, wire, glass
Culture
American
Dimensions
320 × 624 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette