quillwork
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈkwɪlˌwɜrk/
- US
- The traditional quillwork on the handbag displayed intricate patterns made from porcupine quills.
Examples
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A pair of stretched hides balances between two easels, the dried skin etched with paint and pierced in quillwork.
Academic text (2007) -
The shoulders of his shirt were gaudily decorated with quillwork, and his moccasins were colorfully beaded.
Fiction book (1994) -
My mother was visiting with friends a short distance away, her hands busy with quillwork.
Fiction book (1994) -
After Lakota men joined the military to fight in World War I, the use of the U.S. flag in beadwork and quillwork took on a new meaning.
Blog text (1) -
Examples of quillwork persisted into the 1800s, and applique was used as a new technology reminiscent of earlier methods done in leather.
Academic text (2010) -
Jensen states, with necessary vehemence, that the baskets, the quillwork boxes, the blankets, all made by the grandmothers, "the women's work, is art, absolutely."
Academic text (1994) -
Pauline wants to live in the white man's town and refuses to speak her native language, refuses to bead, or to do quillwork, or to tan hides.
Academic text (1997) -
Our beadwork, leatherwork, and quillwork—every piece is a work of art, unique unto itself and created by skilled, dedicated Native craftsmen.
Blog text (9) -
She admired the quillwork on the ceremonial headdress that showcased the artistry of her ancestors.
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During the festival, artists displayed their quillwork, crafting beautiful designs that celebrated their culture.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word quillwork is a simple compound of quill ('a stiff feather or the sharp spine of a porcupine') and work ('craft' or 'handmade object'). It refers to the traditional craft, especially in many Native American cultures, of decorating clothing and objects with porcupine quills, so you can remember it as 'work made with quills'.