Queen Anne quillwork and wax picture

A quilled wax full-length figure of Queen Anne. Fligree or quillwork, a method of decoration using curled, rolled, twisted or crimped paper, vellum or parchment, was first used in southern Europe for decorating religious pictures, ornaments or relics in churches as a cheaper substitute for expensive silver, gold metalwork filigree. The technique makes its first appearance in England as a minor secular art after the Restoraton in 1660 until about 1715, and again between 1775 and 1810. Ornamental panels, boxes and mirror frames were embellished with tiny rolls, curls, or twists of plain or coloured paper, often of different widths and gauges to create a relief effect, and nearly always with seed pearls, metal thread and shells incorporated into the pattern. An inventory of the contents of Ham House, in 1683 for instance, includes 'one pair of bellowes garnished with philegreen' in her 'graces private closet.' Wax figures of this type seem to have been fairly common in London in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Von Uffenbach saw several in London in 1710, including some small figures of nuns (imported from Brabant) and two of Queen Anne, one of which would appear to have been life-size. One panel of Queen Anne exhibited by the wax modeller Mrs Salmon was said to be 'very accurate', another 'well-made but flattered', belonged to Claudius de Puy, a French-Swiss calico printer. See also seven framed paper filligree panels c.1700 from Sir Gerald Ryan, acquired by the Museum in 1929 and a small wax and quilled paper portrait bust of William and Mary.