Quills

Porcupine quills. Porcupine quills.

A quill is the main shaft in a bird’s feather and it is also the name for the hollow spine of a porcupine. They are composed of keratin. Porcupine quills and to a lesser extent, bird quills, have been used for centuries by indigenous communities in Africa and North America to decorate garments and other objects.

See also the TRC Needles entries on Native American decorative needlework; North American quillwork; porcupine quills and Tyrol quill work.

Source: ROTH, H. Ling (1923). 'American quillwork: A possible clue to its origins,' Man, 23, pp. 113-116.

Digital source of illustration (retrieved 27 June 2016).

SA

Last modified on Thursday, 27 April 2017 08:09
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