Sacred Beauty

The exhibit and the book, both titled Sacred Beauty: Quillwork of Plains Women, feature an exquisite collection of quilled objects from the collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Contemporary examples of quillwork were also borrowed from private collectors. The State Historical Society produced the exhibit, working closely with traditional tribal artists who practice quillwork. This book offers a permanent reminder of some of the beautifully crafted objects that have never or rarely been exhibited before because of their fragility and light-sensitivity of the dyes used on the quills themselves. Mark Halvorson, Curator of Collections at the State Historical Society of North Dakota, wrote the introduction. It, like the exhibit, explains the process of quillworking, from the collection of the quills from porcupines, sorting the quills by size, cleaning, and dyeing, storing, the different techniques of quillwork, to the preparation of hides from which objects are made. Plus the book mentions the bird quillwork, gathering of the feathers of the Franklin and California gulls for use in quilling. The 37 color photographs by Todd Strand, Photo Archivist at the State Historical Society, were chosen to illustrate some of the intricate patterns, colors, techniques and uses of quillwork.