Palette Work (Hairwork)

Language: English
Contributors: Whitney White-Ruhland

Description

Palette work is a hairwork technique that involves flattening a lock of hair onto a piece of glass, covering it with gum tragacanth (sometimes referred to as gum dragon) and allowing it to dry so a thin “sheet” of hair is created. These sheets could be cut into shapes using a very sharp knife or slightly heated and then twisted into curls. One of the most common variations of palette work was the “Prince of Wales” design (pictured here). Compared to some other hairwork techniques, palette work was rather accessible and thus a popular choice for hairwork jewellery such as brooches.

 

Read more

Whitenight, John. Under Glass: A Victorian Obsession. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 2013.

Date of entry: September 7, 2026
An illustration from Alexandra Speight's 1871 hairwork guide, "Artist in Hair," and a 19th-century brooch with the "Prince of Wales" motif.
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