Sophia Jane Maria Bonnell and her sister-in-law Mary Anne Harvey Bonnell decorated this wooden cabinet in paper filigree. Paper filigree—applying short, rolled pieces of paper that have been dyed or gilded—is a decorative technique, also known as paper quilling, for imitating other materials, in this case, wood veneer or marquetry. It was practiced by women across continental Europe and England from the 1400s to 1800s. This is a rare surviving piece of furniture decorated with paper filigree. The Bonnells would have ordered the carcass, or wood base, from a cabinetmaker. Specialty craft stores sold the paper, and period magazines published pattern designs. In addition to the paper filigree, the cabinet features landscapes made with hair, a medium also used in the nearby self-portrait by Mary Anne Harvey Bonnell.