Antique Spool Work RackPrimitive spool work towel rack. This piece will hold both the traditional linen or cotton toweling or a roll of paper towels. Decoratively, it would be a nice way to display a favored textile. Spool work has its origins in both primitive and Victorian era folk art. The utilization of spools, a common household object, to make primitive farmhouse objects more decorative created its own form of folk art.