Harvard Art Museums > 1978.495.73: Spindle Tools and Equipment Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Spindle , 1978.495.73,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 22, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/188778. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1978.495.73 Title Spindle Classification Tools and Equipment Work Type tool/equipment Date 1-400 CE Places Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Europe Period Roman Imperial period Culture Roman? Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/188778 Location Location Level 3, Room 3620, University Study Gallery View this object's location on our interactive map Physical Descriptions Medium Bone Technique Carved Dimensions 3.1 x 0.7 x 17.1 cm (1 1/4 x 1/4 x 6 3/4 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University (by 1978), transfer; to the Fogg Art Museum, 1978. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Transfer from the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University Accession Year 1978 Object Number 1978.495.73 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description This spindle consists of a shaft with a V-shaped slit at the top where thread would have been attached. The disc (whorl) acted as a weight to twist the fabric. The end of the spindle is carved into a sharp point. Commentary Spindles such as this were used during the process of spinning, which resulted in the creation of yarns or threads that could later be used in weaving. Natural fibers have variations in texture; spinning evens out their irregularities and makes them strong and pliable. This spindle, like many ancient and modern examples, is weighted by a whorl, and has a slit at the top to guide the yarn. Spindles were typically made from wood while whorls were made of a variety of materials, including wood, stone, bronze, terracotta, or bone. Bone spindles and whorls, such as this, have been found at sites in Greece and at Dura-Europos. Publication History Ioli Kalavrezou, Byzantine Women and Their World, exh. cat., Harvard University Art Museums (Cambridge, MA, 2003), p. 152/fig. 74 Exhibition History Roman Gallery Installation (long-term), Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 09/16/1999 - 01/20/2008 Byzantine Women and Their World, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 10/25/2002 - 04/28/2003 32Q: 3620 University Study Gallery, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 01/20/2024 - 05/05/2024; Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 08/31/2024 - 01/05/2025 Subjects and Contexts Roman Domestic Art Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
