Spindle Whorl Date Unknown

This small, undecorated spindle whorl gives us insight into the labour and craft of an unknown maker. The spindle whorl was a common tool in many cultures, used to spin fibers into thread. What does it mean for the museum to preserve this humble object? The museum's choice to display such an everyday item elevates the labour of the anonymous maker, who would have been excluded from the elite circles of artists and patrons. The maker would have lived in a world very different from the modern institution of the art museum. Museums are part of a changing framework of social power. This framework dictates what items are deemed worthy of preservation and display. To understand the meaning of this object we might research the history of textile production in different cultures, or explore the role of women in craft traditions. The spindle whorl can be a lens to the social and institutional practices which produce historical meaning.