Spindle Whorl c. 15th century

This unassuming “Spindle Whorl” was made by an anonymous artist from stone. The whorl is a small weight, pierced with a hole, and placed on a stick to form a spindle. As the spindle turns, it twists fibers like wool or cotton into thread. The whorl helps to maintain momentum, making the process faster and more efficient. You can see incised decoration on this example, concentric swirls that may have had some symbolic meaning. Simple as it may seem, this artifact gives us insight into daily life, and the fundamental importance of textile production. In many cultures, spinning thread was a domestic task, performed by women. Objects like this one remind us that the textiles we depend on were not always machine-made; they often represent countless hours of labor. This spindle whorl bridges the divide between art and craft, and speaks to the skill, and cultural context, that go into even the most utilitarian objects.