Spindle Whorl

Item number Nbz898 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Rounded wooden disc with hole in centre. The dorsal surface is slightly concave, while the ventral surface is convex with the central hole being the highest point. There are four lines incised into the convex side, directly around the central hole, which radiate out in four different directions. The wood is a reddish brown colour, and is darker in the area surrounding the opening for the spindle.

History Of Use

Homer Barnett (1955) notes that spindle whorls used by the southern Coast Salish of British Columbia are larger than those used in the north, with a shaft that is twice as long as the whorl. In the north, fibres were spun on smaller whorls that were "twirled between the leg and palm (1955:118)." By contrast, whorls such as this one were used to spin fibres that were suspended from overhead. This arrangement created a tension in the roving. Johnson and Bernick (1986) report that traditionally several different techniques were used for turning the spindle, however, contemporary weavers now make use of a spinning machine that is similar in appearance to a treadle sewing machine.