Collection Item

From:UC Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities

Name/TitleLoom weight

About this objectLoom weights are used on a type of vertical loom called a warp-weighted loom. This is a simple, ancient form of loom that is made up of a stick or bar (called a cloth beam) at the top supported by upright poles on each side. Warp threads (the lengthwise, or longitudinal threads) are tied at the top bar, so that they hang down freely. The entire frame is typically leaned against a wall at a convenient angle. To keep them straight and tight, loom weights are attached to bundles of warp threads at the bottom. This allows the weft thread to be woven through with a consistent tension to create a smoother, neater weave.

Most loom weights are made of clay, like our example. Some have been found made of other heavy materials, such as lead, or stones, but it was much easier to create the same shape, size and weight from clay. The consistency in size and shape was important to keep the threads at an even tension for the whole textile. Clay was also easier to shape holes into for attaching the threads, rather than drilling or carving holes into stone.
Differently shaped and sized loom weights were used for differing sizes of cloth, with the size affecting the thread count (number of threads per centimetre in a weave). Shapes found have ranged through discoid, cylindrical, pyramidical, conical, dumb-bell or doughnut-shaped. Narrower weights would have been more useful for higher thread count textiles, taking up less space than a round weight.

Our loom weight is a flat-sided square pyramidical shaped piece of orange-brown clay that widens towards the bottom. The bottom has been worn and chipped. There is a suspension hole in the upper part, and a small indent on one side that may have been an impression from a gem or other decoration.

Medium and MaterialsClay

TechniqueMolding (forming)

MeasurementsHeight 79mm; Width ca. 45mm (maximum)

Subject and Association KeywordsClothing and dress

Subject and Association KeywordsTextile fabrics

Named CollectionThe James Logie Memorial Collection, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

Object TypeLoom Weights

Object number204.07

Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved