Collection Item – Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities

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Spindle whorl; ca. 20th century BC; 205.07

From:UC Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities

Name/TitleSpindle whorl

About this objectSpindle whorls have been found dating back as early as the 10th century BC. They are a disc or spherical object with a hole through the middle that act as weights from wooden drop spindles, and can be made of any convenient local material. Whorls have been found made of antler, bone, coral, amber, clay, glass, metal, wood, and different types of stone.

This spindle whorl has been made of orange-buff clay and has been hand shaped around a stick to give the central hole. It has no paint or decoration, although some do, and smaller ones have been mistaken for decorative beads.

Their weight helps give the spindle momentum in the twisting, or spinning, of fibres into yarn. The yarn could then be turned into textiles. Spindle whorls should ideally be circular and have a fairly regular cross-section, as lopsided whorls would upset the balance of the spindle and give an uneven result.

In spinning, a weaver builds a spindle by inserting a stick through the hole in a spindle whorl. The raw fibres of plants or animal wool (called roving) are attached to the stick, and the spindle is then made to rotate, in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction, twisting and compressing the fibres as it collects them on top of the whorl. Using a whorl to spin fibres produces both a consistent twist direction and a consistent yarn thickness. As well as consistency, spinning yarn with a weighted spindle produces smaller diameter cords, faster and more efficiently than hand-spinning, and it is considered a technological step forward in the process.

Date Madeca. 20th century BC

PeriodEarly Cypriote

Place MadeCyprus

Place NotesListed by Green along with the material excavated from Karmi-Palealona tomb 8, but given as having no provenance. Likely to be manufactured in Cyprus. The material from tomb 8 is Early Cypriote ca. 20th century BC, which has therefore been tentatively also been suggested as a date for the whorl.

Medium and MaterialsClay

Style and IconographyCypriote

TechniqueMolding (forming)

MeasurementsDiameter ca. 28mm

Subject and Association KeywordsClothing and dress

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

Object TypeWhorls (spindle flywheels)

Object number205.07