Spindle whorl

Spinning with a whorl (c) on a spindle (b) and distaff (above)

A spindle whorl is a disc or spherical object fitted onto the spindle to increase and maintain the speed of the spin. For ages the whorls have been made of many different materials: amber, antler, bone, ceramic, coral, glass, metal (iron, lead, lead alloy), and wood (oak). Some types of local materials have been also used, such as chalk, limestone, mudstone, sandstone, slate, and soapstone.

Gallery

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  Spindle Whorl (Sulsultin), Chemainus, Coast Salish (Native American), 19th century, Brooklyn Museum
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  Whorl (12th or 13th century) found in Poland
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  Ancient Greek spindle whorls, 10th century BC, Kerameikos Archaeological Museum, Athens
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  Muisca spindle whorl (500AD – 1500AD). Archaeology Museum, Sogamoso, Colombia

External links

• Northern Europe/Scandanavia/Russia Spindle/Whorls
• What is a spindle whorl?