Spindle Whorl - Small Collections

 Spindle whorls, made from clay and stone, found in Mali and Guinea Conakry
Originally used as weights for traditional cotton spinning. Somewhat fragile but very interesting.
Examples have been found that were in use before 1,000 BC. The remains of the individual original patterns are still visible on many of these beads despite their previous long term usage.
Ideal for Museum and Lecture presentations of original African tools and artefacts.
For those of you who are interested in their present day use in spinning, we are pleased to reprint the interesting information below, supplied to us by our customer and friend Evelyn,
who is actively involved in maintaining these beautiful Whorls for their intended use.

An 8 ins / 20 cm strand of larger beads
in a variety of intricately hand-carved but worn patterns ... Solid, heavy and beautiful examples, both now and then, of one of the largest beads ever made in Africa.
Largest bead 20 x 30 mm
ATB 169a   £36

A 14 ins / 36 cm strand of larger beads
some with unique, intricately hand-carved patterns ... some worn with age from their many years of use in the Desert sands
Largest bead 38 x 40 mm
ATB 169-01   £46

An 8 ins / 20 cm strand of smaller beads
all with unique, intricately hand-carved patterns ... some worn with age and from their many years of use in the Desert sands
Graduating from 22 x 25 mm to the
largest bead at 25 x 30 mm
ATB 170a   £30   Sold

A 9 ins / 23 cm strand of smaller beads
some with unique, intricately hand-carved patterns ... some worn with age from their many years of use in the Desert sands
Largest bead 29 x 29 mm
ATB 169-02   £30

Their Practical Use by Evelyn Simak

A spindle whorl is the disc-shaped object at the end of a wooden or metal shaft,
placed there for the sole purpose of balancing and steadying the motion of an ancient tool commonly known as a Spindle.

Spindles have been used by countless busy hands, since time immemorial,
to create yarns which we still admire today in the colourful garments
worn by so many peoples all over the globe.

Spindle whorls can be found in a wide variety of shapes, weights and materials.

They are individually crafted, at times beautifully decorated with old tribal patterns
and often kept as heirlooms over many generations.

Depending on local resources and craftsmanship, they are made from wood, metal,
clay, stone and parts of fruits or sea shells.

Just like the many-faceted beads, which they so closely resemble in their timeless beauty, spindle whorls bear witness to almost forgotten cultures and their traditions
and should be treasured accordingly.

An additional informative article on their history can be found on The Bead Database

For more information on spindles and spinning please contact:

         www.wsd.org.uk   Assoc. of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers,  UK

       http://home.earthlink.net/~jeffnstasia/spindlers.htm                 USA     

         www.spinn.de                                                                             Germany
 

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