Egyptian spindle shaft made of wood
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Object number
AR3090-A1
| Object: |
Egyptian spindle shaft made of wood.
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| Material: |
Wood.
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| Period: |
From the reign of pharao Senusret II, 1845/44 BC to 1837 BC. 12th dynasty of ancient Egypt, Middle Kingdom. The exact attribution to this period is based on the find context and was passed down with the spindle shaft. |
| Description: |
Long and thin shaft of a hand spindle. Slighly thicker in the middle with a hook at the end.
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| Background: |
Before the invention of the spinning wheel and at least since the early Neolithic period, hand spindles were used to make yarn. They consist of a shaft and a spindle whorl. The spindle whorl was placed at the end of the shaft and served as a flywheel. The shaft usually had a raised spot where the spindle whorl could be stuck with its central drill hole. Due to the weight at the end of the rod, the hand spindle could be set in a fast, long-lasting rotation. The spindle movement and the correct feeding of individual threads enables the threads to be spun into a tight yarn.
Since spindle whorls were often made of stone and other durable materials, they are common in collections, museums and on the art market. The spindle shaft, on the other hand, is an exceptional rarity and a unique opportunity to present all the components of a Bronze Age spindle.
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| Dimensions: |
18.2cm long.
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| Condition: |
The end that once held the spindle whorl is broken off and missing. But the majority of the shaft is still intact. Very well preserved wood. A hand drawing by Mr. Charlier and notes on the find spot and attribution came with this piece.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2020 from the German family estate Stollenwerk. Inherited in 2015 from the German private collection of the archaeologist and artist Erich Charlier. He acquired his collection, including this piece, between 1950 and 1980 in Europe. It was passed down in writing that the spindle shaft has been excavated in 1926 by an English archaeologist in Thebes, Upper Egypt. It was part of a burial, and the exact dating given above must also come from the context of the find. Mr. Charlier was known for his work as an artist and built a reputation in his home region. He had his studio in Hammer, a village in the Eifel region of Germany. The artist is immortalized in numerous church ornaments in the area. For his artistic work Mr. Charlier received the honorary prize of the municipality of Simmerath, as well as the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1994. Fossils and archaeological objects from his collection were or are on display in an exhibition in Hammer, together with typical hand drawings by Mr. Charlier, which he made for many archaeological pieces in his possession. |
| References: |
Cf. E. A. Strand et al., Old Textiles — New Possibilities in European Journal of Archaeology, August 2010, fig. 3.
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| Literature: |
Bette Hochberg, Handspindles (1993). Almut Bohnsack, Spinnen und Weben (1981). |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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