Spindle Whorl

Item number A8079 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

Public

Item Records

This page shows all the information we have about this item. Both the institution that physically holds this item, and RRN members have contributed the knowledge on this page. You’re looking at the item record provided by the holding institution. If you scroll further down the page, you’ll see the information from RRN members, and can share your own knowledge too.

The RRN processes the information it receives from each institution to make it more readable and easier to search. If you’re doing in-depth research on this item, be sure to take a look at the Data Source tab to see the information exactly as it was provided by the institution.

These records are easy to share because each has a unique web address. You can copy and paste the location from your browser’s address bar into an email, word document, or chat message to share this item with others.

Data
Data Source

This information was automatically generated from data provided by MOA: University of British Columbia. It has been standardized to aid in finding and grouping information within the RRN. Accuracy and meaning should be verified from the Data Source tab.

Description

Spindle whorl comprised of a round, wooden disc with a small hole in its centre. Flat dorsal surface and slightly convex ventral surface. The convex surface is engraved with an anthropomorphic bird figure with lines radiating from around its body. The head and torso are human-like, but the legs and wings are bird-like.

History Of Use

Spindle whorls are used in the spinning of wool. Homer Barnett (1955) notes that spindle whorls used by the southern Coast Salish of British Columbia are larger than those used in the north, with a shaft that is twice as long as the whorl. In the north, fibres were spun on smaller whorls that were "twirled between the leg and palm (1955:118)." By contrast, whorls such as this one were used to spin fibres that were suspended from overhead. This arrangement created a tension in the roving. Johnson and Bernick (1986) report that traditionally several different techniques were used for turning the spindle, however, contemporary weavers now make use of a spinning machine that is similar in appearance to a treadle sewing machine.

Cultural Context

weaving; spinning; guardian spirit complex

Specific Techniques

Michael Kew (1980) notes that spindle whorls are typically engraved, with many exhibiting an advanced wood working technique known as block engraving in which the figures are raised and details are added with sharply incised lines and other stylized elements. Design elements, such as human figures are often done in low relief. Animals are portrayed with blunt noses and birds have straight edges to their wings. The designs are outlined on a flat surface and then given depth through incising.

Narrative

The back of the piece has the following written in black ink: "Mrs. Dan Johnson's mother used this for spinning long ago Westholme B.C."

Iconographic Meaning

Bird designs are commonly found on objects, specifically spindle whorls, from the Cowichan area. The meanings behind the human-bird figure represented on this particular spindle whorl, however, are hard to decipher. Anthropologists Michael Kew (1980) and Wayne Suttles (1987) suggest that the images that adorn Coast Salish material culture are representative of an elaborate guardian spirit complex in which animals play a prominent role and are associated with various supernatural gifts.