Spindle Whorl

Unknown

9th–10th century · Bone; tinted, incised, and inlaid with paint · Islamic Art

Spindle whorls aided in the making of thread by maintaining the momentum of the spindle. This red-brown bone semi-spherical shaped spindle whorl was excavated at Nishapur. It has a raised rim around its central hole and is decorated with four incised motifs of a large dot-in-circle, each surrounded by three small dot-in-circles and dots. Hundreds of spindle whorls were excavated at Nishapur, providing further evidence that the city possessed a thriving textile industry. Their incised designs exhibit a wide variety of motifs ranging from geometric forms to zoomorphic figures.

Artist

Unknown

Date

9th–10th century

Medium

Bone; tinted, incised, and inlaid with paint

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1938