Medieval Image of the Day

An image from 565 bce. I love this image. Depicted here are Greek women pre-drafting most likely flax to be spun, spinning it on what appears to be a bottom whorl spindle, weaving it on a Warp Weighted Loom, and Women folding the woven cloth. Note that there are two women in each image, but particularly weaving together. Weaving on the Warp Weighted Loom is traditionally thought of as being done with two women in Nordic cultures and is born out in this image as well. (and note the shape of those loom weights - is that a regional/traditional shape?). Now it appears that the women are different women in each image. So what does this mean? Are there many women in the household? Are there many women employed / enslaved in the household? Do different women complete different tasks within a household or by tradition? Did the artist simply enjoy drawing a variety of women?

So instead of drawing too many conclusions, I leave a fair number of questions to be answered. I think that often the archaeologists leave us with to many drawn conclusions leading us to say... but it's document by Dr... that this was a religious spindle for spinning ... who knows? But we need to be able to think of the question and to subsequently ask it. So much of what we think we know has changed or been revised through different eyes reviewing it and asking similar questions.

Philosophy on a spindle... that's me. My niece is in Greece digging up history for us. I think of her everyday. Hope you are all having a great weekend!

Medieval Image of the Day

In honor of a wonderful weekend with lots of people doing things together I submit this image for your enjoyment and edification.



Mary appears at a type of loom. Some wonder if this is a loom for sprang. One modern maker I've seen uses this type of loom. We see the warp, but no cards. Nothing is on the loom so we really don't know. Note what appears to be a skein winder and another woman sewing. Really and afternoon fiber retreat or an everyday's work. Depends on one's viewpoint. This is clearly a very early image.

Medieval Image of the Day

Here we have a Queen and one of her best friends weaving together... I wonder what they are saying to one and other.... Have you seen the new Star Trek Movie? nope, I will weave until lunch and then I'm meeting a knight at the Willow tree in the garden. I'm going to read poetry to him. He's going to learn to spin... Uh huh, well, what do you think???

Medieval Image of the Day

One might never have known, but these women were early SOAR attendees... in this image the two women are discussing how one should dress the distaff... with or without a ribbon... Most people know this image to be a detail from Pieter Bruegal The Younger, 'Proverbs', 1638. If you get a chance to examine this painting in detail please notice that the man just below the two women is engaged in sheep shearing. This is not visible in this detail, but it is if you scrutinize the entire painting then it can be seen.

Medieval Image of the Day

I've been traveling this wk and I'm just back. I have a workshop I'm teaching to prepare for on Wens so I am very busy and don't know if I will be able to post until later this week. Therefore... we have a lovely image for you to contemplate... :)



Here she is, from 1660. All by herself... spinning... lovely... cute dog to keep her company, nice warm outfit, black (a very expensive color to dye in those days)... Nice distaff too.

Medieval Image of the Day

(Note: click image to enlarge)

One doesn't always need a reason for an image and so I thought I post another image from the Luttrell Psalter. I am looking at the woman feeding chickens and holding her distaff and spindle (lower image), Here is a typical woman of any age... multi-tasking...

Need I say more?

Medieval Image of the Day

So What have I been doing... scalding my hands in hot water and WASHING fleece... 2 down and 2 to go. (both dry)

In honor of this accomplishment and in honor of those fabulous shearers who separate the fleece from the sheep (an art form I assure you!) I post this image from the 'Brevarium Grimani'.



This Brevary was commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV, who ruled btw 1471-1484. Sadly for him he died before it was finished. It is to our benefit that it has survived. Eventually around the tiem of its completion it came into the hands of Domenico Grimani. His family presented it to the library (in Venice)Biblioteca Marciana, Venice (St. Mark’s Library - where it is still housed), Venice in 1546. Artists who are cited as its creators are Memime Antonio da Messina, Horebout, Levien van Antwerp. The entire Brevary is 1580 pages long. Note that these are flemish artists and critiques written cite this as a flemish work. (I'm not judging... just reporting).

Medieval Image of the Day

We interrupt for a little visual distraction. ;)



One of my all time favorite images from the Luttrell Psalter,an illuminated manuscript written and illustrated circa 1325 – 1335 c.e. When you look at a facsimile of this image, one can see a spinning stick in her hand. She uses the spinning stick to turn the wheel. This would keep the wheel clean and free of grease for the hand.




Above is a close up of the spinner in the picture. If you look closely at the hand spinning the wheel, you will see the stick she uses to turn it.




This is a project to re-create the Luttrell Psalter in a living history fashion. There are some other videos. I had heard they would market the entire project, but have not seen or researched the outcome. This seen is two women going to the sheep byre. A few sheperds, milking of the sheep (Lincoln Longwool)and of course SHEEP! Watch until the end when the sheep get to leave the byre and frolic about. (LOVE the fleece!).

The Medieval Image of the Day: An Image In Honor of Sheep, Baaaaa

This is 'Aries' from Les Belle Heures -- Yes, it is the representation of a ram in an astrological symbol, so I know what that means... you want another depiction of a medieval sheep!!! I knew it... ok, whatever you want ;)

(NOTE: You do know that you can click the image to enlarge it) ;)


This image of a sheep is from the Luttrell Psalter (and the image is from the British Library). (sorry about the image size, I will try to find an enlargement). This sheep (at bottom of the image) is not a Karakul (note the wave of the fleece - not the lock structure of the Karakul. And they did differentiate in depiction of lock structure. It is one way that we can trace the geneology of sheep.. well, well that too is for another post. ;) At any rate I hope you enjoy the images today. And have a great Holiday weekend. Whatever you might be celebrating I hope it includes good friends and good food.

Medieval Image of the Day

So since it has been a spinning kind of day the image of the day will reflect it.

This image is from 1237 ce from Baghdad. It is titled 'Al Makamat'. It pictures a mother and her son talking to a merchant or visitor.

This type of wheel still exists in other places such as India. Do not automatically suppose that the western great wheel evolved from this wheel. While we can postulate that this might have been part of evolutionary process of the western European wheel, it is equally as likely that this image and the wheels in use that it represented had nothing to do with our Western European wheels. These could equally have developed from the Silk reel as it entered into Spain and Italy. Of course we don't know, we can only guess. We can trace a path of where things occurred and the evidence of when the great wheel appeared in Europe, but the reality is that we do not know. It is all an educated guess. Just some food for thought. Enjoy the image.

Medieval Image of the Day

This image is from the 15th c. ce

I love looking at the blooming cactus in the desert, but in honor of my encounter with the rattlesnake I submit three images that in their theme appears often during the middle ages, that of Adam and Eve toiling after their banishment from Eden after 'Their' encounter with a snake (and an apple tree). It is the depiction of Adam working the soil and Eve spinning. Note the use of a distaff with each Eve. I don't know if this is expressly the tradition or if it simply the constant use of distaves by women throughout the ages across many countries and traditions. It is in any case worthy of thought.


This image from Broughton Cambridgeshire Church.

And one more:

This image from the Fecamp Psalter

Medieval Image of the Day: The Noble Pastorale / The Work of Wool

It is over, but since I missed posting during the week, here is the Medieval Image of the Weekend in Honor of the Angora Goats that cannot come live at my house.

This image is attributed to both Flanders or Northern France (depending on one's source) around 1500 ce.

Note the box loom the woman on the left is using with a rigid heddle for narrow ware work. (Ck out the Spanish Peacock for a reproduction of this loom and a stunning wooden rigid heddle). Note the little reel the sheperd is using and all the cool tools on the figure's belts. This is a great resource image.

Medieval Image of the Day

This image is from the Eadwine Psalter in Christchurch England. It features what may be an interpretation of the 3 fates... Those ladies with scissors scare me... too close to just spun yarn and a woven work! However, It may just be a scene with implements of fiber production by an artist who was not a fiber person. Whatever it is... we like it! (Loom picture in honor of my sample coming off the loom). :)

Have a great weekend folks!

Medieval Image of the Day: A Spin-In

I have always been primarily a spinner, but I also completely love textile history, history of sheep, ethnic textiles, textile methods and traditions, and the like. I have been collecting textile images for years for a variety of purposes. I thought I would share one every once in a while. I'll stick to the older images since I know Marcy has been sharing postcard images for years on her website, Habetrot. I love visiting that site.

This image is an illumination from 1475, The City of God. Imagine, it was a medieval Spin-in