Medieval Image of the Day

I just love this image. The Virgin painted around 1420 is busy spinning, but she does have help. Angels hold her niddy noddy and her distaff in place. Note also the lovely skein winder with a dyed skein of homespun thread for weaving on it... matching her gown perfectly. I love this for its beauty and I love it for the fabulous depiction of tools. Thinking about our tools I marvel at the fact that things haven't changed very much in all that time. We still value the shape and efficacy of the niddy and love the beautiful woods that craftspeople use to create them.

Sorry to be failing at posting more often. It has been an interesting year and continues to contain surprises and riddles to puzzle out. I will endeavor to be more present here.

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: 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