Post-medieval Wood Lace Bobbin
19
days
12
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52
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05
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Starting bid
€ 1
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Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 200 - € 250
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This post-medieval Dutch wooden lace bobbin, dating to around 1575–1625, has a pear-shaped weighted handle and measures approximately 99.6 mm.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Attention: due to customs regulations we can only ship inside the European Union. Please ensure you have a valid EU shipping address before placing a bid.
Dutch antique turned wooden lace bobbin, found in Amsterdam in the 1970's. The bobbin has a small mushroom-shaped head above a long narrow neck around which the thread was wound. A pronounced collar separates the neck from the slender shaft, which expands into a large pear-shaped weighted handle terminating in a small knob.
-> The substantial lower section provided the weight required to maintain tension on the thread and prevented the bobbin from moving excessively across the lace pillow.
Size: ± 99,6 mm
Condition: The wood is preserved and in stable condition with some surface wear, consistent with age and use.
-> A closely corresponding turned wooden example is published as no. 150 in J. Baart et al., Opgravingen in Amsterdam: 20 jaar stadskernonderzoek (1977), p. 149. That object was excavated at the former St Lucien convent in Amsterdam and is dated XVId–XVIIA, corresponding approximately to the last quarter of the 16th and the first quarter of the 17th century. The published parallel measures 10.1 cm.
Reference: J.M. Baart et al., Opgravingen in Amsterdam: 20 jaar stadskernonderzoek, 1977, p. 149, no. 150.
Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) is available upon request for all lots with a hammer price of €100 or higher.
-> Bobbin lace was produced by twisting and crossing multiple threads, each wound around an individual bobbin, over a pattern secured to a padded lace pillow with pins. The narrow neck held the working thread, while the heavier lower section helped maintain an even tension.
Continental lace bobbins generally relied on a bulbous or pear-shaped wooden body for their weight. This distinguishes them from many English East Midlands bobbins, which were usually more slender and fitted with a ring of beads, known as a spangle. Wooden bobbins of this form were widely used in the historic lace-making centres of the Low Countries, including Bruges and Binche.
Seller's Story
Please read our information carefully.
*SHIPPING INFO Due to insurance procedures, combined shipping is only possible with a single payment. (1 payment reference = 1 insured parcel.) If you accept an offer after the auction and pay separately, shipments cannot be manually combined afterward. Please ensure your shipping address is complete and correct before paying. Changes made after payment are not automatically forwarded to us.
* CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY (COA) For insurance purposes we can provide a digital Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) for every item with a hammer price of Euro 100 or more. The COA is available upon request within 20 days of the auction date. Instructions will be provided when your order is shipped. Certificates are not included in the package.
* INSURANCE & CLAIMS All our parcels are shipped with external insurance. This insurance requires the following:
-> Monitor the online tracking and notify delays to the seller within 14 days after the shipping date.
-> In case of damage: write a reservation on the delivery note and report the damage to the seller via the Catawiki online chat within 24 hours. Keep all packaging and send us photos of the damage.
* MARGIN SCHEME: All our sales are subject to the margin scheme; therefore, no VAT is charged or shown on our invoices.
* IMPORTANT BUYERS OUTSIDE THE EU: We cannot ship to countries outside the European Union. Please ensure you have an EU shipping address before bidding. No exceptions can be made. Switzerland, Norway and the United Kingdom are not part of the EU.
* DOCUMENTATION NOTICE: Previous invoices and import/export documents will not be shared with customers.
----------------------
Thank you for your interest, and best of luck with your bids!
Attention: due to customs regulations we can only ship inside the European Union. Please ensure you have a valid EU shipping address before placing a bid.
Dutch antique turned wooden lace bobbin, found in Amsterdam in the 1970's. The bobbin has a small mushroom-shaped head above a long narrow neck around which the thread was wound. A pronounced collar separates the neck from the slender shaft, which expands into a large pear-shaped weighted handle terminating in a small knob.
-> The substantial lower section provided the weight required to maintain tension on the thread and prevented the bobbin from moving excessively across the lace pillow.
Size: ± 99,6 mm
Condition: The wood is preserved and in stable condition with some surface wear, consistent with age and use.
-> A closely corresponding turned wooden example is published as no. 150 in J. Baart et al., Opgravingen in Amsterdam: 20 jaar stadskernonderzoek (1977), p. 149. That object was excavated at the former St Lucien convent in Amsterdam and is dated XVId–XVIIA, corresponding approximately to the last quarter of the 16th and the first quarter of the 17th century. The published parallel measures 10.1 cm.
Reference: J.M. Baart et al., Opgravingen in Amsterdam: 20 jaar stadskernonderzoek, 1977, p. 149, no. 150.
Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) is available upon request for all lots with a hammer price of €100 or higher.
-> Bobbin lace was produced by twisting and crossing multiple threads, each wound around an individual bobbin, over a pattern secured to a padded lace pillow with pins. The narrow neck held the working thread, while the heavier lower section helped maintain an even tension.
Continental lace bobbins generally relied on a bulbous or pear-shaped wooden body for their weight. This distinguishes them from many English East Midlands bobbins, which were usually more slender and fitted with a ring of beads, known as a spangle. Wooden bobbins of this form were widely used in the historic lace-making centres of the Low Countries, including Bruges and Binche.
Seller's Story
Please read our information carefully.
*SHIPPING INFO Due to insurance procedures, combined shipping is only possible with a single payment. (1 payment reference = 1 insured parcel.) If you accept an offer after the auction and pay separately, shipments cannot be manually combined afterward. Please ensure your shipping address is complete and correct before paying. Changes made after payment are not automatically forwarded to us.
* CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY (COA) For insurance purposes we can provide a digital Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) for every item with a hammer price of Euro 100 or more. The COA is available upon request within 20 days of the auction date. Instructions will be provided when your order is shipped. Certificates are not included in the package.
* INSURANCE & CLAIMS All our parcels are shipped with external insurance. This insurance requires the following:
-> Monitor the online tracking and notify delays to the seller within 14 days after the shipping date.
-> In case of damage: write a reservation on the delivery note and report the damage to the seller via the Catawiki online chat within 24 hours. Keep all packaging and send us photos of the damage.
* MARGIN SCHEME: All our sales are subject to the margin scheme; therefore, no VAT is charged or shown on our invoices.
* IMPORTANT BUYERS OUTSIDE THE EU: We cannot ship to countries outside the European Union. Please ensure you have an EU shipping address before bidding. No exceptions can be made. Switzerland, Norway and the United Kingdom are not part of the EU.
* DOCUMENTATION NOTICE: Previous invoices and import/export documents will not be shared with customers.
----------------------
Thank you for your interest, and best of luck with your bids!
Details
Culture
Post-medieval
Century/timeframe
1575-1625
Name of object
Lace Bobbin
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
2026
Material
Wood
Country acquired from
Netherlands
Condition
Good
Previous owner acquired from
Private collection
Previous owner - year acquired
2023
Previous owner - country acquired from
Netherlands
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
