古代ローマ人 骨 紡錘車 - 29 mm (No reserve price)

Ancient Roman Spindle Whorl

Culture / Period: Ancient Roman
Date / Period: 1st–2nd century A.D.
Material: Bone (伝統的な attribution とは異なり、写真の例は bronze ではなく骨から彫られているように見える)
Dimensions: 29 mm
Condition: Good condition

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Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 192

The current owner purchased the Ancient Roman Spindle Whorl from a private collector, N.N. in Drunen.

The previous owner, a private collector, N.N. from Drunen (the Netherlands), stated that the object had been in his collection since the 1990s.

According to the previous owner, the object had previously been in a private collection in the Netherlands before 1990.

No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:

This spindle whorl is a well-preserved example of a textile-production tool from the Roman Imperial period. Spindle whorls were mounted on a wooden spindle and served as a weight that enabled the spindle to rotate smoothly while twisting loose fibres into thread. Such tools formed an essential part of textile manufacture throughout the Roman world.

The process of spinning was simple yet highly effective. Fibres such as wool, flax, or occasionally imported materials were drawn out by hand while the spindle was set into rotation. The spindle whorl provided momentum and stability, allowing the fibres to be twisted into a strong and even thread. Once sufficient thread had been produced, it was wound onto the spindle before weaving into cloth.

Textile production was one of the most important domestic and economic activities in Roman society. Spinning was carried out in households throughout the Empire, from rural farms to urban centres, and was predominantly associated with women. Literary sources, funerary monuments, and archaeological finds demonstrate that spinning and weaving were regarded as fundamental household skills and symbols of diligence and good management.

Spindle whorls were produced from a variety of materials including bone, stone, ceramic, glass, and metal. The carefully shaped profile of this example reflects the practical requirements of balanced rotation while also demonstrating the skill of Roman craftsmen in producing everyday objects that combined functionality with durability.

Examples of spindle whorls have been discovered across the Roman Empire, from Britain and Gaul to the Balkans, North Africa, and the eastern Mediterranean, illustrating the widespread nature of textile production and trade. The thread produced with such tools supplied households, workshops, military units, and commercial markets throughout the Empire.

Dating to the 1st–2nd century A.D., this object provides a direct and tangible connection to everyday Roman life, when spinning formed the first and indispensable stage in the production of clothing, sails, blankets, and countless other textiles used throughout the ancient world.