Production and Experience

The chapter assesses the tools used for spinning fibre that survive in the Petrie Museum collection and how these artefacts shaped the daily experiences of their users. It first discusses spinning whorls, with data on the materials, diameters, and weights of these artefacts. The chapter identifies a correlation between different decorative designs and different weights, which would have helped spinners to select the most appropriate tool. There is also discussion of the apotropaic functions of whorl decoration. The chapter goes on to discuss pendants in the shape of weaving combs, which appear to be a distinct artefact type from Roman and late antique Egypt. This leads onto discussion of the cultural and religious function of spinning, through its association with the Virgin Mary and her cult in Egypt. A newly identified finger distaff in the Petrie Museum is presented in terms of its social and functional value, with reference to examples found elsewhere in the empire. Analysis of wear on the object suggests that it was a functional tool, rather than symbolic possession. The chapter also assesses the daily reality of spinning compared to that represented by cultural traditions, the role of women in spinning, and the complicated relationship between professional and domestic labour.