AUDIO
THREADS
Audio 13/24
13.
Distaff, Spindle, Reel, and Scissors
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AUDIO
Distaff, Spindle, Reel, and Scissors
These historical tools from the collection Ariadne’s Naaikussen invite visitors to engage with the concrete process of creating a thread.
The distaff holds the loose fibers, leaving both hands free for the process of spinning. With one hand the spinner plucks the fibers from the distaff, while the other hand holds and turns the spindle. This tool in turn fulfills two functions: on the one hand, it twists the fibers into a thread, and on the other, it winds that thread onto its shaft. From the spindle, the thread is then wound into a skein using a reel. The scissors cut off the thread.
The distaff holds the loose fibers, leaving both hands free for the process of spinning. With one hand the spinner plucks the fibers from the distaff, while the other hand holds and turns the spindle. This tool in turn fulfills two functions: on the one hand, it twists the fibers into a thread, and on the other, it winds that thread onto its shaft. From the spindle, the thread is then wound into a skein using a reel. The scissors cut off the thread.