Distaff

Name: Distaff
Provenance: Citadel of Mértola
Location: Islamic Museum of Mértola.
Chronology: 11th century / first half of the 12th century.
Description: Decorated part of a distaff, made from carved bone, with an upper circular horizontal section and lower quadrangular horizontal section. This piece has elaborate incised decorations grouped in circles and arranged in lines or in clusters. This object corresponds to the most decorated part of the distaff, which was an extremely important tool used in traditional hand spinning.
Bibliography: TORRES, Cláudio; MACIAS, Santiago (ed.) - Museu de Mértola: arte islâmica: guia do museu. Mértola: Campo Arqueológico de Mértola, 2003.