Spindle Whorl
Unknown Artist
10th–early 16th century
Medium
Ceramic
Dimensions
Diameter 1-3/16 in.
Classification
Ceramics-Implements
Culture
Mexican
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Museum Purchase, 1900
Accession Number
00.5.797
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection of Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas, this ceramic spindle whorl from Mexican culture dates to the 10th early 16th century—a span encompassing vibrant pre-Columbian societies like the Toltecs, Mixtecs, and Aztecs. Measuring just 1-3/16 in diameter, its modest size belies its practical ingenuity as a tool for spinning fibers into thread. Purchased by the museum in1900, it offers a tangible link to the daily lives ancient Mesoamericans. Spindle whorls were essential for textile production, a cornerstone of Mexican economies and rituals...