Spindle Whorl
Unknown Artist
10th–early 16th century
Medium
Ceramic
Dimensions
Diameter 1-1/10 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
00.5.829
Art Historical Context
This petite ceramic spindle whorl, just over an inch in diameter, hails from ancient Mexico and dates to the 10 through early 16th century—a period encompassing vibrant Mesoamerican cultures like the Toltecs and early Aztecs. As a humble yet essential tool, it was attached to a spindle stick to add weight and spin, facilitating the transformation of raw fibers like cotton or agave into thread. Such implements were everyday necessities in households, underscoring the centrality of textile production in pre-Columbian societies. Crafted from clay and fired to durability, this spindle whorl exemp...