Spindle Whorl
Unknown Artist
10th–early 16th century
Medium
Ceramic
Dimensions
Diameter 19/32 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
00.5.927
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 Measuring just 19/32 inches in diameter this unassuming disk served a vital practical purpose: it was attached to a spindle to add weight and spin fibers like cotton or agave into thread. Acquired by the museum through purchase in 1900 it exemplifies everyday implements that bridged utility and craftsmanship in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Spanning centuries from the Postclassic period into the era of early Spanis...