Spindle Whorl
Unknown Artist
9th–10th century
Medium
Bone; tinted, incised, and inlaid with paint
Dimensions
H. 3/8 in. (1 cm) Diam. 9/16 in. (1.4 cm)
Classification
Ivories and Bone
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1940
Accession Number
40.170.396
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Islamic Art collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this delicate spindle whorl from the 9th–10th century exemplifies the artistry infused into everyday objects during the Islamic Golden Age. Crafted by an unknown artist, it served a practical purpose: as a flywheel attached to a spindle, it weighted and steadied the twisting of fibers into thread—a vital step in textile production that underpinned economies and daily life across the Abbasid world and beyond. Fashioned from bone, the whorl measures just 3/8 inch high and 9/16 inch in diameter, demanding extraordinary prec...