Greek Spindle Whorl

Details

To the ancient Greeks spinning and weaving were a vital part of a woman's  feminine attributes, and good wives were often depicted performing these tasks. Such as the faithful Penelope who used weaving to stall her many suitors during her husband Odysseus' long absence.  

It is not only mortals who were renowned for their fine spinning, so vital the the daily lives of the ancient Greek people that Goddesses, demigoddesses and nymphs were also depicted spinning and making cloth.  The most notable being Athena (Minerva to the Romans) the Goddess of women's handicrafts, who is associated with a number of myths that involve spinning, as well as being depicted in ancient art spinning or weaving.  

As the patron deity of Athens, Athena was celebrated each June during the Panathenaia festival were spinning and weaving played a vital part of the celebrations.  It is said the best spinners and weavers would be selected to fashion an exquisite peplos that would be used to dress the statue of Athena in the Erechtheion.  

We have created our spindle whorls with the care and reverence they deserve, using examples discovered during excavations, and now on display in museums around the world, to recreate the shapes and sized used by the original Greek spinners of ancient times.  

Each of our spindle whorls has been thrown on a potters wheel, dried and the shape refined by a delicate process of carving back excess materiel, before being carefully hand painted.  The end result is a beautiful balance of design and functionality. 

Materials