A group of bone spindles,

拍品描述

A group of bone spindles, Iran, circa 640-900AD each of domed form with engraved abstract designs to exteriour, one with kufic inscription, largest 2.7cm diam. (9) The Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World collection at Brown Universiry holds several of these small objects that attest to spinning in the Early Islamic period of circa 640-900 AD (object M269, Minassian Collection). Probably coming from Iran, these spindle whorls are made of bone and bear incised and painted decoration with motifs that are quite common in early Islam symbolic language. These specimens were probably used for the spinning of cotton, which was one of the fibers which people used for the production of textiles during Early Islam. Their use was widespread, following the spread of Islam and the trading networks, from Iran to Spain, and as south as the Arabian Peninsula and Sudan in Africa.

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