TOOLS, THREAD WINDERS

Before the invention of reels & spools, silk thread winders were used to organize and store precious silk thread. Crafted in a range of designs, they were made of a variety of materials – ivory, mother-of-pearl, bone or wood – in flat shapes with points to wind the thread around, in the 18th century. Snowflake shapes in mother~of~pearl are often found in old sewing sets and boxes.

These three thread winders, carved from ivory and bone, in different shapes, were purchased at an antique fair in Perth in 2018.

(a) Cross shape

(b) Rectangle with 4 large cuts and smaller cuts

(c) Circular with 6 notches