Figs. 354 and 355.
PREHISTORIC SPINDLE-WHORLS.
Corneto, Italy. Cat. No. 101773, U. S. N. M.
France.—The author has seen the French peasants in Brittany spinning their thread in the same way, and once took a photograph of one in the hamlet of Pont-Aven, Morbihan, but it failed in development. In 1893 Mr. Harle purchased at St. Gerons, Ardeche, a merchant’s entire stock of modern porcelain spindle-whorls. The manufactory was located at Martres-Tolosane, and the trade extended throughout the Pyrenees. He presented a series to the Société d’Anthropologie at Paris, July, 1893.[313]
Plate 21. Spindle-whorls of Modern Porcelain
from Southern France.
Cat. No. 169598, U. S. N. M.
Fig. 356.
MODERN
SPINDLE
AND WHORL
USED FOR
SPINNING
THREAD.
Wurtemburg,
Germany.
The U. S. National Museum has lately received, through the kindness of the École d’Anthropologie, a series of nine of these porcelain whorls ([pl. 21]). The wheel and modern machines for spinning have penetrated this corner of the world, and these whorls are the last emblem of an industry dating slightly after the advent of man on earth and already old in that locality when Roland crossed the mountain pass near there and sounded his “Oliphant,” calling for help from Charlemagne. These are the death chant of the industry of hand spinning in that country.
NORTH AMERICA—PRE-COLUMBIAN TIMES.