Quilling Wheel

Datec. 1850

Mediumwhite oak and ash; leather

Dimensions37 1/2 × 14 × 44 in. (95.3 × 35.6 × 111.8 cm)

Object number00.49.6

Institutional Credit LineCourtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum

DescriptionThis is a Quilling wheel, used to wind (thread or yarn) onto a quill. A "quill" is a spindle or bobbin around which yarn is wound in weaving. It was used in the home for use in weaving cloth. It often resembles a small wool wheel, but usually has a peg or handle on one of the wheel's spokes to facilitate rapid turning. This example is from around 1850 based on the turned features. The wheel is flat, as on a high wheel, not grooved as on a low wheel. There is no treadle, the spinner must keep the wheel turning with one hand. There is no tensioner. Although it has three legs, a fourth hole found underneath suggests that it once stood on four; the mishapen container or work "basket" is made of planks and mounted opposite the wheel. That may have been added at a later date, as it has affected the piece's balance. It is made of a combination of white oak for the base and ash for the wheel. One of the wheels spokes has broken and is missing; wooden patches have been added to the wheels's frame to repair the loss. It is highly likely that the missing spoke is the one that would have had the peg or handle mounted onto it, as no other spokes have such a feature (constant use would make the attachment point at that spoke more perilous).

On View

On view