Fiber tools: flax distaff

Dublin Core

Title

Fiber tools: flax distaff

Subject

Flax spinning
Spinning -- Appalachian Region, Southern
Textile fibers
Textile machinery

Description

This is a modern example of a very old fiber tool called a flax distaff. There are many variations on distaffs, but they all sit upright beside a spinning wheel to hold the flax fibers waiting to be spun. This distaff would fit like an umbrella into a holder. The four dowels spread out to support the unspun flax. This example was created between 1940 and 1980; the name of the creator is unknown.

Creator

Unknown

Source

Permanent Collection

Publisher

Hunter Library Digital Collections, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723

Date

1940/1980

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

Format

jpg
artifacts (object genre)

Type

StillImage

Identifier

16168
https://southernappalachiandigitalcollections.org/object/16168

Date Created

2009-06-24

Rights Holder

All rights reserved. For permissions and use, contact Southern Highland Craft Guild Archives, Asheville, NC 28815;

Spatial Coverage

Appalachian Region, Southern

Extent

19.5" x 4.5" x 3"(dimension)

Is Part Of

Craft Revival

Collection

Citation

Unknown, “Fiber tools: flax distaff,” OAI, accessed May 5, 2025, https://sadc.qi-cms.com/omeka/items/show/16168.