Distaff
19th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object type
A distaff is a tool on to which fibres (in Russia, most commonly flax or linen) are wound for spinning. To keep threads from untangling, the unspun fibre is tied with a ribbon to the distaff. More than thirty types of Russian distaffs are known and according to their design and shape, they are split into two groups: the one-piece distaff, which is made of the trunk of a tree and the root, and the two-piece distaff, which is much smaller. This is a one-piece columnar distaff, and is of a type known as a Volga column. The main production centres for Volga columns were around Yaroslavl, a region to the north-east of Moscow. The Volga column may have originated before the nineteenth century, as representations of similar columnar distaffs can be seen in some of the sixteenth-century icons in the Yaroslavl Museum.
Decoration
This distaff was carved from the stump of a birch or spruce tree and the intricate chip-carving displays the skill of the carver. The small openings, or ‘windows’ on the upright are separated by twisted columns and completely cover all faces. This decoration relates to local architecture of the seventeenth century: stone church belfries with multiple windows with pediments are found on the Church of St. John Chrysostom and the Church of St. Nicholas Wet in Yaroslavl, and may have been the inspiration to distaff carvers. The symbol of the sun, a very common motif on distaffs, may have been meant as an encouragement in cold winter nights: spinning was done in winter, when women were free from field and other work. Of the distaffs currently known, no two examples have identical decoration. The root was used for the base and the trunk for the column.
Cultural significance
Although spinning wheels, which increased the speed of production, were introduced to Russia in the seventeenth century, they could not offer the fine yarn quality of a distaff, so distaffs continued to be used until the 1930s. Distaffs were among most cherished possessions of Russian women and were passed on from generation to generation. Women carried out all work related to linen, from sowing to harvesting and processing. The peasant girl worked on a distaff to earn her dowry. The spinning ended with the week of Maslenitsa, a last week before the Great Lent, in mid-February. To celebrate the occasion, distaffs were used as a sledge by young women.
A distaff is a tool on to which fibres (in Russia, most commonly flax or linen) are wound for spinning. To keep threads from untangling, the unspun fibre is tied with a ribbon to the distaff. More than thirty types of Russian distaffs are known and according to their design and shape, they are split into two groups: the one-piece distaff, which is made of the trunk of a tree and the root, and the two-piece distaff, which is much smaller. This is a one-piece columnar distaff, and is of a type known as a Volga column. The main production centres for Volga columns were around Yaroslavl, a region to the north-east of Moscow. The Volga column may have originated before the nineteenth century, as representations of similar columnar distaffs can be seen in some of the sixteenth-century icons in the Yaroslavl Museum.
Decoration
This distaff was carved from the stump of a birch or spruce tree and the intricate chip-carving displays the skill of the carver. The small openings, or ‘windows’ on the upright are separated by twisted columns and completely cover all faces. This decoration relates to local architecture of the seventeenth century: stone church belfries with multiple windows with pediments are found on the Church of St. John Chrysostom and the Church of St. Nicholas Wet in Yaroslavl, and may have been the inspiration to distaff carvers. The symbol of the sun, a very common motif on distaffs, may have been meant as an encouragement in cold winter nights: spinning was done in winter, when women were free from field and other work. Of the distaffs currently known, no two examples have identical decoration. The root was used for the base and the trunk for the column.
Cultural significance
Although spinning wheels, which increased the speed of production, were introduced to Russia in the seventeenth century, they could not offer the fine yarn quality of a distaff, so distaffs continued to be used until the 1930s. Distaffs were among most cherished possessions of Russian women and were passed on from generation to generation. Women carried out all work related to linen, from sowing to harvesting and processing. The peasant girl worked on a distaff to earn her dowry. The spinning ended with the week of Maslenitsa, a last week before the Great Lent, in mid-February. To celebrate the occasion, distaffs were used as a sledge by young women.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Distaff, Russian, Yaroslavl region, 19th century, carved wood |
| Physical description | Carved wood distaff, with chip carving, probably spruce or pine |
| Dimensions |
|
| Object history | This distaff, or 'spinning stool' as it was referred to at the time of acquisition, is one of two which were offered to the Museum by Michel de Bernoff, 82 Walton Street, Chelsea, in July 1907. The original receipt describes their condition as 'both damaged'. In a memo dated 16 July 1907, Oliver Brackett, Assistant Keeper of the Department of Furniture and Woodwork, noted: 'These objects possess a certain interest as illustrating the carving and customs of Russian peasants. For that purpose, however, only one of the two would be sufficient as an example. The smaller specimen shows the greater variety in decoration.' M. de Bernoff agreed to sell this, the smaller of the distaffs, for £2.10.0. (V&A Registered File, MA/1/B1245). |
| Summary | Object type A distaff is a tool on to which fibres (in Russia, most commonly flax or linen) are wound for spinning. To keep threads from untangling, the unspun fibre is tied with a ribbon to the distaff. More than thirty types of Russian distaffs are known and according to their design and shape, they are split into two groups: the one-piece distaff, which is made of the trunk of a tree and the root, and the two-piece distaff, which is much smaller. This is a one-piece columnar distaff, and is of a type known as a Volga column. The main production centres for Volga columns were around Yaroslavl, a region to the north-east of Moscow. The Volga column may have originated before the nineteenth century, as representations of similar columnar distaffs can be seen in some of the sixteenth-century icons in the Yaroslavl Museum. Decoration This distaff was carved from the stump of a birch or spruce tree and the intricate chip-carving displays the skill of the carver. The small openings, or ‘windows’ on the upright are separated by twisted columns and completely cover all faces. This decoration relates to local architecture of the seventeenth century: stone church belfries with multiple windows with pediments are found on the Church of St. John Chrysostom and the Church of St. Nicholas Wet in Yaroslavl, and may have been the inspiration to distaff carvers. The symbol of the sun, a very common motif on distaffs, may have been meant as an encouragement in cold winter nights: spinning was done in winter, when women were free from field and other work. Of the distaffs currently known, no two examples have identical decoration. The root was used for the base and the trunk for the column. Cultural significance Although spinning wheels, which increased the speed of production, were introduced to Russia in the seventeenth century, they could not offer the fine yarn quality of a distaff, so distaffs continued to be used until the 1930s. Distaffs were among most cherished possessions of Russian women and were passed on from generation to generation. Women carried out all work related to linen, from sowing to harvesting and processing. The peasant girl worked on a distaff to earn her dowry. The spinning ended with the week of Maslenitsa, a last week before the Great Lent, in mid-February. To celebrate the occasion, distaffs were used as a sledge by young women. |
| Bibliographic reference | Kruglova, O., Russkaia narodnaia rezba i rospis po derevu (Moscow: Izobrazitelnoe iskusstvo, 1974), p. 16 fig. 18 for an example of a closely related distaff. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 563-1907 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
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