Hand Distaff

While we have a plethora of images from the High and Late Middle Ages showing women spinning with a long distaff, there are much fewer sources for the earlier times. Our sources do hint at the usage of some form of distaff, and the tool in question seems to be a shorter, hand-held distaff. Whether this was also used to hold wool for spinning, similarly to the later long distaff, is however not clear.

The short hand distaff offered here is one possible reconstruction of such a spinning tool. It is made from walnut wood or linden wood with a smaller diameter than the long version, for comfortably holding it in your hand. On the top, a band is attached just like in the long version, so dressing the distaff can be done in the same way. Total length of this short version of the distaff is c 36 cm.