Description:
Flax wheels were used to spin flax fibers into yarn suitable for weaving. They are also known as low wheels, Dutch wheels, saxony wheels, Brunswick wheels, or bobbin-flyer wheels. Flax spinning and linen weaving were important household industries in early European settlements of the American northeast until well into the 19th century. This wheel sits upright on its supports, which suggests it is original. This example is incomplete, missing its flyer bobbin peg to hold the screw in place to adjust the mother-of-all. It needs a footman and flyer and bobbin. "IAM 1825" is a mark of the maker, who may be from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, based on two other similarly marked examples dated 1834 and 1843, respectively. Maidens are close together, which means it was used with a smaller bobbin and flyer. Appears to have its original distaff (which is missing its top, however). Base is similar to another flax wheel in the museum's collection (54.004.05). This wheel has been varnished.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2933 |
