Sorry I cant tell you what is on my pillow(Just my head I think!) but I will
keep you up to date on what I (we as I have a few collaborators) are doing.
We have looked at the images that certain museums have on the web which they
have labeled "Bobbins" even "lace bobbins". They have been remarkably
cooperative and helpful.
There are two small bones (matched!) which one museum has labeled "bobbins"
but then put an "iron age" label on them. They are pretty certain that the
Iron age is an OK date so I have dropped investigating these completely,
though of all the possible bobbins that are actually bone that I have seen,
these look possible.
The other two "bobbins" I have looked at are given a "Roman" dating, though
they admit to the possibility of them being wrong. They were unearthed at a
Roman site, but may well have been "lost" there at a much later date. At
least they are turned bone and "sort of" bobbin like, they are incomplete
but we, including the curator, have decided that they are much more like
"Parchment prickers" so I have laid the matter to rest there.
The other interesting thing we have done is to create a composite photograph
of the types of bobbins historically used in England (Well we have included
the Ipswich (USA) bobbin too).
We have the following all lined up.
1. Ipswich; Malmsbury; East Midland; East Devon; Downton; South Bucks and a
Suffolk bobbin. Whilst it was interesting doing it, I am not sure what it
does for me or posterity. I cant publish the picture as the Suffolk, (for
very good reasons) is copyright.
I ma still after a picture of an Ipswich bobbin please. (or a real one
which I will happily buy.) It would be so nice to handle one.
BTW that is one thing I would pass on to antique bobbin collectors, actually
handling, feeling, seeing detail etc, is the way to really learn about them.
Most of my collection is photographic and I am thus handicapped! Perhaps I
will win the Lotto one day and own a few beauties and plain ones too as I
like plain bobbins that are well turned. :)
From Brian and Jean;
in Cooranbong. Australia
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