A wire spindle, 'umtshini woboya', for making woollen or mohair thread. A certain amount of wool is rolled between the palms, then wound onto the cruciform spindle when long enough to pass through the eye of the fifth arm. Then further thread is added to the end of the first thread, the spinning of the spindle involves twisting the thread as it is rolled between the palms.
These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.
The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.
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