Spindle whorls were used to weight spindles when hand-spinning yarn. They were made in a variety of materials including stone, ceramic fragments and fired clay.

How does a cotton spindle work?

It uses rows of barbed spindles that rotate at high speed and remove the seed-cotton from the plant. The seed-cotton is then removed from the spindles by a counter-rotating doffer and is then blown up into the basket.

What kind of material is Terracotta?

Terracotta translates from Latin as burnt earth and is a type of clay-based ceramic or earthenware material that has been used for sculpture, pottery and architectural purposes by many civilisations, from the ancient Greeks, to the Egyptians, the Chinese and Native Americans.