[Bonetools] "linen smoother"?

[S O'Connor]

Dear Annabel,

 

Yes, some of the Hull examples (not in the catalogue) are very like this too.  I know that the catalogue entry for your example says it is ivory but from the photograph I am sure it is not ivory. You can see the longitudinally organised, dark, dots and dashes produced by the vascular system of the bone. The size of these features and the size of the object indicate that this is cut from whale bone.

 

All the best,

 

Sonia

Dr Sonia O'Connor PhD FSA FIIC ACR Honorary Visiting Fellow, University of York

Post-doctoral Research Fellow

Archaeological Sciences

Division of AGES,  

University of Bradford

Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, UK

 

tel 01274 23 6498 (office) 5210 (lab)

fax 01274 23 5210

 

From: Bonetools [mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] On Behalf Of Annabel Médard
Sent: 16 June 2014 11:22
To: Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for the study of object and waste of bone, antler. ivory and horn.
Subject: Re: [Bonetools] "linen smoother"?

 

Hello David,

Exactly! I agree with Sonia. I know this kind of tools as being used by sailmakers in the Netherlands (mostly from Friesland) in the 17th-19th century (of course more or less similar objects might have been used before that but I do not have any example). They were made of bone or wood (and sometimes even ivory, like this one http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/?/indonesie_onafhankelijk_-_fotos_1947-1953/items/FSM01:J-062-E/ <http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/?/indonesie_onafhankelijk_-_fotos_1947-1953/items/FSM01:J-062-E/&p=2&i=3&t=83&st=zeilmakerijen&sc=subject%20all%20%22zeilmakerijen%22/> &p=2&i=3&t=83&st=zeilmakerijen&sc=subject%20all%20%22zeilmakerijen%22/ ).

There was an important (hennep) sailmaking industry in the villages of Krommenie and Assendelft (a bit north west of Amsterdam) and I am doing some research on bones that were found at different sites there that were probably used to smoothen the seams in sails. Those have different shapes than the ones above though, might be some local variation / adjustment to a specific way of working. But doing that research I came across several sail smoothers that resemble yours, as Sonia posted.

Regards,

Annabel Médard

 

On Mon, Jun 16, 2014 at 11:32 AM, S O'Connor <S.Oconnor at bradford.ac.uk> wrote:

Dear David,

 

I have seen objects just like this in cetacean bone and wood, but of much more recent origin. These are sailmakers tools for smoothing seams in sails and are sometimes called seam rubbers.

 

See Hull Museums Collections http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/museumcollections/collections/search-results/resultsoverview.php?keywordsorig= <http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/museumcollections/collections/search-results/resultsoverview.php?keywordsorig=&titleorig=&personorig=&placeorig=&dateorig=&materialorig=&accessionnumberorig=&collectionorig=&museumorig=&keywords=seam+smoother&SearchSubmit.x=0&SearchSubmit.y=0&SearchSubmit=Search&title=&person=&place=&date=&material=&accessionnumber=&collectionall=all&museumall=all&location=any> &titleorig=&personorig=&placeorig=&dateorig=&materialorig=&accessionnumberorig=&collectionorig=&museumorig=&keywords=seam+smoother&SearchSubmit.x=0&SearchSubmit.y=0&SearchSubmit=Search&title=&person=&place=&date=&material=&accessionnumber=&collectionall=all&museumall=all&location=any

If this URL does not work go to http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/museumcollections/collections/ and search on seam smoother.

 

All the best,

 

Sonia

 

Dr Sonia O'Connor PhD FSA FIIC ACR Honorary Visiting Fellow, University of York

Post-doctoral Research Fellow

Archaeological Sciences

Division of AGES,  

University of Bradford

Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, UK

 

tel 01274 23 6498 (office) 5210 (lab)

fax 01274 23 5210

 

From: Bonetools [mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] On Behalf Of Dave Constantine
Sent: 16 June 2014 09:40
To: bonetools at listserv.niif.hu
Subject: [Bonetools] "linen smoother"?

 

Hello,

 

I was forwarded the attached image by a friend who had seen this object in Lincoln Museum where I believe it was labelled as a “Linen smoother”. They asked if I had ever come across anything similar as they thought linen smoothers are normally glass slickers. Having never seen anything like it I thought I would pop it up here to ask if any of you have come across an item like this. It is dated as “Anglo-Saxon” and is approximately "5” long (about 125mm)


Regards,

David Constantine


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