Viking - Saxon Sewing Box

The Box

I have chosen to use a Saxon Box made by Sven the Merchant as it’s a nice size to hold every thing and sturdy enough to transport from event to event

Saxon Box with brass hook closures and corner brackets. (pine).

size: L 32cm. W 23cm. H 24cm.

Source: Geake, H., Use of grave goods in the conversion period, 1988

Bone combs

Combs are oftern found in graves - I have choosen to put in a bone combs - as these could be used to comb unwanted burs and rubbish from wool and flax before spinning

Links to Original finds of -

Antler comb with matching case, Viking, 9th-10th century, from York, England

http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/a/antler_comb_with_matching_case.aspx

Viking-age composite combs:

SHM 5208:573, http://www.historiska.se/data/?bild=28576

SHM 5208:574, http://www.historiska.se/data/?bild=28577

SHM 7582, http://www.historiska.se/data/?bild=28761

SHM 9549, http://www.historiska.se/data/?bild=28739

SHM 25501, http://www.historiska.se/data/?bild=28755

SHM 28047 http://www.historiska.se/data/?bild=28741

My combs: Large bone comb made by Gary Baker & smaller comb and cover made by Egfroth

Scissors

Scissors, shears and snips are all found in the Viking-Age archaeological finds. The difference between snips and shears is mostly size -- snips are good for cutting thread or light fabric, but shears would be used for heavier textiles. Scissors, almost identical in shape to modern, plain kitchen or sewing scissors have also been found.

Links to Original finds of -

Scissors:

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=28696

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=301464

Shears:

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=28622

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=331640

Snips (arbitrary classification of shears 15cm long or smaller):

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=28623

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=306137

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=301463

My Scissors have been purchased from a Bonsai nursery.

Bone Needles

Bone needles are another item that was oftern found in graves - thicker ones were used for naalbinding while slimer ones could be used for sewing

Links to Original finds of -

Sewing objects from Viking graves on the Hebrides, including bone needlecases and iron needles,

c. 850-925

http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-000-099-774-C

Viking-age needles:

SHM 5208:1037, http://www.historiska.se/data/?bild=28670

SHM 5208:1038, http://www.historiska.se/data/?bild=28671

SHM 5208:1039 http://www.historiska.se/data/?bild=28672

Brass & Copper pins

out of all the things I looked at these were the hardest to find evidence on the types found & used

I found there were several types

Pins - wire wrap-headed pins

Pins - drawn heads

Pins - with polyhedral and disc-shaped heads

Links to Original finds of -

the best write up I could find on Pins that i could find is at http://www.archaeologicalplanningconsultancy.co.uk/mono/001/rep_f_metal.html

My Pins: I 've chosen to make the wire wrap-headed pins out of both brass & copper

Tablet weaving cards

Tablet weaving cards have been found made out of a number of materials - bone, wood, horn

Links to Original finds of -

Oseberg wooden cards http://www.shelaghlewins.com/tablet_weaving/Oseberg_tablet/Tablets_photo.JPG

Tablet weaving cards / vävbricka in the swedish museum

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=310508

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=28688

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=28827

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=28641

http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=28647

Lucets

I have now two Lucets a simple styled one based on finds from York and a decorated one based on the Lund Lucet

Tablet weaving beater

mine is made out of wood but it could have been made out of bone like the Gotland one

Gotland Tablet weaving beater http://www.arkeodok.com/News1.html

Tablet weaving patterns on leather

this is my solution on how to have patterns handy at events with out having a printed piece of paper that might get wet or blown away and looks very out of place - but there is no historical evidence for it.

Knife

this is a small knife some thing everyone would have and is another item commonly found in graves finds

my Knife was made by Gary Baker - it has a deer antler handle

Beeswax

A lump of wax, found in a bucket of sewing and weaving tools from the 9th century Oseberg burial (Brøgger, 1921; 6), may indicate that lightly waxing a thread may have helped with sewing

A Viking-age cake of beeswax was found in Scotland

Thread Bobin

there are a few find of Thread Bobins in the Swedish Historical Museum

SHM 5208:1642 http://www.historiska.se/data/?bild=28686

SHM 5208:1643 http://www.historiska.se/data/?bild=28687

Spindle Whorls

Spindles Whorls have been found in lots of diffeent material ceramic, amber, stone, lead, antler

SHM 5208 http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/bild.asp?uid=328305

I have three now - wooden, antler and ceramic

Niddy Noddy

Oseberg niddy-noddy http://www.medieval-baltic.us/images/niddy-noddy.jpg