Levantine / Canaanite / Phoenician Heavy Spiraled Bronze Bead or Spindle Whorl For Sale

Levantine / Canaanite / Phoenician Heavy Spiraled Bronze Bead or Spindle Whorl (c. 1200–600 BC) - 19.39g

Authenticity NoticeThis artifact is certified authentic and will be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity and Provenance. All professional inventory is vetted through recognized platforms to ensure legal standing.

DetailsObject: Cast Heavy Bronze Spiraled Bead / Loom Weight / Spindle WhorlCulture: Phoenician / Canaanite / Eastern MediterraneanDate: Circa 1200–600 BC (Late Bronze Age II to Iron Age II)Material: Cast Heavy Bronze / Copper Alloy (preserving a dark chocolate-brown to deep green cuprite patina with thick, uncleaned white calcareous and desert sand encrustations)Form: Biconical / doughnut-shaped central perforation with deep, hand-chiseled radial spiral fluting across the bodyDimensions: Weight: 19.39 gramsRegion: Levantine Coast / Phoenicia (Northern Levant / Modern Lebanon–Syria Axis Find)

Iconographic & Typological AnalysisThis 19.39-gram cast bronze object demonstrates early Phoenician and Near Eastern metalwork and textile production tools:

• Spiral Radial Fluting: Features deeply carved, diagonal spiral grooves radiating outward from the central perforation. The spiral design added tactile grip for spinning or served as decorative ribbing on prestige ornaments.

• Dual Textile / Personal Ornament Function: Heavy cast copper-alloy whorls of this mass (~19.4g) served either as functional flywheels on wooden drop spindles used to spin wool/flax thread, or as central focal beads on prestige necklaces and harness adornments.

• Central Perforation: Displays a clean, circular central bore designed to seat a wooden spindle shaft or thick leather cordage.

Overview and Historical ContextThroughout the Late Bronze and Iron Age Levant, textile production and personal adornment were closely intertwined. While everyday spindle whorls and loom weights were formed from fired clay or stone, high-status households and elite craft workshops along the Phoenician coast utilized heavy cast bronze whorls. Weighing 19.39 grams, the balanced biconical mass provided ideal rotational momentum for spinning coarse fibers like wool or linen thread. Preserving sharp hand-carved spiral fluting and original burial encrustations, this piece represents functional ancient craftsmanship from the Phoenician trade sphere.

Authenticity Check

• Solid cast bronze core showing authentic hand-chiseled tool marks within the spiral grooves under magnification.

• Original, uncleaned white calcareous sand and mineral matrix embedded deep inside the fluting.

• Complete and intact at 19.39 grams with natural wear around the central bore edges and no modern restoration.

Museum Comparable Examples

• The British Museum, London: Accession No. 1880,1216.22 (Phoenician/Near Eastern bronze biconical whorls and spiraled trade beads).

• The Louvre Museum, Paris: Accession No. AO 14920 (Bronze Age Levantine heavy metal whorls and personal ornaments from Byblos/Sidon).

• The Met Museum, New York: Accession No. 74.51.3541 (Ancient Near Eastern bronze spiraled beads and loom/spindle weights).

Academic & Typological References

• Barber, E. J. W. (1991). Prehistoric Textiles: The Development of Cloth in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Princeton University Press. (Ref: \"Chapter 2: Spindle Whorl Metrology and Mass Standards\").

• Gubel, E. (1986). Les Phéniciens et le monde méditerranéen. (Ref: \"Bronze Personal Ornaments and Textile Implements\").

• Bordreuil, P. (1999). Recherches sur les instruments de pesage et de tissage au Levant central. (Ref: \"Typology of Iron Age Phoenician Metal Implements\").

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