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hsifengWell, I picked up "Needlework Tools and Accessories: A Collector's Guide" by Molly G. Proctor from my ILL desk today. The lucet is mentioned in on pages 120-121 (no, not volumes of information, I agree). The section referring to the age of these instruments is as follows:
"During excavations of the Viking settlement at York a broken lucet was found which was easily recognized as the shape has never altered. Lucets were flat and more-or-less lyre-shaped, usually between 3-4 inches (75-125mm) in length, with a small hole near the base and sometimes a handle to assist twisting the tool back and forth in use. Cottagers' lucets were made from bone, wood or horn and there there were finer tools made of ivory, tortoise-shell and mother-of-pearl. They were in general use until the 1830's but when cheap machine-made cords became available, lucets were no longer necessary. "
Not conclusive, but interesting. There are no footnotes or end matter about this Viking find at York. And of course, there are no images of dated examples from the 16th C in this book.
So, anyone with Viking research connections have some information they could point me toward? I will be executing a Google search later this week (once I am done with the RMA workshop on Wednesday, wish me luck!).
BTW -jillwheezul, did you ever happen to run across that article on lucets at your library?
"During excavations of the Viking settlement at York a broken lucet was found which was easily recognized as the shape has never altered. Lucets were flat and more-or-less lyre-shaped, usually between 3-4 inches (75-125mm) in length, with a small hole near the base and sometimes a handle to assist twisting the tool back and forth in use. Cottagers' lucets were made from bone, wood or horn and there there were finer tools made of ivory, tortoise-shell and mother-of-pearl. They were in general use until the 1830's but when cheap machine-made cords became available, lucets were no longer necessary. "
Not conclusive, but interesting. There are no footnotes or end matter about this Viking find at York. And of course, there are no images of dated examples from the 16th C in this book.
So, anyone with Viking research connections have some information they could point me toward? I will be executing a Google search later this week (once I am done with the RMA workshop on Wednesday, wish me luck!).
BTW -
jillwheezul, did you ever happen to run across that article on lucets at your library?