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Afghani Spinning Spinning cotton is done on a drop spindle.[1] Cotton has been grown in Afghanistan since the 3rd millennium BCE.[2] Wool is also spun on a drop spindle, and is usually done thick.[3] Afghanistan was known for having a soft cashmere, even if it wasn't produced as much as it could have been (there was no infrastructure to process the fiber, so it was all done small scale by hand)[4] The woman in the middle is spinning! And it does look like drop spinning! So weird![5] A woman spinning what appears to be cotton on a floor hand cranked wheel[6] References [1] “Spinning a Lucrative Yarn in Afghanistan,” ReliefWeb, October 3, 2012, https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/spinning-lucrative-yarn-afghanistan. [2] Daniel Balland, “Cotton III. in Afghanistan,” Encyclopaedia Iranica, October 21, 2024, https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/cotton-iii/. [3] “Spinning Wheels in Afghanistan: A Livelihoods Case Study,” studylib.net, accessed June 16, 2025, https://studylib.net/doc/10771146/spinning-wheels-in-afghanistan--case-studies---livelihoods . [4] “Cashmere in Afghanistan,” From The Mountain, accessed June 16, 2025, https://www.fromthemountain.com/cashmere-in-afghanistan#:~:text=As%20a%20result%20of%20ASAP,of%20this%20globally%20beneficial%20enterprise. [5] Lillias Hamilton, Views in Afghanistan, October 9, 2014, photograph, Wikimedia Commons, October 9, 2014, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Views_in_Afghanistan;_by_Lillias_Hamilton_Wellcome_L0025448.jpg. [6] R.B. Holmes, Pathan Woman Spinning, North-West Frontier , January 7, 2022, photograph, Facebook , January 7, 2022.

My Story Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China Cyprus Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal North Korea Oman Pakistan Palestine Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen

I know that some of us Really like working with one fiber or another. And some of the others of us are looking for an excuse to buy all the new kinds of fluff that we find. Fear not! This section is here to help. No matter what fiber, if there was a culture in Asia that used it in period, I want todocument it here! The Fibers Silk Cotton Wool Bast Fiber

Bangladeshi Spinning The Banglideshi are known for making cotton, specifically Dhaka cotton. Dhaka cotton was processed very uniquely. The cotton staple was so short and the fibers so fine that the fibers were spread out by boats at dawn and late afternoon and that when they were spun. The process was so specialized and so intense that it took the entire region to make the fabric.[1] The spinners would use charkhas to spin the cotton while on the boat, then sell the teeny threads to the weavers in the next town.[2] Bangladesh made more than 50% of textiles of the Indian subcontinent and around 40% of silks imported by the Dutch from Asia .[3] Bengladeshi woman spinning. The caption says she’s spinning cotton, but that looks like silk on the reeling wheel…[4] A Bangladeshi woman spinning cotton[5] I love the way her spinning wheel looks. I think it looks like a flower. References [1] Zaria Gorvett, “The Ancient Fabric That No One Knows How to Make,” BBC News, February 24, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210316-the-legendary-fabric-that-no-one-knows-how-to-make. [2] Gopika Nath, “Garland Magazine,” Garland Magazine Spinning a Yarn Unparalleled Comments, December 6, 2016, https://garlandmag.com/article/spinning-a-yarn-unparalleled/. [3] Om Prakash , "Empire, Mughal Archived 18 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine ", History of World Trade Since 1450, edited by John J. McCusker , vol. 1, Macmillan Reference USA, 2006, pp. 237-240, World History in Context. Retrieved 3 August 2017 [4] Neil Cooper, Woman from a Village Cooperative Hand-Spinning Fine Cotton. Bangladesh, 2004, photograph, Alamy, 2004, https://www.alamy.com/woman-from-a-village-cooperative-hand-spinning-fine-cotton-bangladesh-image3797294.html?imageid=32E73F8B-6F0A-4681-929D-3FFC55E0A5D7&p=15817&pn=1&searchId=ef3b690cb1375f88e6f0f894fda10372&searchtype=0. [5] Rudolph Ackermann, Bengali Woman Spinning Using a Simple Spinning Wheel, 1821, photograph, 1821.

South Korean Spinning 물레 (mulle) in Hangul. Wheels are called Mool Lae in Korean. Hand cranked wheels, designed to be used on the floor. Very similar to Japanese wheels. This cute looking wheel is actually HUGE! It’s located at Mullae Station in Seoul, South Korea, a pun on the station and district name (Mullae/Moolae, get it?)[1] Hand spinning was presumed to have been in a supported style based on surrounding regions, but nothing could be found one way or the other. Common fibers are cotton and silk. Silk production started as early as 1200 BCE with Chinese immigrants.[2] References [1] Josh Philip Ross, “Seoul Subway Randomizer Adventure #3: Mullae Station,” Medium, March 27, 2017, https://joshphilipross.medium.com/seoul-subway-randomizer-adventure-3-mullae-station-d34eea98177d. [2] Tasdeeq Ul Islam, “The Historical Journey of Sericulture: Insights into Sustainability from Past to Present,” International Journal of Emerging Knowledge Studies 03, no. 09 (September 30, 2024): 719–26, https://doi.org/10.70333/ijeks-03-09-042.

Charkha – Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Malaysia India The wheel they use in India is called a chakra or charkhra depending on how it’s translated, though the word translates to English as “wheel” so it’s actually not super helpful in looking at things translated from Hindi. There are two main types, a standing and a peti, box, or “book” form.[1] The standing form is the older of the two being written about as early as the 13th century, and it is difficult to tell how much older as not many people wrote about the joys of spinning in their books until later, but it’s been a hot minute. A picture of a full sized standing charkhra. The one on display is a miniature version of this. Most are about 18-24 inches tall, and about 36 inches long.[2] Bangladesh In Bangladesh, spinners would use charkhas to spin the cotton while on boats trying to get the humidity correct for the tiny Dhaka cotton fibers, then sell the teeny threads to the weavers in the next town.[3] A Bangladeshi woman spinning cotton[4] I love the way her spinning wheel looks. I think it looks like a flower. Bhutan In Bhutan, spinning wheels are called haphang.[5] Bhutanese woman spinning in a market[6] Chinese China had hand cranked spinning wheels in the Han Dynasty (206BCE–220CE)[7] , which sounds early to me, but whatever. An Quinlong painting of a woman spinning, not at a large industry style wheel, but a smaller floor wheel. This is more like an Indian style, and would have presumably been found at most houses. [8] Malaysia Malaysia doesn’t have a lot of information on their spinning techniques, but it looks like they used a chakra style wheel. Malaysian “girl” spinning. I don’t know, spinning doesn’t seem to have an age limit.[9] References [1] Nakonechny, Joanne. “First Steps in Charkha Spinning.” Spin Off, July 4, 2022. https://spinoffmagazine.com/first-steps-in-charkha-spinning/ . [2] Dinodia Photos. “Mahatma Gandhi Charkha Spinning Wheel India Stock Photo.” Alamy. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-mahatma-gandhi-charkha-spinning-wheel-india-43150626.html . [3] Gopika Nath, “Garland Magazine,” Garland Magazine Spinning a Yarn Unparalleled Comments, December 6, 2016, https://garlandmag.com/article/spinning-a-yarn-unparalleled/. [4] Rudolph Ackermann, Bengali Woman Spinning Using a Simple Spinning Wheel, 1821, photograph, 1821. [5] Thagzo: The Art of Weaving.” Ich Links. Accessed June 22, 2025. https://ichlinks.com/archive/elements/elementsV.do?elementsUid=13916806808844150811. [6] Travelib Bhutan, Bhutan, Nobding Bazaar, Woman Spinning Cotton Thread by Hand on Wheel, July 22, 2012, photograph, July 22, 2012. [7] Ibid. [8] Chien Lung, “A Chinese Woman Spinning,” Guache on Paper, 1736, Meisterdrucke. [9] Sarawak: A native girl weaving cotton on a loom. photograph., accessed June 24, 2025, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.24882598.

Uzbekistan Spinning The society of Uzbekistan in the pre 10th century was very divided, with part being agricultural and part being nomadic.[1] The nomads would use a lot of wool and cashmere, as that’s what was available and spin on spindles as they didn't have much space.[1] The agricultural people would also grow cotton and silkworms (sericulture) and spin on hand cranked wheels.[1] Women Spinning or “twisting” at their wheels.[2] I love it. (The photo is titled “Ancient Technology of Twisting” and it makes me giggle) It looks like the distance between drum and spindle is really hecking small on this one! Anyway, this is a Uzbekistani woman spinning cotton.[3] References [1] Binafsha Nodir, “Historical Overview of Weaving in Uzbekistan ,” World Bulletin of Social Science 22 (May 24, 2023): 143–54. https://scholarexpress.net/index.php/wbss/article/view/2765/2373 https://scholarexpress.net/index.php/wbss/article/view/2765/2373 [2] Turgunboy Mirzaakhmedov, Ancient Technology of Twisting, 2017, photograph, Photo Pop up - UNESCO, 2017, https://ich.unesco.org/en/photo-pop-up-00973?photoID=10809 . [3] David Trilling, “Before Uzbekistan’s Cotton Industry Exploded, a Russian General Made These Pictures,” Eurasianet, April 26, 2019, https://eurasianet.org/before-uzbekistans-cotton-industry-exploded-a-russian-general-made-these-pictures.

North Korean Spinning Silk made it to Korea in the 1200BC with Chinese settlers.[1] Korea was using silk to embroider things such as clothing and palace decorations that resembled spun silver in the Three Kingdoms era[2] A mool lae. This one is missing a spindle and drive band, but looks like it could easily be fixed.[3] References [1] Tasdeeq Ul Islam, “The Historical Journey of Sericulture: Insights into Sustainability from Past to Present,” International Journal of Emerging Knowledge Studies 03, no. 09 (September 30, 2024): 719–26, https://doi.org/10.70333/ijeks-03-09-042. [2] “Korean Embroidery,” Wikipedia, March 5, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_embroidery. [3] “Very Rare Korean Joseon Dynasty Wood Spinning Wheel ‘Mool Lae,’” eBay, accessed February 6, 2025, https://www.ebay.com/itm/151740507461.

Drop Spindle Spinning – Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Thailand, Uzbekistan Afghanistan Afghani cotton spinning is done on a drop spindle.[1] Wool is also spun on a drop spindle, and is usually done thick.[2] The woman in the middle is spinning! And it does look like drop spinning! So weird![3] One thing noted about her "spindle" is that it seems to be all whorl. I'm not sure how common this type of "spindle" is, but I really want to try it out! Bhutan In Bhutanese culture, drop spindles are called phang.[4] Wools are typically made from yak, sheep, and goat.[5] They are spun on both drop spindles and on wheels.[6] I love her spindle. I want to look at it closer![7] Cyprus Excavations have been done in Cyprus, and they have found that spindles were two-piece constructions, with stone or terracotta for the whorl and wood for the spindle.[8] Clay spindle whorl from Cyprus.[9] Kazakhstan Most of Kazakhstan was a nomadic society. Thus they would have used spindles to do their work. Also, they probably worked mostly with animal fibers. A spindle typical of one found in Kazakstan[10] Kyrgyzstan The nomads of Kyrgyzstan mostly spun with spindles. Even when the Kyrgyzstani people settled down so they were mostly living in cities, they continued to spin with spindles.[11] These spindles were top whorl. Which indicates that they may have been used for drop spinning, not supported spinning. The article mentions rocks being formed to make spindles, then parts of power lines. This whorl looks like it could be from a power line…[12] Mongolia No evidence of wheels used in Mongolia in medieval times found, which makes a certain amount of sense given they were a nomadic culture and moving around with something as large as a wheel (even one that is typical of Asia at the time) could have been problematic From looking at pictures of historical reenactments, they appear to have used bottom whorl drop spindles. But these are reenactments. I’m not finding primary sources, or even secondary.[13] Hohhot reenactor spinning. I’m dubious, as that spindle looks more European than anything else I’ve seen doing this research, but I’m good at being wrong.[14] Nepal In Nepal, depending on material, the spindle spinning could be done as drop or in hand. Animal fibers were mostly done drop, while plant fibers were mostly done in hand. While this did vary from region to region, this seems to have been fairly consistent across Nepal.[15] Thailand, Whorls for cotton thread have been found in excavation sites in Sukhothai.[16] But I’m not sure what these would have looked like. My guess would have been a takli, especially with all the other Indian influences they have had, but I wouldn’t consider the takli a two piece spindle. Uzbekistan Uzbekistan had a lot of nomads who would spin on drop spindles. References [1] “Spinning a Lucrative Yarn in Afghanistan,” ReliefWeb, October 3, 2012, https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/spinning-lucrative-yarn-afghanistan. [2] “Spinning Wheels in Afghanistan: A Livelihoods Case Study,” studylib.net, accessed June 16, 2025, https://studylib.net/doc/10771146/spinning-wheels-in-afghanistan--case-studies---livelihoods . [3] Lillias Hamilton, Views in Afghanistan, October 9, 2014, photograph, Wikimedia Commons, October 9, 2014, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Views_in_Afghanistan;_by_Lillias_Hamilton_Wellcome_L0025448.jpg. [4] Thagzo: The Art of Weaving.” Ich Links. Accessed June 22, 2025. https://ichlinks.com/archive/elements/elementsV.do?elementsUid=13916806808844150811. [5] Ibid. [6] Ibid. [7] Dennis Kirkland, Asia, Bhutan, Bumthang. Woman Spinning Yarn, April 26, 2010, photograph, April 26, 2010. [8] Joanna S. Smith, “Changes in Weaving on the Warp-Weighted Loom on Cyprus,” Cahiers Du Centre d’Etudes Chypriotes, no. 49 (December 1, 2019): 129–44, https://doi.org/10.4000/cchyp.461. [9] Terracotta Spindle Whorls, Met Museum, accessed June 22, 2025, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/240498. [10] Linda LaBelle, “Kazakhstan,” Madderlane, August 29, 2019, https://madderlane.com/category/kazakhstan/. [11] Rahat Yusubalieva, “Grandmother’s Spindle (Kyrgyzstan),” cabinet, accessed June 23, 2025, https://www.cabinet.ox.ac.uk/grandmothers-spindle-kyrgyzstan. [12] Ibid. [13] Xinhua, “Hohhot, China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. 15th Aug, 2018. an Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor Demonstrates the Spinning Skill of Mongolian Ethnic Group during an Exhibition in Hohhot, North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Aug. 15, 2018. Credit: Liu Lei/Xinhua/Alamy Live News Stock Photo,” Alamy, August 14, 2018, https://www.alamy.com/hohhot-chinas-inner-mongolia-autonomous-region-15th-aug-2018-an-intangible-cultural-heritage-inheritor-demonstrates-the-spinning-skill-of-mongolian-ethnic-group-during-an-exhibition-in-hohhot-north-chinas-inner-mongolia-autonomous-region-aug-15-2018-credit-liu-leixinhuaalamy-live-news-image215507083.html. [14] Ibid. [15] Josefin Waltin, “Spinning in Nepal,” Josefin Waltin spinner, January 17, 2018, https://waltin.se/josefinwaltinspinner/spinning-in-nepal/. [16] Jackson, “Thai Traditional Fabrics: 3,000 Years in 15 Minutes,” My Thailand , May 20, 2019, https://www.mythailand.blog/2019/01/14/thai-traditional-fabrics/amp/ .

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Wool Spinning – Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Afghanistan Afghanistan was known for having a soft cashmere, even if it wasn't produced as much as it could have been (there was no infrastructure to process the fiber, so it was all done small scale by hand)[1] Azerbaijan Spun wool dates to the 4th millennium BCEin Azerbaijan, and while dyed spun flax date to 34,000 BCE.[2] Bhutan Wools in Bhutan are typically made from yak, sheep, and goat.[3] Cyprus Cyprus had large scale wool productions, more than just in the home, as early as the late Bronze Age[4] In the first millennium BCE, spinning and weaving was done both inside the house as well as in workshops.[5] Kazakhstan Most of Kazakhstan was a nomadic society. Thus they would have used spindles to do their work. Also, they probably worked mostly with animal fibers. Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan has raised cashmere goats for centuries, but only recently found an international market for the soft fiber[6] Mongolia Fibers in Mongolia were primarily goat (cashmere is and was huge) camel, and sheep, as raising plant fibers was (and is) not really a thing.[7] Nepal The primary fibers used in Nepal were yak, camel, hemp, and cotton.[8] Dating to the Sassanian Empire (224 to 651 CE), the fibers found and produced in Turkmenistan were wool, cotton, and silk.[9] Uzbekistan The nomads of Uzbekistan would use a lot of wool and cashmere, as that’s what was available and spin on spindles as they didn't have much space.[10] References [1] “Cashmere in Afghanistan,” From The Mountain, accessed June 16, 2025, https://www.fromthemountain.com/cashmere-in-afghanistan#:~:text=As%20a%20result%20of%20ASAP,of%20this%20globally%20beneficial%20enterprise. [2] Cosima Stewart, “The History of Weaving in the Caucasus,” Cabana Magazine, December 21, 2024, https://cabanamagazine.com/blogs/atlas-of-craftsmanship/the-history-of-weaving-in-the-caucasus . [3] “Thagzo: The Art of Weaving.” Ich Links. Accessed June 22, 2025. https://ichlinks.com/archive/elements/elementsV.do?elementsUid=13916806808844150811. [4] Joanna S. Smith, “Changes in Weaving on the Warp-Weighted Loom on Cyprus,” Cahiers Du Centre d’Etudes Chypriotes, no. 49 (December 1, 2019): 129–44, https://doi.org/10.4000/cchyp.461. [5] Ibid. [6] “Pamir Fiber- Manufacturing ,” Pamir Fine Fibers, accessed June 24, 2025, https://www.pamirfinefibers.ch/herstellung?lang=en. [7] Itsabeff, “Mongolian Industries: Textiles & Animal Products,” Judds in Mongolia, April 19, 2021, https://juddsinmongolia.com/2021/04/19/mongolian-industries-textiles-animal-products/. [8]Josefin Waltin, “Spinning in Nepal,” Josefin Waltin spinner, January 17, 2018, https://waltin.se/josefinwaltinspinner/spinning-in-nepal/. [9] Dominika Maja Kossowska-Janik, “Cotton and Wool: Textile Economy in the SERAKHS Oasis during the Late Sasanian Period, the Case of Spindle Whorls from Gurukly Depe (Turkmenistan),” Ethnobiology Letters 7, no. 1 (December 31, 2016), https://doi.org/10.14237/ebl.7.1.2016.682. [10] Binafsha Nodir, “Historical Overview of Weaving in Uzbekistan ,” World Bulletin of Social Science 22 (May 24, 2023): 143–54. https://scholarexpress.net/index.php/wbss/article/view/2765/2373

Malaysia Spinning Most of what I can find on Malaysian textiles are on Songket and batik. They are cotton and silk fabrics woven with silver and gold threads and dyed beautifully. But I have no idea where those threads come from. And I’m frankly getting a headache. Here’s a picture of a fairly modern woman spinning on a charka type wheel. I can make guesses based on that, but that’s all they would be. Malaysian “girl” spinning. I don’t know, spinning doesn’t seem to have an age limit.[1] References [1] Sarawak: A native girl weaving cotton on a loom. photograph., accessed June 24, 2025, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.24882598.