Month: January 2026

NOW: Toy Viscachas – 46-77-30/7651B

For this week’s Nalbound Object of the Week we have another piece of truly figural work found in the Peruvian nalbound corpus. These are one of my favorites, because viscachas are sooo cute! (Once again, I’ve included a picture of a live viscacha below for those of us less familiar with what exactly one looks like.)

Effigy, viscachas, looped. Object number: 46-77-30/7651B
Courtesy of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and
Ethnology, Harvard University. https://peabody.harvard.edu/ Request reproduction rights from https://peabody.harvard.edu/rights-and-reproductions

Object: Viscachas effigy

Description: Worked in yellow and dark brown yarn around a solid core, the figure includes the pointed ears, nose, and long tail of a viscacha. Overall: 7 x 2.1 x 3.2 cm (2 3/4 x 13/16 x 1 1/4 in.)1

Dated to: Early Intermediate period
Nazca2

Find location: Nazca, Peru3

Material: camelid4

Stitch(es) used: (Simple) Looping.5

Object number: 46-77-30/7651B

Current location: Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, Harvard University

Link to museum catalog or other data: https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/100406?ctx=4b5a04a42bb2e1beb986339955f300990aa07639&idx=61

Pictures:

A Viscacha, posted by the American Museum of Natural History
Photo: andrespuiggros, CC-BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

Please note that sharing to other venues will likely be intermittent. If you wish to receive these each week, please remember to follow the blog.
Patrons on Patreon receive early access previews, occasional extra details, and priority requests.

  1. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/100406?ctx=4b5a04a42bb2e1beb986339955f300990aa07639&idx=61 ↩︎
  2. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/100406?ctx=4b5a04a42bb2e1beb986339955f300990aa07639&idx=61. Estimated to 200 BCE to 600 CE as per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodization_of_pre-Columbian_Peru ↩︎
  3. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/100406?ctx=4b5a04a42bb2e1beb986339955f300990aa07639&idx=61 ↩︎
  4. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/100406?ctx=4b5a04a42bb2e1beb986339955f300990aa07639&idx=61 ↩︎
  5. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/100406?ctx=4b5a04a42bb2e1beb986339955f300990aa07639&idx=61 ↩︎

NOW: Mitten with embroidered cuff – D7403b

While I’ve mentioned this Nalbound Object of the Week in an earlier post, link here, I did not include the find data. So this week we take a closer look at the 17th century mitten found in the ramparts of the city of Copenhagen. Like many mittens and socks of this time, it has some tar stains. If you look very closely, there is some two toned embroidery around the cuff edge. One thread of which still retains some reddish coloring (I’ve included a detail photo below).

Mitten found in Mikkel Bryggersgade, D7403b.
Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker

Object: Mitten with an embroidered cuff – D7403b

Description: A mitten for the right hand with some tar stains and two colored embroidery around the cuff worked in opposing whip stitches that create small triangles.1

Dated to: 1500 – 1650 CE2

Find location (Continent, current country, original culture): Mikkel Bryggers Gade in association with Copenhagen’s ramparts.3

Material: Wool4

Stitch(es) used: Hald stated that 3 of the 4 mittens found in the ramparts of Copenhagen were Type IIa (which is UO/UOO) with the 4th too felted to tell and includes photos of two of which this mitten is one. Eskelund Rüssel catalogs this mitten as UOOO/UUUOO F15 which I am not seeing in the mitten. Further examination will be required.

Inventory number: D7403b

Current location: National Museum of Denmark

Link to museum catalog or other data: https://samlinger.natmus.dk/dmr/object/292074

Some sources in which more information can be found:

Eskelund Rüssel, Elizabeth. Nålebinding: En forhistorisk håndarbejdsteknik i kronologisk perspektiv. Arkæologisk Tema 1, Vejleder: Henriette Lyngstrøm, Forhistorisk Arkæologi ved Københavns Universitet, May 24, 2011.

Hald, Margrethe. Ancient Danish Textiles from Bogs And Burials: A Comparative Study of Costume and Iron Age Textiles. Publications of The National Museum of Denmark; Archaeological Historical Series XXI. Translated by Jean Olsen. Copenhagen: Fyens Stiftsbogtrykkeri, Copenhagen, 1980. image p. 303. ISBN 87-480-0312-3.

Does anyone have a copy of this publication?
Vestergård Pedersen 2003. Nålebinding. Center for Historisk Teknologi. Middelaldercenteret Nykøbing F. S. 1 – 16.

Photographs:

Museum information for the display including D7403b. Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker
Museum legend for the display including D7403b. Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker
Closeup of the embroidered cuff of D7403b. Photo credit: Anne Marie Decker

Please note that sharing to other venues will likely be intermittent. If you wish to receive these each week, please remember to follow the blog.
Patrons on Patreon receive early access previews, occasional extra details, and priority requests.

  1. Personal viewing while on display, August 27, 2019. ↩︎
  2. Eskelund Rüssel, Elizabeth. Nålebinding: En forhistorisk håndarbejdsteknik i kronologisk perspektiv. Arkæologisk Tema 1, Vejleder: Henriette Lyngstrøm, Forhistorisk Arkæologi ved Københavns Universitet, May 24, 2011. p. 11, Bilag 3 #16. https://vikingerivestfold.no/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nalebinding_en_forhistorisk_handarbejdst.pdf ↩︎
  3. Eskelund Rüssel, Elizabeth. Nålebinding: En forhistorisk håndarbejdsteknik i kronologisk perspektiv. Arkæologisk Tema 1, Vejleder: Henriette Lyngstrøm, Forhistorisk Arkæologi ved Københavns Universitet, May 24, 2011. Bilag 3 #16. https://vikingerivestfold.no/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nalebinding_en_forhistorisk_handarbejdst.pdf ↩︎
  4. https://samlinger.natmus.dk/dmr/object/292074 Accessed 1/18/2026. ↩︎
  5. Eskelund Rüssel, Elizabeth. Nålebinding: En forhistorisk håndarbejdsteknik i kronologisk perspektiv. Arkæologisk Tema 1, Vejleder: Henriette Lyngstrøm, Forhistorisk Arkæologi ved Københavns Universitet, May 24, 2011. p. 11, Bilag 3 #16. https://vikingerivestfold.no/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nalebinding_en_forhistorisk_handarbejdst.pdf cites Vestergård Pedersen 2003. Nålebinding. Center for Historisk Teknologi. Middelaldercenteret Nykøbing F. S. 1 – 16. for information regarding the mitten, but not stitch identification specifically. ↩︎

NOW: Diamond hat with volute tree straps – 46-77-30/9440

There is a whole range of Peruvian hats with these integral ear-flap straps as seen in this week’s Nalbound Object of the Week. And yet, this one is particularly striking with its volute shaped trees. The image is unfortunately not helpful with clarifying what colors are used. The object description says dark brown and tan, but the inventory description says blue and gold. Both would be striking, but is there anyone near the Peabody that can answer?

Cap, looped. Object number: 46-77-30/9440
Courtesy of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and
Ethnology, Harvard University. https://peabody.harvard.edu/ Request reproduction rights from https://peabody.harvard.edu/rights-and-reproductions

Object: Cap, looped

Description: A dark brown and tan (or blue and gold) diamond lattice patterned hat with crosses in the diamonds and a volute wavy tree on the ear-flaps that extend from the top of the hat down to long fringes. Overall: 52 x 17.5 x 6.5 cm (20 1/2 x 6 7/8 x 2 9/16 in.)1

Dated to: Early Intermediate Period?2

Find location: Loma?, Peru3

Material: camelid4

Stitch(es) used: Looped.5 Z-crossed Cross-knit Looping (as determined by Anne Marie Decker based on the photograph)

Object number: 46-77-30/9440

Current location: Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, Harvard University

Link to museum catalog or other data: https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/81676?ctx=4b5a04a42bb2e1beb986339955f300990aa07639&idx=66

Please note that sharing to other venues will likely be intermittent. If you wish to receive these each week, please remember to follow the blog.
Patrons on Patreon receive early access previews, occasional extra details, and priority requests.

  1. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/81676?ctx=4b5a04a42bb2e1beb986339955f300990aa07639&idx=66 ↩︎
  2. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/81676?ctx=4b5a04a42bb2e1beb986339955f300990aa07639&idx=66 Estimated to 200 BCE to 600 CE as per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodization_of_pre-Columbian_Peru ↩︎
  3. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/81676?ctx=4b5a04a42bb2e1beb986339955f300990aa07639&idx=66 ↩︎
  4. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/81676?ctx=4b5a04a42bb2e1beb986339955f300990aa07639&idx=66 ↩︎
  5. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/81676?ctx=4b5a04a42bb2e1beb986339955f300990aa07639&idx=66 ↩︎

NOW: Loop & Twist net – 75-20-30/8561

The Nalbound Object of the Week this week is a small fragment of vegetal fiber found in Chile. The fragment has two types of Loop & Twist, both Z-crossed.

Net, looped, fragment. Object number: 75-20-30/8561
Courtesy of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and
Ethnology, Harvard University. https://peabody.harvard.edu/ Request reproduction rights from https://peabody.harvard.edu/rights-and-reproductions

Object: Net, looped, fragment

Description: A small fragment of loop & twist net with both single and quadruple twist looping. Overall: 12 x 8 cm (4 3/4 x 3 1/8 in.)1

Dated to: none provided

Find location: Pisagua, Chile2

Material: vegetal fiber3

Stitch(es) used: double twist looping. (z-2s).4

Object number: 75-20-30/8561

Current location: Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, Harvard University

Link to museum catalog or other data: https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/81168?ctx=3895f836dffa87d819a31a9db21ff30320b3e15c&idx=86

Please note that sharing to other venues will likely be intermittent. If you wish to receive these each week, please remember to follow the blog.
Patrons on Patreon receive early access previews, occasional extra details, and priority requests.

  1. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/81168?ctx=3895f836dffa87d819a31a9db21ff30320b3e15c&idx=86 ↩︎
  2. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/81168?ctx=3895f836dffa87d819a31a9db21ff30320b3e15c&idx=86 ↩︎
  3. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/81168?ctx=3895f836dffa87d819a31a9db21ff30320b3e15c&idx=86 ↩︎
  4. https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/81168?ctx=3895f836dffa87d819a31a9db21ff30320b3e15c&idx=86 ↩︎