spinning-wheel board, distaff board, decorated distaff board
What is a distaff board?
A distaff board is the board of a spinning wheel to which a bundle of flax or wool fiber was pinned or tied. It could be simple, but many distaff boards are highly decorated.
The Encyclopedia of Lithuania notes that distaff boards were decorated with openwork carving, deep incising, and reliefs, and that their motifs include geometric, plant, and animal patterns, the sun, segmented stars, hearts, little birds, and the tree of life.
Suns on Samogitian distaff boards
Samogitian distaff boards are especially emphasized because the sun motif and segmented stars dominate there. This makes the distaff board one of the best objects for explaining the sunburst ornament.
The surface of the board acts as a small field of signs: a sunburst may shine at the center, with birds, plants, and signs of love arranged around it.
A sign of love and gift
Some distaff boards were made as gifts for a beloved girl. For that reason their hearts, little birds, and finely carved motifs have not only decorative but relational meaning.
The distaff board is a very personal object: it is connected with work, the body, a bundle of flax, and feeling. A young man who carved a beautiful distaff board and gave it to a girl showed his affection; accepting the gift signaled favor, so the distaff board entered the language of courtship. Because of such careful decoration, distaff boards are considered among the finest Lithuanian woodcarvings.
Why separate the distaff board from the distaff?
The distaff speaks about the whole spinning device, while the distaff board focuses on the decorated board of ornaments. In search and content these topics have different emphasis.
A separate distaff-board page allows more detailed discussion of segmented stars, sunbursts, little birds, hearts, and the tree of life in one strong Lithuanian woodcarving object.