Introduction.

There are quite a few references in the literature to bones being used as lace bobbins.  It would be fair to say that along with the statements that fish bones were used as pins that these two statements produce a lot of skepticism within lace circles.  This short (and somewhat inadequate) communication endeavors to put together what we know on these two subjects. I am indebted to Vebeke Ervo (VE) for her knowledgeable correspondence on this subject and some of her first hand experiences that she has shared with me.  Added to this are quite few other correspondents who have contributed to this discussion through the Arachne, email “lace” list.   Many thanks to you all.

Perhaps the earliest citation of bones being used in the making of lace can be found in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.  This states as follows:

O fellow, come, the song we had last night
Mark it, Cesario, it is old and plain.
The spinsters and the knitters in the sun,
And the free maids that weave their threads with bones
Do use to chant it.

            (Act II, scene 4 line 41).

This is a statement worth our consideration.  Shakespeare was a sharp observer and also was writing for a knowledgeable public.

Mrs. Palliser puts within quotes “bobbins”, formerly bones, … (p32) She then refers us to chapter XXIV and all that I can find in that chapter that remotely relates to this is the frequent mention of “bone lace”.  However on page 74 she also notes that the term “ossi” is used in an Italian inventory relating to bobbins.

I am afraid that neither of these statements are convincing enough to make me certain that bones were used for bobbins, though if the former of the two statements were referenced properly then perhaps it may have carried some weight.

More convincingly is the following statement by, Yallop (1992).  He quotes Thomas Fullers' book "Worthies of England" which is an account of Fullers travels in England, in about 1630 -1640. (approximately)  This is the earliest reference that Yallop found on the subject and says,

"Bone lace is named, because first made with bone (since wooden) bobbins. This is usual for such utensils, both in the Latin and English names gratefully to retain the memory of the first matter they were made of".

He then goes on to give an example of "cochleare" for spoons as cockleshells were first used as spoons. page 31,32.  Yallop further reinforces Fullers statement as being authentic, by telling us that Fuller was a comparatively local vicar for about 7 years.

We then come to more recent authors.

Bodil Tornehave wrote: ".... the tool, the bobbin, is found in many "naturally grown" versions; [I think this refers to "twigs" carved as bobbins, often just the neck is carved]. Mainly the old simple wooden bobbin, but also, for example, the foot bones of pigs or sheep. The foot bones were used as "lace bobbins" in Scotland until fairly recently." (Bodil Tornehave had seen such "bobbins" at the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh in 1958).

This statement carries weight being a very reasonable statement.  However the reference to the exhibit in the Scottish museum has not been verified despite letters to the museum.  They state that6 they do not have an item (exhibit) of this nature in their collection.

 With reference to the exhibit which Bodil Tornehave saw at the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh.  I have been in correspondence with the current curator who has no record of such an exhibit in her records.  What I have heard about Bodil makes me believe that the records of the museum are possibly incomplete or not detailed enough.  There is no reason why Bodil would want to fabricate her eye witness experience.

Near Cantu in Italy bobbins are still be called "ossi" i.e. bones.

I am not a linguist, but my correspondent seems very sure of this meaning.

 Ornamente (the German edition of the Dutch Handwerken Zonder Grenzen) June 1997 contained an article about the embroidery from Lefkara on Cyprus. The embroidery was earlier bordered by Free-Hand Lace.  The article goes on to say that,  “…this tells us that on Cyprus the bones of lambs and rabbits feet were used as bobbins”.

I believe this to be another statement of value.

 We now come to more recent anecdotal incidences of bones being used as bobbins.
 

“At the Tonder meeting of the OIDFA Free-Hand group (no date given) visitors would have seen us handling bones. Gerd Stevnhoved had brought along two pairs one from a sheep and one from a pig.”  According to Gerd you can only use one bone from each front foot. The bones felt "right", it had something to do with the weight such bobbins need to be heavy (remember some early bobbins were lead weights probably used with metal thread), birds bones are consequently ruled out except for very fine thread.”  (VE)

 “I remember that I have actually once seen such raw old bones with spangles for sale at a textile fair in U.K.” (VE)
 

Historically, we can not discount the observations of Shakespeare or those of Fuller.  Sadly the scholarship of Palliser is widely held to be suspect.  The more recent observations of a very well respected writer, Bodil Tornehave should also add weight to the proposal that bones were originally used as bobbins. There also appears to be evidence of bones being used as bobbins in Cyprus.  The Italian word for bones “ossi” (presumably it is plural?) is another telling piece of evidence.

 Many modern lace makers have appeared to have used bones for bobbins quite successfully.

 We then come to the issues of the term “bone lace” The only differentiation that I have read relates to the thickness of the thread used for bobbin lace (thicker) and bone lace used thinner thread.   But we have to accept that the fact that the term used was “bone” lace.  There is evidence of some early bobbins being made of bone in the early days of lace making, but there is a lot more evidence that there were wooden bobbins too at the same time.  Does this term originate from making lace with bones as bobbins?

On balance I think it was quite probable that bones were used as bobbins, but full proof is yet to be found.

I am quite sure that on a subjective level most of us can accept that fish bones could be used as pins in lace making.  Perhaps this is because we have all had personal experiences of fish bones and know that they can be both sharp and hard.

The literature is rather sparse, but as always we can rely on a reference from Mrs. Palliser.  She says on page 294,295, that fish bones were used as pins, “…which pared and cut into regular lengths, fully answered as a substitute”.

Other writers often make similar statements, but I suspect that Palliser is quoted without original research.

Anecdotal evidence that I have collected is as follows:
 

“The castle museum in Turku, Finland, at the OIDFA conference, and there it was - a pillow, like a bean bag, with a bit of peasant/free lace on it, birch twigs only just shaped for bobbins - and fish bones for pins!  I have photo to prove it...  They looked like plaice bones or similar, not herring.”
“Instead of metal pins the bones of perch were used in Finland - while
thorns of wild pears were used in Russia”.

What really is there to say?  Cleary pins have been fashioned from various natural sources over the years, splinters of wood, chicken bones, slivers of bones etc.  So why not fish bones?  Surely they would not last long but they were readily available and very cheap!!

I would suggest that there is little doubt that fish bones were used as pins in particular places at particular times.  By that I mean that it is possible that fishing communities used fish bones for pins and agricultural communities would more like have used pared down chicken bones or some other animal bones.