Sent, 19^th century

A decorated panel as a token of love: distaff attachments were inserted into the frame of the spinning wheel and used for fastening the unspun wool fibres. Such colourfully painted panels decorated with carvings were given by young suitors to their sweethearts as love tokens. This specimen’s carved flower tendrils have even been partially gilded. It is a variation of the typical 19^th-century distaffs from the Engadine.

Because they represented regional folk art, distaff attachments became popular collector’s items. From the 20^th century on, the Raetian Museum also focused more on folk objects with a close connection to Graubünden.