PIEDMONTESE REELING AND THE LOMBARD VARIATION

An example of 18th-century silk processing

Beatrice Gilardi, a former spinner of the Abegg spinning mill, demonstrates the manual reeling technique using a basin for three yarn-heads and direct fire heating. Designed for two yarn-heads in Piedmont in the late 15th century, this technique was copied in Lombardy in the late 1700s and transformed to three yarn-heads, becoming very widespread despite producing silk of an inferior quality to that of Piedmont. The wooden tower was inherited by the women of the family.

Credits: Interviste realizzate da Daniele Lavelli, Emanuele Manzoni e Paolo Pioltelli (luglio-ottobre 2015). Regia, riprese e montaggio di Paolo Pioltelli.