|
Wide view of front-right side of loom. Some parts of shedding system are missing. Shown is a single roller, two heddle horses, and two shafts with treadles. The cloth beam and the warp beam brake system are also visible. |
Detail of rocker, showing pointed leg extension and V-shaped receptacle on the base of the loom. The receptacle holds the leg in place while the rocker is in motion. |
|
John Rice Irwin acquired this loom from a collector who found it on a farm in Roane County, Tennessee, not far from Harriman. It had been stored for many years in the attic of the farm house. The family called it a "muley" loom, but there is some question about what is meant by that term, as applied to a loom. "Muley chairs " are common in the area and there may be some connection. The word "muley" is also used to mean "oddity" or "crossbreed," so the name may be in reference to the strangeness of the style. The Museum of Appalachia is a well-known "Living Mountain Village" just north of Knoxville, Tennessee. Link to museum website: http://www.museumofappalachia.org |
|
