The object illustrated here is the only metal spindle known so far from the Cypriot Bronze Age. At the top of the shaft is a spiralling groove for the yarn, which winds round three times. Stuck in the middle is a clay biconical spindle whorl, below which are traces of organic fibre, preserved due to the oxidation of the metal. With the exception of stone and clay spindle whorls, spinning and weaving equipment in Bronze Age Cyprus was made almost entirely of perishable materials (textiles, yarns and wood). Consequently, our knowledge of textile production in that period is very limited. However, contemporary texts and images from Egypt and the Near East suggest that weaving was a flourishing art and its products were widely traded. This metal spindle is an important source of information on weaving techniques in prehistoric Cyprus. Its form suggests relations with various regions of the wider Eastern Mediterranean basin and especially Asia Minor.