Estisores de tondre (shearing scissors) — Traditional Mallorcan object

What is

Sheep shearing shears. Tondre: to cut the hair or wool close (DCVB). The word estisores comes from the Latin tonsorias, "tool for shearing sheep" (DCVB): the scissors are born in the flock.

How is

Two iron cutting blades (shape and size of the Mallorcan ones, to verify: one-piece spring or two blades with shaft).

How is fa

Forging and sharpening by ferrers and ganivetaires (see ganiveteria ).

Com s'usa

In Mallorca the sheep are sheared twice a year; the first gives an average of 1.6 kg of wool (1922 study).
The fleece is sheared without washing, with scissors (1922).
Three Majorcan ways of tondre (DCVB):
de filera: cutting frequently, in rows, like someone plowing;
de gra d'ordi: leaving rhombus reliefs, like grains of barley;
from miralló: leaving square reliefs.

Vocabulary

tondre: shear.
tos / tosa: sheared.
tondre de filera / de gra d'ordi / de miralló: shearing patterns (Mall.).
anar a tondre: go to cut ears of green barley to make bread in years of famine (Mall.).
«Haver-hi que tondre»: have work or business (Mall.).
«Tondre sense estisores»: deceive (Mall.).
«El bon pastor, sense escorxar ton»: saying (Mall.).

History

1413: «dues assessors of tondre bestiar» (Aguiló, DCVB).
1922: study of the Mallorcan sheep in the Agriculture magazine (shearing twice a year).
20th century: electric shearing machine (date of arrival in Mallorca, to be verified).

On veure'n

Shearing on farms in spring (May-June, to be verified).

Why is it design

Pattern on the animal: filera, gra d'ordi, miralló are three "fabrics" drawn on live wool.
Etymology-object: house scissors comes from shearing scissors.

For the project

Gra d'ordi and miralló graphic patterns as textile motifs of Indigenous Design.
Connection with flassades and trowel blades .

Frequently asked questions

What is Estisores de tondre (shearing scissors)?

Sheep shearing shears. Tondre: to cut the hair or wool close (DCVB). The word estisores comes from the Latin tonsorias, "tool for shearing sheep" (DCVB): the…

What are the traditional words for Estisores de tondre (shearing scissors)?

Some words: anar a tondre, tondre, tondre de filera / de gra d'ordi / de miralló, tos / tosa, «El bon pastor, sense escorxar ton», «Haver-hi que tondre», «Tondre sense estisores».

Sources

Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.

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