Sheep shearers

Wool, which has been gathered since ancient times, was initially plucked by hand; over time, the sheep began to be sheared using bow shears made by blacksmiths. They consisted of two arms connected by a bow and ending with triangular blades. During the cutting process, both arms were compressed at the same time and, thanks to the design of the scissors and the elasticity of the metal, returned to their original position, allowing a skilled person to work quickly and accurately. Importantly, the skilful shearing was completely safe for the animal. Sheep were usually sheared twice a year. Although sometimes the sheep itself was washed before shearing, most often the wool obtained from shearing was washed again and then dried and combed to prepare the fleece for thread spinning. In the household, bow shears were also used to cut fabric or trim hair and beards. They had another non-obvious and interesting use. In the mid-19th century, glossy paper was introduced and in turn, cut outs became one of the decorative elements of village houses in some regions of Poland. Women would cut out various decorative motifs from coloured paper with scissors. The flexibility of these tools facilitated paper cutting and made it possible to achieve even very detailed and fine designs. Nowadays electric clippers are used for shearing sheep, although shears modelled on those used in the past are still in use. All we know about the present example is that it was donated to the collection of the National Museum in Szczecin in 1970 by a private donor, and it may date from the end of the 19th century or the first half of the 20th century. Agnieszka Słowińska