medieval mystery object

Magnusmog went to France, and took a picture of a tapestry in the Musee de Cluny. I love it, but it's driving me crazy. It portrays a lovely woman, elegantly dressed, against a floral background. But what is that object she is holding? I looks like a sort of tray with balls of yarn in it. From the center rises a a vertical support, and at the top is a round frame containing something that looks shiny and convex. The frame is studded with smaller round objects that might be transparent. Is it a mirror? A magnifying glass? A lens to gather and focus light? Art historians, medievalists, help me out here.

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I've been impressed and inspired by YarnThrower Laura's progress on her Mission Possible project. I have a few UFO's to finish up myself, and but even more USP's (that's Un-Started Projects). Why are the Unfinished still unfinished? In one case (lace shawl) because it is complex and I'm charting as I go, and it feels like more of a challenge than I'm in the mood for right now, though I know I will get back to it. In the other cases, because they a pokey boring, unexciting tasks. But they are cluttering my life, and I'm going to get rid of them, starting with this:



It's a blanket for the Snuggles Project (pet blankets for shelters), and has been done for about a year except for weaving in ends, looking up the shelter address and mailing it off. That's not so hard. It will be in the mail tomorrow.