Behind this comparison is the concept that the devil finds work for idle hands, namely, bad things will happen if a woman is not kept constantly busy.
Digital source of illustration (retrieved 8 June 2016).
GVE
A feature of some Dutch and Belgian samplers is the presence in the design of either a spinning woman or a spinning monkey. The woman/monkey is usually shown spinning with a hand spindle and distaff, although later examples sometimes include a spinning wheel. The monkey is a reference to a medieval ‘joke’, in which a (mischievous) monkey represents a woman.
Behind this comparison is the concept that the devil finds work for idle hands, namely, bad things will happen if a woman is not kept constantly busy.
Digital source of illustration (retrieved 8 June 2016).
GVE