Parka

Unrecorded Central Yup’ik artist Native American

ca. 1890–1910

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

Kamleikas, or parkas, are lightweight, pullover-style garments painstakingly constructed over several weeks using harvested, dried, and cured seal or other sea-mammal gut. The materials are carefully pieced together using tiny stitches of grass or sinew so as to make the garment windproof and rainproof. The colorful purple- and red-dyed walrus-fur embellishments in V-shaped patterns elevate this particular kamleika to the status of festival or ceremonial clothing.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: Parka
Artist: Unrecorded Central Yup’ik artist
Date: ca. 1890–1910
Geography: United States, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska
Culture: Central Yup’ik
Medium: Seal intestine, walrus fur, polar bear fur, sinew, hide, thread, aniline dyes
Dimensions: H. 44 × W. 58 × D. 4 in. (111.8 × 147.3 × 10.2 cm)
Classification: Hide-Costumes
Credit Line: Eugene and Clare Thaw Collection, Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, NY (T0763)
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing