Ethnological results of the Point Barrow expedition: Ninth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1887-1888, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1892, pages 3-442Murdoch, John
History
Ethnological results of the Point Barrow expedition: Ninth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1887-1888, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1892, pages 3-442
Murdoch, John
Eskimos -- Alaska -- Barrow, Point, Region
There are in the collection three specimens, all rather elaborate
dress frocks, to be worn outside. All have been worn. No. 56751 [184]
(Fig. 53), brown deerskin, will serve as the type. The pattern can
best be explained by reference to the accompanying diagrams (Fig. 54).
The body consists of two pieces, front and back, each made of the
greater part of the skin of a reindeer fawn, with the back in the
middle and the sides and belly coming at the edges. The head of the
animal is made into the hood, which is continuous with the back. Each
sleeve is in two pieces, front and back, of the same shape, which are
sewed together along the upper edge, but separated below by the arm
flap of the front, which is bent down and inserted like a gusset from
the armpit nearly to the wrist. A band of deerskin an inch broad is
sewed round the edge of the hood, flesh side out. The trimming
consists, first, of a narrow strip of long-haired wolfskin (taken from
the middle of the back) sewed to the outer side of the binding of the
hood, its ends separated by the chin piece, so that the long hairs
form a fringe around the face. Similar strips are sewed round each
wrist with the fur inward. The binding round the skirt (Fig. 55_a_) is
2¼ inches broad. The light-colored strips are clipped mountain sheep
skin, the narrow pipings are of the dark brown skin of a very young
fawn, the little tags on the second strip are of red worsted and the
fringe is of wolverine fur, sewed on with the flesh side, which is
colored red, probably with ocher, outward. A band of similar
materials, arranged a little differently (Fig. 55_b_) and 1¼ inches
broad, is inserted into the body at each shoulder seam, so that the
fringe makes a sort of epaulet. This jacket is 24.5 inches long from
the chin to the bottom of the skirt, 21 inches wide across the
shoulders, and 24.5 inches wide at the bottom.
[Illustration: FIG. 55.--Detail of trimming, skirt and shoulder of
man’s frock.]
[Illustration: FIG. 56.--Man wearing plain, heavy frock.]
Apart from the trimming this is a very simple pattern. There are no
seams except those absolutely necessary for producing the shape, and
the best part of each skin is brought where it will show most, while
the poorer portions are out of sight under the arms.
[Illustration: FIG. 57.--Man’s frock of mountain sheepskin, front
and back.]
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