beige colored coat with organic, abstracted applique bird and cow head shaped motifs; blue detailing around collar and cuffs; subtle red details around collar, sleeves, and winding through applique; asymmetrical closure on front

Woman’s fish-skin festival coat (hukht), 19th century

Unknown Nivkhexpand_more

Cloth: fish skin (Amur carp and Pacific salmon), sinew (reindeer), cotton thread; appliqué and embroideryexpand_more

The John R. Van Derlip Fund and the Mary Griggs Burke Endowment Fund established by the Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation; purchase from the Thomas Murray Collectionexpand_more  2019.20.31

Not on Viewexpand_more

This woman’s festival coat is pieced together from fish skins. Its tapered sleeves and diagonal closure result from cultural exchanges with the Manchus and Mongols. The use of cotton thread and red- and blue-dyed areas likewise speaks to its maker’s access to trade networks that reached the area.

Much of the surface, especially on the back, features curvilinear motifs that showcase the exacting skill and attention to symmetry of the woman, or women, who made it. Leather pieces line and are stitched to the surface. While highly stylized, many of the design motifs can nonetheless be identified: birds with outstretched wings, masks, and the sinuous lines of serpents or dragons. Some elements may derive from Nivkh traditions—for example, Nivkh people say the duck created their land from its own feathers—whereas others, like the masks and dragons, likely come from China.  

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Details
Title
Woman’s fish-skin festival coat (hukht)
Role
Maker
Accession Number
2019.20.31
Provenance
Belgian collection; Pierre Loos; Andres Moraga; Thomas Murray (2013-19)
Catalogue Raisonne
Murray et al. 2018, pl. 1
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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beige colored coat with organic, abstracted applique bird and cow head shaped motifs; blue detailing around collar and cuffs; subtle red details around collar, sleeves, and winding through applique; asymmetrical closure on front

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