Pair of seal-skin boots for a woman (tukar-ker), early 19th century
Unknown Sakhalin Ainuexpand_more
Cloth: seal skin; sinew sewing, cotton 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 2019.20.33a,b
Not on Viewexpand_more
In temperate weather, Ainu typically went barefoot. Footwear was used for hunting on snow and ice. From late autumn to early summer, the Sakhalin Ainu hunted seals for fur, meat, and oil. This pair of boots is made of sealskin sewn together with animal sinew. Light, hard-wearing, and water-resistant, sealskin was an ideal material whose popularity and utility were shared by other Pacific Rim cultures, including the Nivkh of Siberia and the Inuit of North America.
Details
- Title
- Pair of seal-skin boots for a woman (tukar-ker)
- Role
- Maker
- Accession Number
- 2019.20.33a,b
- Provenance
- Okamura Kichiemon (in 1993)
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murray et al. 2018, pl. 27
- 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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