The Khanty people used natural materials for making winter clothing. They sewed warm fur coats from the skins of deer, seals, and wild dogs. The Khanty also used fish skin and even the skin of birds, for example, loons or swans, in their clothes. Khanty clothing was made warm with the fur of fur-bearing animals obtained during hunting, such as squirrels, foxes, arctic foxes, hares, and lynxes. To keep warm, people put on fur coats, parkas, and “malitsas” (traditional deerskin shirts with a hood and mittens) on each other in several layers.
One of the most common materials of the Khanty people was “rovduga” — suede deer or elk skin which was made in a proper way. However, later they began to use purchased fabrics. Merchants came to the North to buy furs and valuable fish species, which were exchanged for cotton cloth, beads, and other materials. The Khanty people used the fabrics to sew not only summer but also winter clothes, such as dressing gowns or caftans with fur.
The northern peoples decorated their clothes with rich designs because they believed that traditional ornaments protected a person from the evil spirits. Such national ornaments as “rabbit ears”, “sable trail”, “deer horns”, “pike teeth” were performed either in the technique of application from fabric strips or in the fur mosaic technique. To do this, the craftswomen sewed strips of light and dark fur, making an ornament. Such a mosaic was additionally decorated with the strips of colored cloth and beads. Decorative ornamented elements were sewn into the hem or sleeves of outwear and on hats.
One of the types of traditional Khanty winter clothing was a “sakh”, a festive fur coat made of white and brown deer fur with a wrap around hemline style. It was without a hood but with a fur collar. The front of the sakh were tied with suede ribbons. The fur of three-month-old fawns was usually used for such a fur coat.
A craftswoman could spend several years making one winter sakh.
The sakh presented in the exhibition was created by the People’s Master of Russia, Nina Kaksina, in the 1960s in Kazym village, Beloyarsky district of Yugra. This fur coat is made in the traditional techniques of “applique fabric” and “fur mosaic”. To sew the details, the craftswoman used threads made from deer tendons.
One of the most common materials of the Khanty people was “rovduga” — suede deer or elk skin which was made in a proper way. However, later they began to use purchased fabrics. Merchants came to the North to buy furs and valuable fish species, which were exchanged for cotton cloth, beads, and other materials. The Khanty people used the fabrics to sew not only summer but also winter clothes, such as dressing gowns or caftans with fur.
The northern peoples decorated their clothes with rich designs because they believed that traditional ornaments protected a person from the evil spirits. Such national ornaments as “rabbit ears”, “sable trail”, “deer horns”, “pike teeth” were performed either in the technique of application from fabric strips or in the fur mosaic technique. To do this, the craftswomen sewed strips of light and dark fur, making an ornament. Such a mosaic was additionally decorated with the strips of colored cloth and beads. Decorative ornamented elements were sewn into the hem or sleeves of outwear and on hats.
One of the types of traditional Khanty winter clothing was a “sakh”, a festive fur coat made of white and brown deer fur with a wrap around hemline style. It was without a hood but with a fur collar. The front of the sakh were tied with suede ribbons. The fur of three-month-old fawns was usually used for such a fur coat.
A craftswoman could spend several years making one winter sakh.
The sakh presented in the exhibition was created by the People’s Master of Russia, Nina Kaksina, in the 1960s in Kazym village, Beloyarsky district of Yugra. This fur coat is made in the traditional techniques of “applique fabric” and “fur mosaic”. To sew the details, the craftswoman used threads made from deer tendons.
