Fishskin Robes of the Ethnic Tungusic People of China and Russia
Oroch woman’s festive robe made of fish skin, leather, and decorative fur trimmings [image source].
Nivkh woman’s fish-skin festival coats (hukht), late 19th century. Cloth: fish skin, sinew (reindeer), cotton thread; appliqué and embroidery. Promised gift of Thomas Murray L2019.66.2, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minnesota, United States [image source].
Back view of a Nivkh woman’s robe [image source].
Front view of a Nivkh woman’s robe [image source].
Women’s clothing, collected from a Nivkh community in 1871, now in the National Museum of Denmark. Photo by Roberto Fortuna, courtesy Wikimedia Commons [image source].
The Hezhe people 赫哲族 (also known as Nanai 那乃) are one of the smallest recognized minority groups in China composed of around five thousand members. Most live in the Amur Basin, more specifically, around the Heilong 黑龙, Songhua 松花, and Wusuli 乌苏里 rivers. Their wet environment and diet, composed of almost exclusively fish, led them to develop impermeable clothing made out of fish skin. Since they are part of the Tungusic family, their clothing bears resemblance to that of other Tungusic people, including the Jurchen and Manchu.
They were nearly wiped out during the Imperial Japanese invasion of China but, slowly, their numbers have begun to recover. Due to mixing with other ethnic groups who introduced the Hezhen to cloth, the tradition of fish skin clothing is endangered but there are attempts of preserving this heritage.
Hezhen woman stitching together fish skins [image source].
Top to bottom left: You Wenfeng, 68, an ethnic Hezhen woman, poses with her fishskin clothes at her studio in Tongjiang, Heilongjiang province, China December 31, 2019. Picture taken December 31, 2019 by Aly Song for Reuters [image source].
Hezhen Fish skin craft workshop with Mrs. You Wen Fen in Tongjian, China. © Elisa Palomino and Joseph Boon [image source].
Hezhen woman showcasing her fishskin outfit [image source].
Hezhen fish skin jacket and pants, Hielongiang, China, mid 20th century. In the latter part of the 20th century only one or two families could still produce clothing like this made of joined pieces of fish skin, which makes even the later pieces extremely rare [image source].
Detail view of the stitching and material of a Hezhen fishskin jacket in the shape of a 大襟衣 dajinyi or dajin, contemporary. Ethnic Costume Museum of Beijing, China [image source].
Hezhen fishskin boots, contemporary. Ethnic Costume Museum of Beijing, China [image source].
Although Hezhen clothing is characterized by its practicality and ease of movement, it does not mean it’s devoid of complexity. Below are two examples of ornate female Hezhen fishskin robes. Although they may look like leather or cloth at first sight, they’re fully made of different fish skins stitched together. It shows an impressive technical command of the medium.
赫哲族鱼皮长袍 [Hezhen fishskin robe]. Taken July 13, 2017. © Huanokinhejo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 [image source].
Image containing a set of Hezhen clothes including a woman’s fishskin robe [image source].
The Nivkh people of China and Russia also make clothing out of fish skin. Like the Hezhen, they also live in the Amur Basin but they are more concentrated on and nearby to Sakhalin Island in East Siberia.
Top to bottom left: Woman’s fish-skin festival coat (hukht) with detail views. Unknown Nivkh makers, late 19th century. Cloth: fish skin, sinew (reindeer), cotton thread; appliqué and embroidery. The John R. Van Derlip Fund and the Mary Griggs Burke Endowment Fund; purchase from the Thomas Murray Collection 2019.20.31 [image source].
Top to bottom right: detail view of the lower hem of the robe to the left after cleaning [image source].
Nivkh or Nanai fish skin boots from the collection of Musée du quai Branly -Jacques Chirac. © Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 [image source].
Detail view of the patterns at the back of a Hezhen robe [image source].
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Ethnic clothing for kids at Amala Earth
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The Savage Heart set
This jewellery set was inspired by historic jewellery from different cultures that use the bones, teeth, and claws of apex predators. Although I do not condone the hunting of wild animals for jewellery supplies or the wearing of products made from endangered species, we can still take inspiration from these relics of bygone ages. One might assume jewellery using the claws and teeth of big cats is something only traditional tribes living close to nature would wear, but I have seen examples of European tiger claw jewellery from the 19th centuries that were "wearable big game hunting trophies". This example is made using dyed pearl shells shaped into claw-and-fang-like beads. The pearl shells are a by-product of the pearl farming industry, so no big cats were harmed in the making of this set!
Materials and techniques: Dyed pearl shell "claw" beads, glass seed beads, Swarovski crystals, fire polished crystal beads, round glass beads, antiqued brass findings
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India is recognized as the festival capital of the world. The people of the land gather together with great fanfare to honor the spirit of all religions. Fashion is inextricably linked to such customs.
During the Indian festival season, there are numerous festivities to select from. At this time, everyone wishes to appear their best. Some celebrations, such as Diwali, Holi, Eid, and many more, require you to be prepared with your attire.
Don't be left out while others dress up for the festival season; it's crucial to share these celebrations with everyone. Colors, jewelry, and ethnic options are just a few things to think about when planning your festival wardrobe.
To be a part of the fashion revolution, one can choose from a variety of trendy outfits. The ethnic attire, on the other hand, does not disappoint, as most of these events are traditional. Today, we'll discuss festival attire for many Indian festivities. These are the most well-known and significant Indian festivals, which are observed not just in India but also around the world.
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