pair of child's boots with liners

unrecorded Kalaallit (Greenland Inuit) artist, artist

pair of child's boots with liners, mid 1800s–1895

Where object was made: Greenland

Material/technique: sealskin; dyeing; seal fur; appliqué

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Length (Height x Width x Length): 19 x 6 x 14 cm
Object Height/Width/Length (Height x Width x Length): 7 1/2 x 2 3/8 x 5 1/2 in

Credit line: Gift of Lewis Lindsay Dyche

Accession number: 2007.0568.a,b

Not on display

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Exhibition Label:
"Climate Change at the Poles," Jan-2009, Kate Meyer, Jennifer Talbott, and Angela Watts
Inuit boots are often composed of an outer boot made from treated sealskin leather and an inner stocking or liner made from fur. The outer boot is water resistant and durable, while the inner fur liner adds warmth. In addition, by keeping the boot and liner separate, the liners can be removed and hung out to dry, and if one wears out before the other, only one part of the boot needs to be replaced. The space in between the layers can be filled with grass or down to provide additional insulation.

This pair of knee-high women’s boots and pair of child’s boots are both decorated with a unique form of appliqué called skin embroidery. Tiny strips of dyed leather are sewn onto the surface of the boot. Several different colors and sizes of leather may be used and layered to create elaborate designs similar to embroidery executed with colored thread.