Alternative Views

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Second Look

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Touchpoint View

Animation

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Artifact Narrative

Scissors

Tools for cutting cloth have existed in Europe since Roman times and used across all levels of society. As embroidery and cutwork became finer in the 17th and 18th centuries, the tools to make them became more delicate and began to feature intricate designs on their handles. A specialized form of etui, or small ornamental bag for carrying accessories, would customarily hold these valued tools. Scissors, while portable, need to be sheathed to protect their sharp edges. In European culture, a gift of scissors or knives must also be sheathed since it is believed to cut friendship or cause bad luck.

Image

Domestic Sewing

Sewing and needlework have played important roles in women’s lives throughout history. In Western culture, from the Renaissance onward, hand embroidery was associated with femininity, as it was performed more by women at home than by professional (usually male) embroiderers. The Victorian ideal of feminine behavior – the “angel in the house,” so to speak – was often a picture of a woman quietly and calmly plying her needle in a piece of textile work, both utilitarian and frivolous.

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Video

Animal skins

In the Hezhe village in northeastern China, people make clothing from the skins of Amur salmon. Watch an expert fashion clothing from salmon skin.

Credit: Video produced by the Ethnic Costume Museum of Beijing University of Fashion Technology

Transcript

After the fishskin is peeled off, the unwanted fat should be removed.
Then it should be air-dried by being stuck onto the earth walls of the house.
However, it should not be exposed to the sun.

In the process of skin tanning, one person sits in front of the cutter to turn the skin over and over again while the other one is operating the cutter.

A day's work can make the fiber of the skin fluffy and the skin becomes soft by and large.

The crucial procedure of making fishskin clothes is to piece the skins together for not only the decorative patterns and smoothness of the skin but also the design and size of the clothes have to be taken into account.

After the skins are sewn together the seams should be made smooth.
Scissors are then the most convenient tools.

Cut the neck line here, and then cut the slanting front here. Now a fishskin garment of age-old style has taken its shape.

A typical traditional decorative pattern is the cloud which used to be made of coloured deerskin. Now, the skins of pikes and huaitou fish are used instead. And the pattern has been simplified to an S shape which is called Yunziwen in Chinese.

When the decorative pattern is inlayed, it first should be stuck to the garment and then sewn up carefully.

Whose skins are these? This is the skin of the huaitou fish and this is the big heads'. This one has been kept for ages so it turns red.
For ages. The red one is beautiful. How beautiful.

To the Northwest, there is a nation where people wear fishskin clothes. This is a description of the ancient Hezhe people's living.

Collection Connections

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