Minneapolis Institute of Art

Vest

Unangan artist; or Alutiiq artist

Date

c. 1800

Medium

Sealskin, wool, bird quills, animal membranes, fur

Culture

Unangan or Alutiiq

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Unangan and Alutiiq live on Kodiak Island and the lower part of Prince William Sound, in what is now Alaska. The woman who made this vest in the early 1800s used materials available in the Arctic, embellishing the basic sealskin garment with red wool from trade with Euro-Americans, bird quills, and other animal and bird parts that add color and texture. The zigzag designs on both sides are made from bird quills sewn onto the hide with sinew. This small vest was probably worn by a child, most likely for celebratory occasions. It is a rare item, and only one other like it is known to exist in the National Museum of Finland. Unangan or Alutiiq, Canada, United States, Americas

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