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Parka

ca. 1910
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 746
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
A Native woman in Alaska used dried seal intestines to make this garment, and its beauty and functionality honors the creature’s soul. The beaks and feathers of the auklet, a small seabird, appear at regular intervals along the seams and provide a striking contrast to the parchment-like surface; fur trims the hem and cuffs. Hunters wore coats such as this over fur parkas for protection against the wind and snow.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title:
    Parka
  • Artist:
    Edna Oktokiyuk (Yupik)
  • Date:
    ca. 1910
  • Geography:
    Made in St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, United States
  • Culture:
    Yupik, Native American
  • Medium:
    Marine mammal intestine, auklet beaks and feathers, tanned leather, and seal fur
  • Dimensions:
    44 × 61 in. (111.8 × 154.9 cm)
  • Credit Line:
    Loan from the Charles and Valerie Diker Collection
  • Object Number:
    L.2018.35.29
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing