The Preservation of Inuit Clothing Collected during the Fifth Thule Expedition (1921-24)

Preparation procedures as well as ordinary use apparently cause changes in the appearance of Inuit skin clothing. These changes may alter the inherent properties of skin, such as fatty acid composition and shrinkage temperature. The present paper describes studies of fatty acid distribution and shrinkage temperature in a series of items of Inuit origin collected dur ing the Fifth Thule Expedition (1921 - 24). The skins used for the clothing originate from ringed seal (Phoca hispida) and caribou (Rangifer tarandus). For comparison, freshly prepared skins were studied, as were samples of sealskins found in the mummy burial ground in Qilakitsoq, Greenland. It appeared that ordinary use changed the fatty acid distribution to some extent, as well as t he shrinkage temperature, indicating slow deterioration. However, more significant deterioration was observed for samples exposed for longer periods to daylight as, for example, when placed on exhibition. The effect of light was verified by studying samples deliberately exposed to full daylight for ca. 6 months. In contrast to these samples, the 500-year-old skins appeared, on the b asis of fatty acid distribution and shrinkage temperature, to be in good condition, possibly because of the lack of ordinary use in combination with low storage temperatures.