A pair of Inuit boots Labrador

A pair of Inuit boots

Labrador, circa 1880

sealskin, pleated heels and front, with cloth rims,

47cm high, 23.5cm long. (2)

Provenance

A private collection, Canada.

These boots were made by the Inuit women of southern Labrador, eastern Canada. The skin was dried with alder bark, which increased the water repellant capability and then fashioned by carefully pleating and sewing. The work of pleating sealskin required great skill and provided proof of the seamstress's proficiency.