admin How They Made It
Inuit women in eastern Greenland wear a special type of underwear unlike anything else in the world. It is called naatsit, which means “underwear” in their language. It was made from strips of sealskin sewn together with reindeer or whale tendons. Sealskin is durable and waterproof, the tendons are strong and flexible.
How they decorate it
Naatsit is more than just a piece of fur.It is decorated with colorful glass beads mounted on a sealskin border. The beads sparkle and jingle as the woman moves, creating a beautiful and playful effect. The beads were imported from Europe by Danish traders, and Inuit women used them to express their creativity and identity. According to Cunera Buijs, who works at the National Museum of Ethnology of Japan, “a naatsit is a very personal object that reflects the taste and know-how of its creator.”
How they wear it
Naatsit should not have been hidden under clothes.Women wore it under sealskin pants or sometimes as the only garment in their heated homes. Naatsit is a sign of pride and beauty, and women will show it to their guests or when visiting other families. They did not care about the shocked reaction of Danish missionaries who tried to force them to wear European linen underwear. Explorer Captain C. Ryder, who acquired the object in 1892, wrote in his diary: “The women wore nothing but a small piece of fur between their legs, of which they were very proud. and often show it to strangers.”
