The wintry conditions this week have inspired me to seek something warming for this week’s mystery object:
Any idea where this snug looking item is from and what it’s made of?
As usual you can put your suggestions, observations and questions in the comments section below. Good luck and stay warm!
Zygoma 
It looks like a skirt – I’m sure I’ve seen pictures of men wearing these whilst stood frozen still waiting for the camera’s 3 minutes exposure time to be up. That would place it somewhere in Siberia, or where the Nordic folk think of as “up north”. Not sure what it’s made of. Beaver fur?
The good news is that I’ve eliminated this possibility now, so you can all go on to get it right.
It does look like a skirt, but alas it is not. I’m also pretty sure that the Nordic folk wouldn’t think of this as coming from “up north”…
Oh, it’s not beaver fur either!
I’m thinking along the same lines as Bob, Siberian origin, but I think it’s more like a chest warmer outer-vest type of garment. I’d guess at maybe Reindeer fur.
Chest warmer eh? I use my scarf for that. This would probably do the job of warming a chest quite admirably, but it’s not reindeer.
Tauntaun?
It doesn’t smell bad enough.
Hm, that hair is very familiar, I’d say donkey or horse. The edging looks vaguely like something I’ve seen before too. The string handles look quite flimsy compared to the whole thing, suggesting they’re to keep it in place rather than carry it. Difficult to tell because the handles are under the object but it look as though if placed edge-to-edge that side would be shorter than the handle-to-handle distance on the other side. Yay, it’s another of Madonna’s basques! If Madonna were a Mongolian horsewoman that is ….
Nay – not a horse or donkey (bad pun, I know). Also not Mongolian. I’m sure you’ve probably seen one of these somewhere – I’ve certainly seen them on TV before.
For younger readers I would like to explain that when it comes to clothing, Madonna references are the historical equivalent of Lady Gaga references 😉
yes, I couldn’t remember whether I said Madonna or Lady Gaga for the the headhunters’ bag. Saw Madge on TV the other day – she sure is amazing, put her side by side with Lady G and you’d be pushed to say which was which generation …
I think you went with Lady Gaga for the headhunting basket – spanning the generation gap with aplomb as usual.
My initial thought was “papoose!”, but it looks like a small child could easily slip out the bottom. The stringing along the edges remind me of things I have seen from Alaska or maybe the Aleutians?
You’re right – I wouldn’t trust this to hold a child.
The stringing is quite characteristic, but not Alaskan or Aleutian…
the fur looks like it’s to a Labradoodle
If you look carefully, it’s been woven through or out of some fabric (I’m sure someone will explain how it’s done). It confused me, though.
Well spotted – I was wondering who would pick up on that!
I guarantee that no Labradoodles were harmed in the production of this object.
I’m going N.American, beaver fur.
Sorry David, neither N.American nor beaver.
It’s a CORRECT ANSWER.
Excellent work!
Only just noticed I can zoom in. Looks like it’s feathers. Perhaps owl feathers?
Aha – you’re on the right track, but not owl.
Is it a muff? Victorian or renaissance era? Backing is burlap/hessian?
Not a muff – probably a bit big. Good work on spotting the backing, but neither burlap nor hessian I’m afraid.
Is it not CORRECT ANSWER?
Well yes it is.
Eider down? Gaiter?
Bit big for a gaiter – you’d need massive calves to wear it comfortably! Not eider down either – that’d be white.
Eider up, then!
It’s not even eider sideways!
It’s closer to an Eider upside-down.
I suppose it is 😉 but it’s not from a duck of any kind, or a goose eider (boom-tish!)
A Cat hair Torah cover ?
Hmm, it’d be a big Torah
Yak fur from Bhutan
I love this suggestion, but unfortunately it’s not correct.
it’s a merkin made of CORRECT feathers.
Hmm, why anyone would need a merkin that size puzzles and rather scares me!
Oh, is it CORRECT feather?
What it’s then used as I don’t know. Some sort of head-dress?
You got the bird, but it’s rather large to be a head-dress (note the scale bar in the bottom left corner).
Oops. Yes, should have looked at that.
A Kahu Kiwi?
Does it go under a horses saddle in peru???
I can say with a fair degree of certainty that this has never been under a horses saddle in Peru. Or anywhere else for that matter!
Right. Last go. Emu?
Ooh, actually that’s not bad – it’s not right but you’re remarkably close to the mark.
It’s a gonna Rhea !
Boom – tish!
Close but not quite there…
With help from the clues above, because I’ll have to admit I wouldn’t have got there on my own – a CORRECT ANSWER?
Spot on!
OK – working in exactly the same way as Jamie (letting everyone else do the hard work, and swooping in at the end): it’s made of CORRECT feathers, which means the garment is CORRECT – I’ll go for a short CORRECT worn over the shoulders, a plainer version of that worn by these rather glamorous 20s girls: http://www.corbisimages.com/Enlargement/U294945INP.html
Excellent work, I love the link – it adds a nice local touch!
First he asks for a cup of tea, then he gets an FMO right – these are strange times ….
🙂