Girl's fox skin jacket (kapataq) and trousers (arnat nannui)

'I have always been interested in sewing, I always wanted to try everything myself, and that was how I learnt. My mother would show me some things, and I learned a lot by myself.' (Frederikke Petrussen, Qaqortoq, July 2001)

This fox fur jacket (kapataq) was made by Frederikke Petrussen in 1973 when she was living in Qaanaaq in northern Greenland with her family. A skilled seamstress from the southernmost part of Greenland, she made a point of learning the traditional ways of skin preparation and sewing that were characteristic for the different parts of Greenland where she has lived with her family.

The jacket and the fox fur trousers were made with the help of Amaanalik Qaavigaq, a renowned seamstress from Qaanaaq. Both are made in North Greenlandic style, except for the inner lining of store-bought textile. This was added by Frederikke Petrussen to make the garments more comfortable to wear for her children.

Both garments were used by Frederikke Petrussen's daughter Bolethe, then aged seven. Lightweight and warm, the jacket was used in winter, especially for dog-sledging. The short trousers (arnat nannui) are part of the North Greenlandic national costume, and are worn with a cloth jacket (annoraaq) and long white boots (arnat kamii) on festive occasions.