The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-12-25
DRESSING AND MOUNTING SKINS.
How They Are Made Into Rugs-False
Heads With Animals Teeth.

If the reports of the large furriers
are to be believed there is a veritable
craze now for rugs made out of the
skin of some wild beast. Thousands of
skins are now converted into charming
and delightful rugs, and they certainly
include great variety of animals, from :
the monkey to the lion and the little
Teddy bear to the huge polar.
The dressing and mounting of these
skins is at once strange yet fascirat-
ing business. Naturally the most valu-
able skin today is that of the king OF
beasts. A lion skin, with well mount
ed head and flowing name, will fetch as
much as f100 or even f120, though oc-
casionally they can be picked up for $50
or n little less. 1t depends upon
whether it is q full grown specimen,
the rarity of the species and its con-
dition. When first received by the fur
rier the raw material certainly does not
look inviting; but after fortnight's
work upon it, during which period 1t
passes through as many as twelve diff
ferent hands, it is converted into n
charming and majestic rug, fitting
adornment for any mansion.
First of all it goes into the "pick-
ling" vat, receptacle containing GER
tain chemical liquids, where it remains
for two or three days. 1t is then
scraped with large knives, when it Ii
placed in tub and beaten under foot
in sawdust. II now passes to the dry
| ing room, where it is suspended OF
| hooks and allowed to remain in a dry
but high temperature for several
hours 1t is next beaten by two men
with long canes. This beating has tho
effect of making the skin pliable. All
| that requires to be done now IL to
make all bad places good, such as bull
| let holes and rents caused through spear
thrusts, and mount it. If it is desired
to mount the pelt with n head the fur
rer has to call in the taxidermist TO
| his aid.
| The skin of the polar bear measures
| from 10 feet to as much as IL feet or
even IA feet in length, and from feet
| to feet in width, veritable minia-
ture carpet of glossy white fur, " TO
21a inches in depth. These rugs, too,
are expensive, running from as low as
f35 up to $50 apiece and more. 1t is
only eonnoisseur in skins that can
tell their real market value. In the
case of the polar bear it is very seldom
that perfect specimen is found. Most
of these skins contain slight SHADE OF
brown, whereas they should be of a
pure slvery white color. 1t is this
whiteness that decides their value
Most of the heads used on rugs now
adays are made of papier mache, with
occasionally the original teeth of the
animal. They are covered, of course,
with the animals own skin. Making
good the whiskers, the hair of the eye
brows and getting lifelike pose about
the face is task which only an artist
in this line can undertake. The skins
of the tiger, leopard and the other great
eats go through the same processes
Then the furrier will mount five or six
of the smaller animals, such as the
lynx, fox, wolf, etc, on one foundation,
making them up into good sized rug.
The skins themselves are obtained by
the furriers from the recognized mar
kets. They secure them from the
periodical fur sales held at the London
docks, Leipsie in Germany, Mimi Nov
gorod in Russia, Bokhara in Persia, and
so on. To these markets the great
fur trading companies send their wares.
These in turn obtain them from the
trappers and hunters. We have s0me
idea of the enormous trade done in this
curious merchandise when it is stated
that the annual value of the furs and
skins sold in the recognized markets
amounts to $4,000, 0OO.-Tit Bits.