Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-06-04
COSTLY FUR RUGS,
Lion Skins at from $500 to $1oo0-How
They Are Tanned and the Fur
Freshened.

FreShened.
A really first class lion skin is worth
from f100 to f120, while lately many
have changed hands at as much as 600
apiece. Still one can sometimes obtain
Il rug ut as low a price as $50 1t de
Ponds upon the species of the lion, if it
is full grown and perfect specimen.
The most valuable lion rugs today are
those obtained from the Barbary species
The names of the males when full
grown are quite dark, very full, run
ming well down the center of the back
The head, too, is very massive, and the
paws or claws spread out to an enOr-
nous width.
This season. according to the Queen,
a number of rugs nave made their APP
pearance with the fur of the puma
mounted on black goat. These are
minus the heads, and are priced by many
because it is really the fur of a species
of lion, But lion rug to be at all
representative should possess a head. To
dress and mount it requires the services
of the tanner furrier and taXidermist.
The processes which those furs pass
through before they are ready for the
drawing room are many and varied.
When first received by the furrier the
| hide is picked, that is to say, placed in
a kind of Il vat containing certain chem
icals. where il remains for two or three
days. 1t is then removed and scraped
with large Knives this work being done
| by strong men.
| Very curious is the process. 1t goes
| into tub. where it is beaten under foot
I'D sawdust. 1t has now TO be dried,
when it is again beaten in sawdust and
| still further with canes. If this work is
done thoroughly well it means that the
! fur will not come out, practically never
/ lose its freshness of color, and last for
really a long time. Indeed, it has to be
absolutely worn out by actual tread.
| There is, of course, a great deal of
| work still to be done. The skin has to
| be cut to the form of a rug and all dam
| aged parts such as bullet holes and
rents caused through spear thrustS must
| be made good. Large pieces sometimes
| have to be inserted, and these additions
are obtained from clippings of the ac-
! tual fur or skin.
| IT is then stretched and lined and if
! it is desired to mount the rug with a
| head the naturalist calls the taXidermisr
| to his aid, for it is absolutely essential
| for the head to be lifelike and natural
| looking. Most of the heads used now
| adays are made of papier mache with
occasionally the original teeth of the
animal. The heads of course are covered
with the animals own skin.
| Among the handsomest fur rugs is
| that of the polar bear. On account of
| its large size and the fur being a glossy
white it is shown to best advantage in Il
! fairly large room with light furniture
| Many people have even exchanged their
| furniture to harmonic with these rugs
| Next to the lion rug it is the most ex-
| pensive. Here again it is merely ques-
| ton of points.
! 1t is only a cOnnoisseur in furs who
/ can tell the value of a polar bear rug.
| 1t depends entirely upon the Wilderness
of the fur.
! A specimen with a pure silvery white
gloss is rare and may be worth as much
| as t1O0. Unfortunately most of these
/ furs contain Il slight shade of brown,
which deteriorates their market value.
fur of full grown specimen ranges
| from liz to , inches in depth. On ac-
count of the ShortnesS of the animals
| legs and the fact that it possesses Drac-
tically no tail the skin makes Il more
! compact rug than is the case with the
big cats. There are few polar bear
rugs in existence that measure as much
as l. or Is feet in length. but a rug 10
feet in length is considered a large size.
/ The head on such a rug would measure
% inches from the tip of the nose to the
base Of the skull and go quite 30 inches
around the full stretch of the neck
| A cheaper rug and one that makes an
ornament to any room is that of the
! leopard's skin. Whether mounted with
! the head or not it is charming rug.
They vary in price from few pounds
iup TO f25 and more. according TO the
| variety of the species The finest
| leopard rugs on the market today are
those obtained from the skins received
1 from northern China. where the leopard
grows 4 finer and a more glossy coat
/ than his brother in India
| Practically every animal now has re-
eeived the attention of the furrier and
| has been converted into useful and orna-
mental rugs The present season has
been remarkable not only for the number
| but for the variety of animals thar have
been called into requiSition.