Quiviut
| Quiviut | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Fiber type | |
| origin |
Musk ox ( Ovibos moschatus ) |
| colour |
black to yellow-brown |
| properties | |
| Fiber length | 5 cm |
| Fiber diameter | 10-20 µm |
| Products | Textile |
The undercoat of the musk ox is called quiviut or qiviut [ ˈqiviut ] . It is used by the Eskimo - Cooperative processed "Oomingmak". About 200 people are employed there in production.
The wool is very high quality. In contrast to sheep's wool, it does not shrink in water at any temperature. The individual hair has a diameter of approx. 10 to 20 micrometers, making it one of the finest fibers a mammal has.
history
The wool of the musk ox has only been used for a relatively short time. In 1953 the anthropologist John J. Teal Jr. began researching wool. Unlike sheep, musk ox may not be sheared. Your warm undercoat can only be combed out or collected in scrubbing areas. This is only possible once a year, is very time-consuming, and even a full-grown ox only yields around 2 to 3 kg of quiviut .
The musk ox farm was founded in 1964 and in 1968 people began to train people to work with wool. In 1969 the cooperative was founded. Both the farm in Palmer, Alaska and the cooperative continue to exist.
Other wool straps
Besides the musk ox, there are other animals with very fine wool. All of them live in climatically extreme areas and some are threatened with extinction:
- Angora rabbit ( Angora )
- Angora goat ( mohair )
- Guanaco
- Tibetan antelope ( Shahtoosh )
- Cashmere goat ( cashmere wool )
- Vicuna
- yak