Object Upfront: The Kamleika

The “Object Upfront” can be seen in the Ratusz building on pl. Wolnica 1 in the Museum’s entry foyer without the need to buy a ticket, or can be viewed while visiting the Museum’s permanent exhibition.

The kamleika will be on display there until 3rd of the Aleuts, which determined their way of life and culture, was hunting for sea mammals (whales, etc.) as well as fishing. Kamleikas were worn as a waterproof layer over the fur clothing worn by the Aleuts. They would protect against damp and the sea breeze while hunting in kayaks.

Kamleikas were often made with the conditioned guts of sea lions or seals, sometimes, but rarely, with specially prepared fish skins. They would be knitted together with animal tendons. The material used for making kamleikas would remain elastic and flexible as long as it had contact with water. In the museum, it turned stiff and brittle, which is why the exhibition of the kamleika requires attention and special conservational care.

The object comes from the collection acquired in the years 1879–1883 by Benedykt Dybowski, who was sent to long-term exile in Siberia, and who was also a zoologist, doctor, discoverer, and above all an outstanding cultural anthropologist of the indigenous inhabitants of the north-eastern regions of Siberia (especially the Zabaykalsky Krai and Kamchatka).