Dossiers

The clothing and decorative arts of the Even from central Kamchatka (Bystrinski district) has been documented in the book and DVD Clothing and Decorative Arts. The films present the memories of craftswomen of how they learned about the traditions from relatives when they were young. They describe fabrication techniques from the preparation of skins to the making of threads as well as special cuts and the materials used for particular items of clothing. The meaning of ornaments is also explained by drawing on the tradition of family oral histories.

The documentation was made in connection with the acquisition of a smaller collection for the Ethnological Museum in Berlin in 2000 (Kasten Collection, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz - Ethnologisches Museum I A 5634 a-b, I A 5635 a-f, see illustrations on the right). A similar festive garment of the Even had already been acquired by the Ethnological Museum in Berlin in 1887 (I A 2247), which was only recently documented in more detail with indigenous experts. 

Further objects from collections in European museums are being comparatively examined for this purpose. From this, concepts were developed with regard to digital exhibitions on the Internet and initially presented at a symposium in Abashiri. In co-production with indigenous communities, European museum collections are not only more fully understood this way. At the same time, as part of the cultural heritage of Siberian peoples, the collections are also made accessible to indigenous artists, who can draw on them to further develop their art and craft traditions.