Kayak anoraks

Kayak anorak made from intestines: ikkiaq
An ikkiaq is a waterproof, hooded anorak formerly worn by Inuit hunters in their kayaks. These kayak anoraks were made from strips of gut skin sewn together. Gut skin is waterproof, and is thus especially suited for use in the kayak, and also in any damp or wet weather. By the end of the nineteenth century in East Greenland, jackets of this kind were especially worn by the men, but some women also wore them.

Drawing of a gut skin kayak anorak.

In East Greenland the ikkiaq was often decorated with narrow strips of depilitated black seal skin. The hood was joined to the back panel, rather than consisting of a separate piece. At the front, the hood was closed with a short seam under the chin. The shoulder pieces were set in separately, reaching to the shoulder blades at the back, and ending in two narrow bands.

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