Armband

Udege

river Hungari, Ussuri Krai

late 19th - early 20th century

Costume

Cloth: cotton; threads: animal: silk

length 54.0; width 11.0

РЭМ 1870-86/1

Adapty, armbands of two red strips (sides) and one grey strip (center) of cotton fabric sewn together. Sewn on the end is the armband’s ornamented part, angular, with a long tie-string for tying on the arm. The ornament, a black bear’s head, is an appliqué on a white base. The armbands were wound on an arm near the wrist for protection, as an amulet against evil spirits. The bear’s head symbolized the ancestor, a strong protector.