Finnish Sámi People Man's Tunic: "Gákti"
Finnish Sámi People Man's Tunic: "Gákti"
Finnish Sámi People Man's Tunic: "Gákti"

Finnish Sámi People Man's Tunic: "Gákti"

Collection: Everyday Connections

Object Type: National Costumes

Country: Finland
Continent: Europe
Geographic Region: Northern Europe
Materials: Wool
width: 26 in; height: 24 in; depth: 1.5 in

This is the traditional men's tunic of the Sámi People, part of the national costume, called "gákti." The Sámi people are the indigenous people who live in the Arctic area of Sápmi, which today includes parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway.

Sámi who lived near the coasts made their living by fishing. Inland, they farmed, raised cattle, trapped fur animals and fished. The smaller minority of the Mountain Sámi continued to hunt wild reindeer. Around 1500, they started to tame these animals into herding groups, becoming the well-known reindeer nomads.

The gákti is worn both in ceremonial contexts and while working, particularly when herding reindeer. Traditionally, the gákti was made from reindeer leather and sinews, but nowadays, it is more common to use wool, cotton, or silk. Traditional gákti are most commonly in variations of red, blue, green, white, medium-brown tanned leather, or reindeer fur. In winter, there is the addition of a reindeer fur coat and leggings, and sometimes a poncho and rope/lasso.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami_people