Design Resource
Leather Animal Figure Making
Goat Doll Making - Bengaluru
by
Prof. Bibhudutta Baraland Manasa K. H.
Introduction
Fur is a fine, soft, hairy covering or coat of mammals that have been important to humankind throughout history, as clothing since the earliest times to protect their bodies from climatic conditions and even for the decorative purpose. Furs and leather have remained popular over the ages because of their warmth, durability, and their status symbol but also for decorative and other purposes. The fur-bearing animals are called true furs when they consist of two elements: a dense undercoat, called ground hair, and longer hairs, extending beyond that layer, called guard hair. The principal function of ground hair is to maintain the animal's body temperature; that of guard hair is to protect the underlying fur and skin and to shed rain or snow. Other commercially important furs include the various species of Fox, Lamb, Beaver, Marten, Raccoon, Skunk, Otter, and Seal as well as Leopard, Lynx, Ocelot, and Wolf.
Fur farming is a practice of breeding or raising certain varieties of animals for their fur. Europe farmers are the largest producer of fur. There are around 6,000 fur farms in the EU. The EU is known for its 63% of global mink production and 70% of fox production and Denmark is the leading mink-producing country. Other major producers in the world include countries like China, the Netherlands, the Baltic States, and the U.S. The United States is one of the major fur skin.
Wearing fur clothing in cold weather as protection goes back to the Stone Age, the source for this material came from the wild. As human populations grew, furs, leathers, and hides for use in clothing came from farm stock, such as sheep, rabbits, cattle, pigs, and goats.
Historically, the fur trade played an important economic role in the United States. Today about 80% of the fur clothing industry's materials come from animals which are raised on farms. The rest is from animals caught in the wild. The most farmed fur-bearing animal is the mink, followed by the fox.
