Leather
History & Usage
History
Scraps of leather and fur garments more broadly have been found dating back tens of thousands of years, including in the ruins of the Stenza's oldest settlements. Its ubiquity in the archaeological record is comparable to spinning tools, and it is known that the Takhasar in its modern form has been in use since roughly -26500, which all points to theories that leather (and furs more broadly) have been used for various purposes since Stenza could use tools, and possibly before they had developed the spindle.
Despite its hazy origins at the earliest depths of antiquity, the codified use of leather had been developed by the time the takhasar took its modern form and began to spread across the Ice Flats region. The garment's popularity spread, and its ritualized use became entrenched rather quickly.
In modern times, the takhasar is considered a traditional garment for An'o and certain battle uniforms, the modern iterations of ancient contexts and uses which have been lost to time (and probably subsumed by the development of other fabrics and materials, such as Insulating Mesh).
Cultural Significance and Usage
Leather's most visible use is the central ritual garment the Takhasar, which is central to An'o both public and private, as well as the Leader's War Gear. This, as well as the use of leather to fashion holsters, is connected to the material's significance as a product of the hunt, connecting it to both the Snow Warrior and the Snow Pup Hunter. Its use as a garment for the dance form sacred to Lan'tha also connects leather to the goddess and through her, to her husband. (The Lan'tha-leather connection is also strengthened by its use in the aforementioned War Gear, and may have been first used in this fashion in order to invoke her power and strength.)
Refinement
The hide of the animal (such as a Basket Horns) must, after being removed from the animal, be stripped of any attached fat, tendons, meat, and other scraps. The hide must then be soaked in a highly liquefied Ice Flats Substance solution in order to remove the hair, which will then be dried out for spinning. After such time, the hide is removed from the solution to be wrung out and stretched across a large frame (such as made of bones), where it is tanned with the brain of the animal who provided the hide, mixed with a liquid such as ale. The tanned hide is repeatedly worked over a hard and slightly rounded surface, such as a ribcage (although certain stools and crystal plinths will also work just as well), until it is softened. Once soft, the hide is smoked over a fire.
Manufacturing & Products
Leather is most often used to manufacture the Takhasar, one of the most significant ritual garments in Stenza culture. However, excess leather is used to holster flaying knives and other personal knives, and has become a staple of the
Armament
in order to holster other weapons. It can be used to fashion a holster for the Blaster Rifle, although a magnetic harness on the back is preferred for that purpose.
Byproducts & Sideproducts
The biggest side products of processing leather are meat and fiber, to the point that the three items are considered by some scholars to be the pillars on which Stenza society is built. (Depending on where you start in the process, leather may be the side product, as the main reason to kill an animal is to supply the clan with food. However, there is a lot of emphasis on wasting as little as possible.)
Type
Organic
Color
ranges from light blue-grey to almost black
Related Locations
Related Species
Related Items
I love reading about 'mundane' items through their cultural significance! <3
I think it adds a lot. Simple tools, materials, and technologies may be universal but they gain their character when cultures attach meaning to them.