✨Shining✨

I grew up out in the boonies, so to speak, in a neighborhood that was majority retirees. So I literally never saw one as a kid. Just in cartoons and movies.

Can you help us pinpoint which animal this hide belongs to?

This papier-mâché mask is a recent acquisition, likely originating from Korea. With its four “golden” eyes, this mask likely represents a Bangsangssi character. 

Our conservators have identified the methods of construction, but we are still working to identify which animal the damaged skin, which adorns the piece, came from. In the Conservation Lab, we have studied the skin morphology and narrowed down some possible candidates, including: tanuki, golden jackal, binturong, corsac fox, wolverine, or mongolian wolf. But it has been difficult to assess due to insect damage. 

We also examined guard hairs from the skin under the microscope. The thick hairs vary in color, have an undulating shape and are roughly 3.98 ± 1.33 cm in length. The cuticle of the guard hair has a flattened distal-scale pattern. The pigment bodies are dispersed throughout the cortex. The medulla is irregularly vacuolated. The thick shield of the root bulb is spade-shaped and larger than the shaft.