Civet hair
Description
Long, coarse hair obtained from civet cats (family Vivarridae) that are native to Africa, southern Europe, and Asia. The black and white civet hair is strong, straighter, and more resilient than Skunk hair. Civet hair was once used for Paint and Varnish brushes but has since been replaced by synthetic fibers. In 2004, the U.S. banned the importation of civets as potential disease carriers.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Vivarridae; civet cat hair; desmerdyr (Dan.); Schleichkatzen (Deut.); viverridés (Fr.); civetkatachtigen (Ned.); civeta (Port.)
Authority
- Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: civet" Encyclopædia Britannica [Accessed October 16, 2003].
- Zora Sweet Pinney, 'A Handle on the Terms used for Artists' Brushes', unpublished glossary, 1999
- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civet (Accessed Oct. 18, 2005)