Skunk hair

Skunk and Strawberries
MFA# 2018.3136

Skunk Mephitis mephitis

Description

Fibers obtained from the tails of the North American skunk (Mephitis mephitis) and the South American skunk (Coneaptus mephitu). The long white or black guard hairs have been used for paint brushes.

Synonyms and Related Terms

polecat; zorrino; sorino; wood pussy; North American skunk (Mephitis mephitis); South American skunk (Coneaptus mephitu); stinkdyr (Dan.); Skunk (Deut., Ned.); zorrino (Esp.); mouffette (Fr.); (It.); stinkdieren (Ned.); stinkdyrene (Nor.); skunkar (Sven.)

Physical and Chemical Properties

Cross section of butt end is circular becoming flattened and twisted further along the hair.

Additional Images

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  Skunk hair

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  Skunk hair

Resources and Citations

• F. Kidd, Brushmaking Materials, Bristish Brush Manufacturers, London, 1957

• Zora Sweet Pinney, 'A Handle on the Terms used for Artists' Brushes', unpublished glossary, 1999

• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk (Accessed Nov. 9, 2005)

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: skunk" [Accessed October 16, 2003].