A coat made of caribou skin, such as those worn by the Naskapi, Innu and Cree hunters of the Quebec-Labrador peninsula; half length, painted with stripes and a geometric design over the flared hem.

Painted caribou-skin coats survive from as early as 1700. They are particularly associated with the nomadic communities of north-eastern Canada who relied on caribou herds for food and clothing. The coats were made as a way of venerating the caribou and ensuring the success of future hunts.   Women painted the coats with motifs revealed in their husbands' dreams, which were thought to grant power to the hunters. Careful preparation of this kind was vital to ensure that the 'Lord of the Caribou' would dispatch animals from their home for the hunt.  If killed in an appropriate manner, the caribou spirits would return to earth again for future hunts.  The coats were thought to lose their power after a year, and might then be traded or sold by their owners.