Vicugna

VICUNA, or VICUNIA, or VICUGNA

The animal that provides the finest wool in the world with hairs only half as thick as fine merino wool. The vicuna is one of the camel tribe and is a native of Southern Peru. Its scientific name is Lama Vicunia. It is a graceful swift little animal like a small antelope. The annual production is estimated at 10,000-lb. to 12,000-lb. Weight for weight it is said to be the warmest of all wools. Its natural colour is dark tobacco colour of good fastness. It dyes like wool, but requires more dye to attain a given depth of tone. It is capable of imparting the utmost smoothness, softness and closeness to fine black coatings and is used thus by Bradford and other manufacturers.