After tanning, hides were turned into leather and then cloth by what sequence?

• A. Drying hides in sun then painting them.
• B. Hides directly turned into cloth without leather.
• C. Smoking the tanned hides over a fire to make cloth, then softening with deer brain.
• D. Boiling hides to extract oil.

Answer: (C)

Finishing hides into wearable leather often uses a two-step finish: preservation and flexibility. After tanning, the leather is smoked over a fire to dry and preserve it, helping it hold shape and resist decay. Once it’s properly dried, it’s softened with deer brain (often with fat and water) to make the material pliable enough for clothing. This brain-tanning step penetrates the leather, breaking down fibers so the hide becomes soft and comfortable to wear. The sequence—smoke to preserve and set the leather, then brain to soften it—is why this option is correct. Other choices describe methods that don’t produce usable leather for garments or mix up the purpose of the steps.