The Decoration of Leather
By Maude Nathan
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The Decoration of Leather - Maude Nathan
1. BLIND-STAMPED LEATHER BINDING OF THE WINCHESTER DOMESDAY BOOK. ENGLISH, 12TH CENTURY.
THE DECORATION OF LEATHER
FROM THE FRENCH OF
GEORGES DE RECY
BY
MAUDE NATHAN
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND EXAMPLES OF
LEATHER DECORATION FROM VARIOUS
SOURCES
Copyright © 2013 Read Books Ltd.
This book is copyright and may not be reproduced or copied in any way without the express permission of the publisher in writing
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Leather Crafting
Leather is a durable and flexible material created by the tanning of animal rawhide and skin, often cattle hide. It can be produced through manufacturing processes ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry, and has formed a central part of the dress and useful accessories of many cultures around the world. Leather has played an important role in the development of civilisation from prehistoric times to the present, and people have used the skins of animals to satisfy fundamental (as well as not so essential!) needs such as clothing, shelter, carpets and even decorative attire. As a result of this importance, decorating leather has become a large past time. Leather crafting or simply leathercraft is the practice of making leather into craft objects or works of art, using shaping techniques, colouring techniques or both. Today, it is a global past time.
Some of the main techniques of leather crafting include:
Dyeing - which usually involves the use of spirit- or alcohol-based dyes where alcohol quickly gets absorbed into moistened leather, carrying the pigment deep into the surface. 'Hi-liters' and 'Antiquing' stains can be used to add more definition to patterns. These have pigments that will break away from the higher points of a tooled piece and so pooling in the background areas give nice contrasts. This leaves parts unstained and also provides a type of contrast.
Painting - This differs from leather dyeing, in that paint remains only on the surface whilst dyes are absorbed into the leather. Due to this difference, leather painting techniques are generally not used on items that can or must bend, nor on items that receive friction, such as belts and wallets - as under these conditions, the paint is likely to crack and flake off. However, latex paints can be used to paint flexible leather items. In the main though, a flat piece of leather, backed with a stiff board is ideal and common, though three-dimensional forms are possible so long as the painted surface remains secured. Unlike photographs, leather paintings are displayed without a glass cover, to prevent mould.
Stamping - Leather stamping involves the use of shaped implements (stamps) to create an imprint onto a leather surface, often by striking the stamps with a mallet. Commercial stamps are available in various designs, typically geometric or representative of animals. Most stamping is performed on vegetable tanned leather that has been dampened with water, as the water makes the leather softer and able to be compressed with the design. After the leather has been stamped, the design stays on the leather as it dries out, but it can fade if the leather becomes wet and is flexed. To make the impressions last longer, the leather is conditioned with oils and fats to make it waterproof and prevent the fibres from deforming.
Molding and shaping - Leather shaping or molding consists of soaking a piece of leather in hot or room temperature water to greatly increase pliability and then shaping it by hand or with the use of objects or even molds as forms. As the leather dries it stiffens and holds its shape. Carving and stamping may be done prior to molding. Dying however, must take place after molding, as the water soak will remove much of the colour. This mode of leather crafting has become incredibly popular among hobbyists whose crafts are related to fantasy, goth / steampunk culture and cosplay.
TRANSLATOR’S NOTE
IN a preface which is omitted from this translation, the author claims for his work a place between the books dealing solely with the history and development of the art of working in leather and those of which the object is to impart a knowledge of the technique of its various processes to amateurs who may be unable or unwilling to undertake a regular course of instruction. He points out that leather, in its adaptability to many different kinds of treatment, is a material eminently suited to the interpretation of the style of decoration known as modern art.
In the French edition there are numerous reproductions of examples of leather decoration and of ornament intended for adaptation to leather-work. In the following translation these illustrations and also a short chapter referring to them are omitted, and some examples of leather-work derived from various English sources are substituted. The text of the work has been generally somewhat abridged. The fact that there are many technical and other terms in French that have no exact equivalent in our own language, has rendered a free translation desirable, but the meaning of the original text has been carefully preserved.
CONTENTS
TRANSLATOR’S NOTE
INTRODUCTION
THE DECORATION OF LEATHER IN THE PAST
CHAPTER I
TOOLS AND LEATHER
CHAPTER II
METHODS OF WORKING IN LEATHER
CHAPTER III
LEATHER MOSAIC
CHAPTER IV
DYES, PATINES AND GILDING
CHAPTER V
THE CHOICE OF DESIGN AND COLOUR
APPENDIX
LEATHER HANGINGS AND FURNITURE
NOTE
SOME EXTRACTS FROM THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LEATHER FOR BOOKBINDING, APPOINTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE SOCIETY OF ARTS, FEBRUARY, 1900
INDEX
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT
1. Tracing-point
2. Incising knife used downwards like a pencil
3. Incising knife used downwards like a pencil
4. Incising knife used upwards
5. Incising knife used upwards
6. Incising knife held like a graver and pushed forward
7. Incising knife held like a graver and pushed forward
8. Executing a slanting cut when the edge of the leather is to be subsequently turned up
9. Opener
10. Enlarging the outline with the opener
11. Slanting cut
11a. Showing the difficulty of raising the inner edge A
12. Lowering the outer edge with a modeller
13. Ball-shaped steel tool with handle
14. Position of hands in embossing leather
15. Tool for working reed decoration
16. Using a hand punch
17. Cutting-out knife
18. Paring knife
19. Paring knife
20. Paring leather
21. Cutting-out knife
22. Cutting-out knife
23. Cutting-out knife
24. Cutting out inlay
25. Using roller to secure adhesion of inlay
26. First position of outlining tool
27. Second position of outlining tool
28. Gouge outliner
29. Outlining wheel
30. Gouge outliner
31. Straight outliner
32. Polishing mosaic
33. Sticking inlay on morocco ground with tool (Fig. 33) instead of roller, to avoid crushing the grain
34. Sticking inlay on morocco ground with tool (Fig. 33) instead of roller, to avoid crushing the grain
FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Blind-stamped leather binding of the Winchester Domesday Book. English, 12th century.
SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES, LONDON.
2. Casket covered with stamped leather, cuir bouilli. German, 14th century.
SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM.
3. Coffret covered with leather, incised, coloured and gilt. French, 14th century.
SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM.
4. Casket covered with embossed leather, cuir bouilli. French, early 15th century.
SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM.
5. Case of cut and embossed leather, cuir bouilli. Italian, 15th century.
SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM.
6. Blind-stamped morocco binding with gilt roundels and coloured cameo design. Celsus. De Medicina. Venice, 1477. Italian, 15th century.
BRITISH MUSEUM.
7. Case of cut and punched leather. German, 15th century.
SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM.
8. Brown leather binding, cut and engraved, with punched background. German MS. Chronicle of Events. German, 15th century.
BODLEIAN LIBRARY, OXFORD.
9. Cover of case for a cup in wood covered with leather, cuir bouilli, cut, embossed, painted and gilt. Italian, about 1500.
SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM.
10. Cover of work-box of wood