Shield, Kenya or Tanzania, The Met Museum of Art

"Shield [Kenya or Tanzania; Maasai people] (1978.412.644)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000-. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1978.412.644 (October 2006)

The manufature of leather by Davis (1885)

Davis, C. T.; The manufacture of leather: being a description of all of the processes for the tanning, tawing, currying, finishing, Carey Baird, Philadelphia (1885)
URL (Internet Archive)

From the preface:

Considering the importance of the leather industry, it seems strange that up to the present time it should in technical literature have been so much neglected. There is not in England nor is there in America a single current book broadly treating all the branches of this subject, and the object of the present volume is fully to explain the details of manufacturing all kinds of leather in common use, and produced from hides and skins by the agency of the usual tanning substances. The author has not been satisfied to make use of the matter found in obsolete books, but has preferred to present a view of the state of the art as it to-day exists in the United States. The tools, machines, and in fact nearly all the mechanical appliances illustrated in the present treatise are of American origin, and in common use in the numerous tanneries and leather-finishing shops of the country.

The collection, compilation, and collation of the vast amount of technical and detailed information attainable relating to the various processes, and to the construction of the numerous machines herein described, have required almost herculean labor. But the work has been greatly aided by many of the leading tanners and curriers of the United States, who have not only placed at the author's disposal every opportunity for personal observation, but have promptly and courteously responded to his letters when containing requests for information. It is doubtful if such facilities as have been extended to him would be granted to a like professional writer on technical subjects in any other country in the world.

"Eastern and western influences on Hungarian footwear of the 13-17th centuries" by Kissné Bendefy (2009)

Kissné Bendefy, M.; "Eastern and Western influences on Hungarian footwear of the thirteenth-seventeenth centuries", in I. Éri (ed.), Conserving textiles: Studies in Honour of Ágnes Timár-Balázsy, ICCROM Conservation Studies 7 (2009) 87-96
PDF

From the text:

This paper summarizes some of the conclusions from our study of the type and technology of Hungarian footwear between the 13th and 17th centuries; this study has been undertaken for nearly ten years by the author and Judit Bakay-Perjés. Our research has been based on finds from archaeological excavations of Hungarian sites and on objects that were taken into historic collections; most of the finds are complete shoes and boots, and are primarily men's footwear.

"Sir Humphry Davy and the leather industry" by Spiers (1968)

Spiers, C. H.; “Sir Humphry Davy and the leather industry'”, Annals of Science 24 (2) (1968) 99-113

DOI:10.1080/00033796800200071 (restricted access) 

Excerpt from the text:

A somewhat strange feature of the life of Sir Humphry Davy is that during the period roughly between July 1801 and December 1802, when he was intensely interested in galvanism and inorganic chemistry and was at the commencement of a brilliant career, he was caused to divert a considerable part of his time and energies to the organic fields represented by vegetable tanning materials and leather manufacture. This diversion is certainly of great significance to leather chemists, not merely on account of the undoubted merits of his contributions in these fields, but also because they make him a claimant for the title of the first leather chemist.

Moreover, he is the most eminent chemist ever directly to have concerned himself with this ancient industry.

Water-bag, Jordan, 1970, The British Museum

AN250851001
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Water-bag; made of animal skin; entire skin of animal, with back legs tied together and twisted fibre rope tied to legs; front legs held shut with fibre rope which is tied to other rope for carrying strap; head opening held shut with horse hair rope.

Japanese tobacco pouch and pipe, 18th century, The Met Museum of Art

 

"Tobacco pouch and pipe [Japanese] (14.40.843a,b)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/14.40.843a,b (November 2009)

The taxidermist's manual by Brown (1856)

Brown, T.; The taxidermist's manual: or, The art of collecting, preparing, and preserving objects of natural history designed for the use of travellers, conservators of museum and private collectors, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh (1856)
URL (Google Books)

The Museum of Leathercraft, Northampton (UK)

The Museum of Leathercraft, Northampton

http://www.museumofleathercraft.org/ 

The Museum of Leathercraft is internationally acknowledged as having one of the finest collections of leather artifacts in the world. Founded in 1946 by John Waterer and Claude Spiers, the museum now has over 5000 leather objects, examples of ingenuity, creativity and superb craftsmanship that serve to show the importance of leather as a raw material across the centuries.

(Text from the website)

"La chasuble en cuir de Saint Bertrand de Comminges" par Aribaud (1997)

Aribaud, Christine; “La chasuble en cuir de Saint Bertrand de Comminges“, Mémoires de la Société Archéologique du Midi de la France, t. LVII (1997) 143-156

PDF

Sommaire:

La chasuble en cuir doré de la cathédrale de Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges est, selon la tradition, héritée de Donadieu de Griet, évêque de Comminges de 1625 à 1635. Or son étude stylistique et technique démontre qu'elle se rattache à un ensemble peu connu de vêtements liturgiques en cuir, probablement produits en Allemagne du sud dans le premier tiers du XVIIIe siècle.

Head of Christ by Petrus Christus, ca.1445, The Met Museum of Art

"Petrus Christus: Head of Christ (60.71.1)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/60.71.1 (December 2008)

"A combined Raman microscopy, XRF and SEM–EDX study of three valuable objects..." by Chaplin et al (2010)

Chaplin, T. D.; Clark, R. J. H.; Martinón-Torres, M.; “A combined Raman microscopy, XRF and SEM–EDX study of three valuable objects – A large painted leather screen and two illuminated title pages in 17th century books of ordinances of the Worshipful Company of Barbers, London”, Journal of Molecular Structure 976 (1-3) (2010) 350-359 

doi:10.1016/j.molstruc.2010.03.042 (restricted access)
 

Abstract:

Raman microscopy has been used to identify the pigments decorating three valuable items owned by the Worshipful Company of Barbers (established in 1308 in London), one being a large leather screen dating to before 1712, the other two being illuminated title pages of books of ordinances of the Company dating to 1605 and 1658. Pigments which could not be fully characterised by this technique (particularly the green paints) have also been subject to XRF or SEM–EDX analysis. The combined analytical approach has shown that the pigments identified on all three items are typical of those in use as artists’ pigments in the 17th C and include azurite, indigo, vermilion, red lead, pink and yellow lakes, verdigris, lead white, calcite (and chalk), gypsum, carbon-based black, and gold and silver leaf. However in the case of the screen alone, restoration in the 1980s has been carried out with different pigments – haematite, phthalocyanine green, rutile, and a mixture of azurite, malachite and barium sulfate. This work constitutes the first in-depth study of painted leatherwork and demonstrates that the palette used for this purpose is similar to that used on other works of art of the same date. It has also allowed the original colour schemes of the decorations to be determined where pigment degradation has occurred. The combined analysis has also provided a more complete understanding of the materials used for, or on, objects to which access is limited.

"Artes do couro no Sul Peninsular" por Pereira (1994)

Pereira, Franklin; "Artes do couro no Sul Peninsular", A Cidade de Évora: Boletim de Cultura da Câmara Municipal 1, II Serie, (1994-1995) 371-395
URL

Resumo:

Franklin Pereira quer mostrar com este artigo os movimentos culturais e a versatilidade estética da arte do couro, hoje entendida como matéria para sapatos, blusões da moda e apetrechos utilitários, ao longo da história.

O uso do couro, tanto a nível popular como artístico, atingiu enorme fama e qualidade nos reinos do Al-Andalus. O autor inicia aqui a sua breve história da arte de trabalhar o couro no Sul Peninsular, terminando no século XVIII.

The Worshipful Company of Glovers of London - The Glove Collection and its Catalogue

The Worshipful Company of Glovers of London (http://www.gloveassociation.org/) one of the City’s ancient Livery Companies, was formed originally to upkeep the standards of glove-making in the City some 700 years ago. In common with other City Livery Companies, the Glovers have survived and flourished by adapting to modern times, maintaining strong links with their trade, supporting the City with many of its projects, educational bursaries and charitable programmes.

The Company has not forgotten its heritage nor its obligations to posterity and within the Glove Collection Charitable Trust, it maintains and preserves a magnificent collection of gloves since the 16th century to the present day, making it available to the public as far as possible. To this end the Collection has been digitally photographed and descriptive text prepared and the resulting comprehensive CATALOGUE forms part of this web site: http://www.glovecollectioncatalogue.org/

(Text from the website)

Recherches sur le cuir doré, anciennement appelé or basané, par La Quérière (1830)

La Quérière, Eustache de; Recherches sur le cuir doré, anciennement appelé or basané, et description de plusieurs peintures appropriées à ce genre de décor, F. Baudry, Rouen (1830)
URL (Gallica)

"I cuoi 'bulgari' a Venezia" di Stoyanova (2007)

Stoyanova, M.; "I cuoi 'bulgari' a Venezia" in, L’Europa Centro–Orientale e la Penisola italiana: quattro secoli di rapporti e influssi intercorsi tra Stati e civiltà (1300-1700), a cura di Cristian Luca e Gianluca Masi, Editura Istros, Braila-Venezia (2007) 309-322

Doc

Estratto dalla introduzione:

L’attributo “bulgaro” è molto diffuso, nei documenti veneziani (in particolare in quelli risalenti ai sec. XVII-XVIII), per designare un tipo di cuoio impiegato nella fabbricazione di fodere da destinare alle poltrone, di tende per “armeri alla pretina” e di involucri in cui custodire oggetti trasportabili. Come vedremo in seguito, a parte gli usi suddetti, è possibile che il cuoio avesse, a Venezia e in terraferma, un uso assai più vasto, ad esempio nella marineria e in alcune manifatture speciali, come quelle militare e medica, oppure per rivestire carrozze e custodire strumenti musicali.

Il cuoio cosiddetto bulgaro non è mai stato oggetto di specifiche indagini storiche o tecniche in Bulgaria o in altri paesi balcanici, in quanto tale denominazione non era inclusa nel vocabolario mercantile relativo alla pelle e al cuoio; non trova, infatti, specifica menzione nei documenti d’archivio, nei quali tuttavia tali merci registrano una tipologia molto ampia. Secondo alcuni documenti dell’epoca, nel period compreso fra i sec. XV e XVIII, nell’intera area dei Balcani si acquistavano pelli ricavate dai seguenti animali: montone, bue, bufalo, capra, agnello, castoro, lupo, orso, volpe, coniglio, gatto e sciacallo, oltre ai cosiddetti castroni, corami (crudi, salati o pelosi), boldrini, cordovani e marocchini.

"A DSC study of deterioration caused by environmental chemical pollutants to parchment" by Budrugeac et al (2010)

Budrugeac, P.; Badea, E.; Della Gatta, G.; Miu, L.; Comanescu, A.; “A DSC study of deterioration caused by environmental chemical pollutants to parchment, a collagen-based material”, Thermochimica Acta 500 (1-2) (2010) 51-62
DOI:10.1016/j.tca.2009.12.010 (restricted access)

Abstract:  

A DSC study of new parchments exposed at 25 degrees C for 1-16 weeks to controlled atmospheres containing 50 ppm of gaseous chemical pollutants (NO₂, SO₂, NO₂ + SO₂) and 50% relative humidity (RH) was performed. Samples were exposed to chemical pollutants alone, as well as after previous heating at 100 C for 2-16 days and/or irradiating with visible light (1.7 x 10(5) lx) for 4-16 h. DSC measurements were performed in both sealed crucibles in static air atmosphere at 25-200 degrees C and open crucibles under gas flow (nitrogen, oxygen, synthetic air) at 25-280 degrees C. Analysis of DSC curves provided the variation induced by ageing on the thermodynamic parameters associated with both parchment denaturation and softening of collagen crystalline fraction. All the ageing procedures decreased both temperature and enthalpy of denaturation and increased broadness of DSC peak in function of ageing time. The occurrence of thermal oxidation peaks and/or lower temperature endothermic peaks was observed. The temperature of the first softening peak always indicated a general tendency to decrease as a function of ageing time. Shrinkage temperature of collagen fibres measured by thermomicroscopy also decreased as a result of accelerated ageing treatments.

Proceedings of the Joint ICOM-CC Interim Meeting - Multidisciplinary Conservation: A Holistic View for Historic Interiors, Rome 2010

The Proceedings of the Joint ICOM-CC Interim Meeting Multidisciplinary Conservation: A Holistic View for Historic Interiors held in Rome, 23-26 March 2010, are now available at the ICOM-CC website. The papers related to ICOM-CC Leather and related materials Working Group are as follows:

- Historical and methodological aspects of the 18th century French gilt leather tapestry restoration in a historic house: the Maison Mantin project (Moulins, France) by C. BONNOT-DICONNE, J.P. FOURNET, B.H. PAPOUNAUD
PDF

- Cleaning of tanned leather: testing with Infra Red Spectroscopy and SEM-EDAX by K. MALEA, S.C. BOYATZIS, M. KEHAGIA
PDF

- Analysis and preservation of an ancient alum tawed parchment by I. RABIN, R. SCHÜTZ, E. KINDZORRA, U. SCHADE, O. HAHN, G. WEINBERG, P. LASCH
PDF

(Papers will be freely available just until July, 1)

DLM Ledermuseum, Offenbach (Deutschland)

DLM Deutsches Ledermuseum, Offenbach
http://www.ledermuseum.de/

Das DLM Ledermuseum Offenbach vereinigt drei Museen unter einem Dach: das Deutsche Schuhmuseum mit internationaler Fußbeklei-dung aus vier Jahrtausenden und einer Kunst-galerie, das Museum für angewandte Kunst mit Kunsthandwerk und Design vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart, Schwerpunkt Leder, und das Ethnologische Museum mit den Abteilungen Afrika, Amerika, Asien.

The DLM Leather Museum Offenbach combines three museums under one roof: the Shoe Museum with international footwear of four millennia and an art gallery, the Museum for Applied Art with crafts and design from the Middle Ages to the present, with the focus on leather, and the Ethnological Museum with the African, American and Asian Departments.

(Text from the website)

"John Waterer and the Cuir Bouilli confusion" by Rex Lingwood

Rex Lingwood, "John Waterer and the cuir bouilli confusion" 

PDF

In this beautifully illustrated article, Lingwood takes a critical look at John Waterer's writing on 'Cuir Bouilli' and reviews what it can be said about such diverse historical objects as English blackjacks, bombards and bottles, Italian scroll cases, parade shields and powder flasks, as well as leather armour, based on his detailed examination of these objects and his experience with heat forming processes.

Pair of chopines, c.1600, Victoria & Albert Museum