The Decoration of Leather.

by Georges de Recy.

INTRODUCTION

THE DECORATION OF LEATHER IN THE PAST

The following remarks, without attempting a description in detail of the different phases through which the art of decorating leather has pa.s.sed since its origin in primitive times, deal with the treatment of leather solely from the decorative point of view, the present volume being limited to the consideration of this aspect of the subject.

In all ages man has sought to develop to their fullest extent the possibilities of splendour in the materials of his dress, and an important place in the wardrobes of our early ancestors was filled by skins shorn of hair, thus lending themselves easily to decoration in many different ways.

The nomadic races, described to us as at first riding their horses barebacked to the conquest of the West, soon adopted ornamental trappings more suited to their position as conquerors, as shown by the marvellous mosaics of pique leather which from an early date const.i.tuted the foundation of the war-like equipment of the Tartars and Moguls.

In addition to magnificently woven materials and damascened arms, the Crusaders brought back with them to Europe, leather ornamented with wool, silk and precious metals. Europe set itself to imitate this art of working in leather, and found a source of faultless taste and purest models in Spain, then occupied by the Moors.

For several centuries the art of decorating leather remained the speciality of Spain. The word "cordwainer," derived from Cordova, is a witness of this monopoly by the Peninsula of everything connected with leather-work, apart from the modelled and stamped leathers, introduced into Venice from the East.

Other countries, however, were doing better work than that of imitating the celebrated manufactures of Cordova. In Germany especially, leather was discovered to be an ideal material for rendering the mantles and plumed helmets of heraldry, while the marvels of carved and embossed leather preserved in the Dijon Museum are a proof of the interest taken in leather-work by the great decorative school of the court of Burgundy.

In the Middle Ages precious stuffs adorned with enamels, ivory and gold were discarded as covering for the beautiful ma.n.u.scripts executed by the monks, and in their place heraldic subjects in carved and modelled leather were introduced and lent a new character to books which were no longer the exclusive property of crowned heads. The invention of printing afforded the Renaissance movement the means of attaining its full development, and soon called for a less archaic binding for its incunabula. Leather either decorated in mosaic or tooled in gold formed a perfect covering for these marvels of typography, and from the end of the fifteenth century to the present revival of decorated leather both styles have been much in use.

There are various standard works on this subject, which may be consulted by those desirous of studying its development further.

CHAPTER I

TOOLS AND LEATHER

TOOLS

The few tools essential in leather-work are ill.u.s.trated in the text, where their use is described. They comprise:

1. A Lithographic Stone or a Slab of Marble (preferably the former).

2. A Tracing-point and some 6H Graphite Pencils.

3. An Incising Knife.

4. Modellers of different sizes.

5. An Opener.

Special tools, Punches, Wheels etc., are treated of at greater length in dealing with the different processes in which they are used.

CHOICE OF SKINS

The art of working in leather is now so general that it is not difficult to obtain skins specially prepared for the purpose. It is an essential qualification that nothing of a fatty nature be used in their preparation.

The tanning process of the best skins, whether with a glossy surface artificially obtained by rolling or with a dull surface, should be a very simple one. Oak and sumach tannins (used especially for morocco leather) are those which best preserve the suppleness and capillarity of leather.

The susceptibility of its colour to alteration from exposure to light is greatly influenced by the materials used in tanning. Oak wood and chestnut are the tannins least influenced by light. Skins tanned with _ca.s.saigre_ and mimosa, light at first, become darkened in a marked degree by exposure.[1]

[1] See the observations on the importance of the tanning process in the preservation of leather, in the Note at the end of this volume.

So many varieties of leather are on the market that some guide will be found useful in selecting the most suitable for the different methods of decoration. These methods may be cla.s.sified as follows:

Cut, or engraved leather.

Carved leather.

Punched or hammered leather.

Modelled leather.

Modelled leather with punched background.

Leather decorated by pyrogravure and pointogravure.

Stamped leather.

Open-work leather.

Leather mosaic.

The leathers which may be used in these various styles of decoration are

Sheep-skin.

Cow-hide.

Calf.

Ox-hide.

Morocco.

Russia.

Pig-skin.

Chamois.

Vellum.

Sheepskin does not lend itself either to incising or to carving and is only useful for cheap work; it is very malleable and models easily, but for that reason lacks the firmness of calf when modelled. It is also not possible to get such good colour results with sheep-skin as with calf, cow-hide, or ox-hide. It can be used for large work, such as wall-hangings, screens, etc., but is not recommended. Beginners, however, will find it useful on account of its low price.

Cow and calf are the most suitable leathers for really artistic work.

Cow-hide may be obtained with either a glossy or a dull surface; the dull skins are sold specially prepared for decorating and give good results, the smoothness of their surface making them particularly suitable for modelling and pyrogravure.

Calf varies greatly in thickness and colour. It should be noted that in carved and modelled work the advantages of great malleability in the material are more than counterbalanced by the disadvantages; durable results cannot be obtained with very malleable leather which yields easily to the tool, and since high relief can be worked without difficulty in comparatively thick leather by damping it, its use is much to be preferred.

Ox-hide is frequently as thick as strong cardboard and is the ideal leather for carving, hammering and pyrogravure. In cut decoration a better effect can be obtained with this leather than with thinner skins, and being very firm, it is equally suitable for modelling.

Morocco leather, which is mostly of the kind called "Cape morocco," is goat-skin with a grained surface produced by pressing hard seeds upon the skin while it is still damp from the tanning. For bookbinding and similar purposes this grain is crushed by pressing hot plates heavily on the surface. The only way of decorating leather so treated is by an inlay (or literally _onlay_) of skins of other colours, and is known as Leather Mosaic.[2]

[2] See the chapter on Leather Mosaic, p. 42.

The so-called Russia leather is generally very light and soft and well adapted to modelling on wax. It should not be cut.

Pig-skin is very firm and was formerly much used for the fine stamped bindings of the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries. It does not lend itself well to carving, but is very suitable for pyrogravure because of the contrast between its light tint and the dark brown mark produced by the hot tool.