A Guide to the Decoration of Leather - A Collection of Historical Articles on Stamping, Burning, Mosaics and Other Aspects of Leather Decoration

By Read Books Ltd.

This book contains classic material dating back to the 1900s and before. The content has been carefully selected for its interest and relevance to a modern audience. Carefully selecting the best articles from our collection we have compiled a series of historical and informative publications on the subject of leather. The titles in this range include "Currying Leather" "Tools for Leatherwork" "The Vegetable Tanning Process" and many more. Each publication has been professionally curated and includes all details on the original source material. This particular instalment, "A Guide to the Decoration of Leather" contains information on the methods and equipment used in leather projects. It is intended to illustrate aspects of leather decoration and serves as a guide for anyone wishing to obtain a general knowledge of the subject and understand the field in its historical context. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Sep 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473356887

Book preview

Various

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 passed 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 piqué leather which from an early date constituted 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

INTRODUCTION

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 manuscripts 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.

DECORATIVE LEATHER CRAFT.

THE designs shown in this chapter are for articles that are to have added ornament. A few words are needed here. It is often said by students and teachers, Oh, I can’t draw or design to save my life. This has been occasioned by the idea that design is a very difficult thing that is to be reserved for experts only; and that the ability to design well is only arrived at after great striving, and the expenditure of a great amount of time. It is quite possible to produce patterns that are effective in themselves; that suit the material admirably, and that are well within the ability of any intelligent student to produce. It is largely a matter of the composition of simple elements; and pattern making depends on repetition to a very large extent. A simple element that is not of much interest in itself can be, by repetition, made into attractive pattern. This is further illustrated on pages 87, 89, 90, 94.

The Illustrations.

These, from Fig. 131 onwards, give suggestions for the ornamentation of articles that it is possible to make in leather. The ornamentation covers a wide field, and especial attention is called to the simpler forms of ornamentation that it is possible to put on the leather, such as in Figs. 140, 141, 142, 149, 150, 151, 152, and 160. Especially is the attention of those readers who believe themselves unable to make designs called to this type of ornament. Creation in its earlier stages consists of the composition of simple elements into pleasing combinations. The operation of combining such simple elements as are shown in the illustrations mentioned is well within the capacity of every one, even of those who believe themselves to be unable to produce any design at all.

Fig. 131 shows a four-piece tea cosy with a stencilled ornament. Inside the cosy are thonged four pieces of leather to which can be attached the padded lining. This will enable the lining to be renewed when worn out, with the least trouble. Interlaced design is most effective, and certainly fascinating to evolve.

A simple element like the diamond shaped punch is capable, by repetition, of producing an effective design, such as is shown in Fig. 132.

In the tobacco pouch shown in Fig. 133, the size is made to fit a rubber interior. This interior is stuck in on its edges, by a rubber solution such as Batson’s solution.

Fig. 134 gives the construction of the Lady’s Bag shown in the photograph on page 74. The interior centre pocket is thonged by four stitches only to the sides of the bag, to avoid a thick edge all the way down. For the handle two pieces are cut to the template shown, and are thonged together on the edge; the handle may be made thicker by putting another thickness of leather inside. This bag