The art of leather carving

History of the art of leather carving

A review of the works, signs, writings and inscriptions of the past of Iran and the motifs seen in the antiquities, shows that the ancient Iranians used leather for shoes and accessories and other accessories. From the beginning of the fourth century to the ninth and tenth centuries, a new chapter in the art of bookmaking was opened and several types of decorative covers were invented, the most important of which were burnt and marquetry.

In ancient times, the art of writing on leather has existed and it may not be possible to say exactly the date of this field. In the days when paper was not yet available to humans, there were people who wrote on leather and left it as a memory for future generations. It is a Quran that was written on leather in the beginning of Islam for more durability, so it can be said that the art of leather carving is one of the oldest and most attractive fields of handicrafts, which unfortunately has become obsolete and lost over time.

The importance of leather products among handicrafts is partly related to its physical structure, because leather is a material that can be softened like velvet or given various forms with intense heat during tanning.

Leather production steps include soaking or rinsing in special ponds, hair removal or liming stage, de-liming stage, de-scaling stage, skin surface cleaning, enzyme stage, tanning, dehydration, cutting, flaking, sorting and engraving on leather.

Due to its capability and properties, leather works with several techniques, including:

1- Molding

2- Weaving and sewing

3- Engraving and carving on leather

4- Painting on leather

5- Burning and marquetry Wood

6- Embroidery on leather

7- Even today, batik on leather is performed by a few leather engraving artists. These artists, while reviving this magnificent field, produce exquisite and valuable paintings and provide them to dear art lovers. The applications of these works vary according to the different tastes of different people. These include donations as memorials and gifts on various occasions, use for interior decoration of homes and offices, donations as awards and memorials in private organizations and government offices, and…

Engraving on leather is very similar to engraving on metal in terms of principles of work and technique. This technique may be more popular abroad, but its historical background on Iranian covers, although with more limited motifs, is quite evident. The protrusions and depressions painted on the leather are engraved on it with steel pens.

From the beginning of the fourth century to the ninth and tenth centuries, a new chapter in the art of bookmaking was opened and several types of decorative covers were invented, the most important of which were burnt and mosaic covers. In the method of making burnt skin, the designs of flowers and chickens or images of animals are covered with gold and silver, and the designs are embossed with the same main color of leather.

Therefore, to acquaint the interested parties, we will explain a summary of the work process as follows:

The work process of this art is as follows:

To start work, first prepare a sample of the line in the appropriate size according to taste or by order, and according to the size of the line, suitable and quality leather, mostly cow leather, after smoothing and lubrication, transfer the line on the leather and use pens. Specially brush around the line by hand, then we do the polishing and make-up step, and at the end, we varnish the effect with a special varnish and it is offered to the market after molding.

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