learn about leather craft

History:

leather work involves the process that turns the hides of cows and other animals into everyday items. Leather crafting involves tanning, cutting, sewing, and decorating pieces of leather, and is a centuries old profession, some of the earliest examples of humans using leather date to thousands of years ago. The ancient Sumerians are usually credited with being the first to have leather crafting as a distinct art form and profession. Examples of leather crafted goods from that time include shoes, sandals, and chariot harnesses.

 

 

- This is a great example of ancient leather craft the image is of King Tutankhamun's sandals; these sandals were made between 1332 – 1323 BC. And are currently on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum.

 

 

Another example is the design and creation of horse tack, although the designs have changed throughout history, most of them are made from the same three basic materials, a wooden saddle tree, wrapped in rawhide and covered in a nicely tanned leather. Today saddles are still covered in leather, but the trees can be made from many materials including fiberglass, composites as well as wood.

 

 

 

 

-this is a re-creation of the saddle that was used by Genghis Khan, during his reign of the Mongolian Empire (EST.  1206-1227 AD)