[Regia-NA] Earlier Leather Stuff Selection - Regia Period included.
rmhowe
list-regia-na@lig.net
Sun, 18 May 2003 22:50:40 -0400
Ken wrote:
> Hi,
> I would like to know if there will be anyone who could discuss
> the method of stitching leather in the Anglo-Saxon period and
> the tools used ?
> Cheers, westu hal, - Ken
Regia's timeline runs 950-1100 AD.
They don't appear to have incised leather carving, more the dragging
of a dull point or stamping in Regia's period. Still did decorative
designs.
"I buy hides and skins and I prepare them by my craft, and I make of
them boots of various kinds, ankle-leathers, shoes, leather breeches
(interpreted by Regia as leather hosen), bottles, bridle-thongs,
flasks and budgets, leather neck-pieces, spur-leathers, halters, bags
and pouches, and nobody would wish to go through the winter without
my craft." - Aelfric's Colloquies, 11th Century, from Waterer, _Leather
and Craftsmanship_.
..............
I'm not real big on Waterer, so I only list earlier period stuff here,
not all his diverse stuff which for the volume of it should have
exceeded Gunther Gall's masterwork and doesn't.
GALL, GÜNTHER.: Leder im europäischen ; Kunsthandwerk. Braunschweig,
1965. 4to., orcl., xii, 406 pp., w. 16 pl. in color, 304 ills.
in text. (Bibl. für Kunst u. Antiquitätenfreunde, Bd. XLIV).
Klinkhardt & Biermann - Braunschweig.
Means Leather in Europe - Art Handwork.
- It is flat out stunning in the variety of items. There are
fantastic things in it like crown cases, reliquary cases,
leather caskets and trunks, cases for all sorts of things,
many of them repouseed in very high relief. There are a number
of leather covered shields in it. - Not for those interested in
shoes. ;) Frequently findable on http://www.ZVAB.com/
..............
For those that don't know, there is a group called
Medieval-leather@yahoogroups.com. The York leather archaeologist
checks in now and again, and there are some really picky types for
authenticity on it. It's about five or six years old now and most
known subjects are in the backlog, which is searchable. I've been
on it since day one. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/medieval-leather/
"The purpose of this group is to share and further the knowledge
of those persons interested in the study of Medieval leather and
leather work: It's uses, methods of production, construction,
decoration, etc.. All topics are open as long as they are prior
to the end of the Renaissance period (circa 1600 A.D. or so).
Discussions of leather prior to the Medieval period are also
acceptable, for example, The Ice Man and his leather ensemble."
I -think- this was by Gregory Stapleton before James Howell replaced
him as list master. I could be mistaken.
Awls and stitching get a lot of discussion. As I recall period
stitching was done with linen thread, wool thread, and in a few cases
Ian Carlisle cited some leather lacing at York. What is open for
debate is whether they used curved awls or not. I've seen plenty
of bent ones in my archaeology books. Generally they were square
or diamond in cross-section. You sew with one side of the diamond in
line with your seam, not with the points together in line, unless
you like tear outs. Coad and boar's bristle use is also discussed
there. Coad is the tar-like wax used to stick the made up linen
thread (usually from about five linen threads) to the boar's bristle
to pass through the curved holes in turnshoes. Oval curved awls
have not been found in period contexts AFAIK.
Stohlman, Al: The Art of Hand Sewing Leather, 1977, Tandy Leather Co.,
Ft. Worth, TX. is available from http://www.ZackWhite.com/ or
http://www.leatherfactory.com/ or http://www.tandyleather.com/
It illustrates the use of boar's bristles for sewing and many other
styles. The method used is to make a long tapered thread, and to
stick it to the Hog's Bristle with Shoe Maker's Hand Wax (not
Beeswax, which the book says won't hold. Starting about the middle,
start wrapping the fine end of the thread towards the root, then
wrap the thread the other direction over itself towards the end
of the bristle over what looks to be about an inch. Then turn the
bristle and go through the middle of the free thread about a quarter
of an inch away from the bristle, and pull it through. This
apparently locks the thread in place. Then one rubs the bristle
and thread with Bees Wax to remove the stickiness of the Hand Wax.
This thing then passes through holes made by an awl. It doesn't
make it's own. Gawain says he uses 50 Lb. Nylon fishing line for
the same purpose. The advantage of Hogs bristles or nylon is that
they can go through curved holes to sew. So can bead stringing needles.
Usually one uses two of them and sews from each side through the
same holes when one can. This is as opposed to lock stitching with
an awl where you stick the threaded stitching awl through one side,
loop it with thread on the other, and pull the loop halfway back
through the leather before starting again. If you break a stitch
that way several come loose. If you sew from both sides with egg
eye harness needles, or hog's bristles which pass each other in
the hole, then you usually don't have as many stitches come loose.
............
A partial list of applicable books in my leather bibliography.
(no, it isn't on line. I've never put the whole thing on line.
I am still looking for some parts of it. A lot of it I have.)
Most of the descriptive comments are notes I have taken from
the books in my copious spare time. ;) Actually, looking around
the web I may have found a rare book on some of it tonight. ;)
Only been looking four years. Doing this bit today brought it to mind.
............
Carlisle I.R., Cameron E. and Mould Q. (in preparation.) Leather and
Leatherworking in Anglo-Scandinavian and Medieval York, Craft Industry
and Everyday Life in Medieval York is -supposed to be coming out-
this year. Or he said so four years ago on the list. Wasn't on
the website two weeks ago when last I visited.
Right now Stepping Through Time is out by Olaf Goubitz and it
covers the widest range of shoe types in Europe up until 1800.
You would see more variety in this book than the Museum of London
Shoes and Pattens by far. Seconded only by Hald. See below for info:
............
This is rather rare - goes for above $250 and quite honestly not
worth it. He deliberately does not give much constructional information:
Baker, O.: Black Jacks and Leather Bottels: Being some account of
Leather
Drinking Vessels in England and Incidentally of Other Ancient Vessels;
Privately printed for W.J. Fieldhouse, n.d. (1921), limited edition (of
an
unstated number), 13 x 9", 197pp.. OCLC #1673897 This work is held by
23 libraries in the US (most of whom will lend copies) and 8 in Britain
(although you may need to go visiting to see them). Available from
Carl Lichte, Honorable Cordwainers Company, 4340 Fairfax Ave.,
Dallas TX 75205 for around $40 in a xerox. 1/02 Given what Aelfric
had to say, and the numerous pottery imitations of leather vessels
the bottels or costrels seem likely in early period to me.
Beatson, Peter: "Viking Age Scabbards from Archaeological Finds in
Scandinavia and the British Isles", in Varangian Voice, Issue 30,
February 1994, p. 18 - 25. Covers the construction, decoration and
method of suspension of scabbards.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Atrium/3696/NVGInc/contacts.html
Haven't checked this addy for a while. Search New Varangian Guard.
Blair, John: Anglo-Saxon Oxfordshire; Sutton Publishing Ltd. /
Oxfordshire Books, 1994/8, 230pp., 102 illustrations of 5th C Dyke
Hills military belt, German knife sheath and sling fittings,
5-6th C Berensfield metal bound wooden bucket, shield boss, long
comb, blacksmith’s tong, decorative blue glass bowl (ca.600), a
very unique 7th C. Janus head lock case from Bishop’s Court,
Byzantine cast metal bowl, pottery bottle and pot, pendant crosses,
and 7th C. covered bronze thread box with cruciform decoration,
four ninth century leather shoes from the clay bank at St. Aldgates
with tunnel stitching, the Abingdon sword hilt (silver in iron inlay),
two swords and three long seaxes, copper alloy strap end from Souldern,
the Minster Lovell jewel (similar to the Alfred Jewel, Brampton
Silver Hooked Tag, fish traps, large silver neck reliquary with
inscription, Ivory seal of Godwine the minister from Wallingford,
gold wire ring, burial with spurs, stirrups, sword, Magdalen bridge
Viking stirrups and spurs, shear and horseshoe, Barford,
St. Michael beakhead doorway, 11th century seal of an eighth century
princess - Saint Frideswide, many buildings and settlements
recreated in drawings. Surviving Architecture.
ISBN 0750917504 pb, £14.99
Brown, T.J. (ed.): The Stoneyhurst Gospel of St. John, London, 1959.
These things had leather cases.
Cameron, Esther: Leather and Fur, Aspects of Early Medieval Trade
and Technology; Archtype Pub. for the Archaeological Leather
Group, 1998, ISBN 1873132514
Cameron, Esther: Sheaths and Scabbards in England AD 400 -1000;
Archaeopress, 2000, http:www.archaeopress.com ISBN 1841710652
for £35. POB 920, Oxford OX2 7YH +44 1865 311914 or Hadrians
Books, 122 Banbury Rd., Oxford OX2 7BP +44 1865 316
Christ, K.: "Karolingische Bibliothekseinbande"; 1937, in Leyh, Georg:
Festschrift Georg Leyh. Aufsätze zum Bibliothekswesen und zur
Forschungsgeschichte dargebracht zum 60. Geburtstage am 6. Juni
1937 von Freunden und Fachgenossen. Leipzig 1937. 4to.
Illustrert. : pp. 82-104.
"Christ discusses leather-stamping technique and it's application
to cover decoration in a number of Carolingian (read: Saxon/
Viking Age) bindings (mostly Continental)). Provides
line-drawings of 20 stamped impressions, including some knotwork,
circles, and animals."
Coles, John: Archaeology by Experiment; (ISBN 0684140780 paper bound
or 0684138182 hard). "There is a whole section on hides, leather
and fabric with a particularly detailed piece on different
methods of making Cuir Boli. Fascinatingly, the technique they
had the most success with did not involve wax at all.
Ellis-Davidson, Hilda R. & Webster, Leslie: 'The Anglo-Saxon Burial at
Coombe
(Wodnesborough), Kent; Medieval Archaeology Vol. 11, 1967, pp. 1-41.
Ellis-Davidson, Hilda R.: The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England: Its
Archaeology
and Literature. Oxford: Clarendon. 1962. Supposed to show sheathes
and baldrics.
.............
Funcken, Liliane and Fred Funcken:Historische Waffen und Rüstungen;
(Knights and Common Soldiers from the 8th to 16th Centuries)
Sonderausgabe: EUR 14,95, Originalausgabe: EUR 20,35 $20
Versandfertig in 24 Stunden.Größeres Bild.
Price EUR 20, 308 Pages - Orbis Verlag, Mchn. 2001;
ISBN: 3572013089
http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/3572013089/qid=1017950508/sr=1-
1/ref=sr_1_2_1/302-7795840-7680855
is the same as the following three combined:
Funcken, Liliane and Fred: Arms and Uniforms - The Age of Chivalry
Parts I, II, III;
Part I - The 8th to the 15th Century - Helmets and Mail, Tournaments
and Heraldic Bearings, Bows and Crossbows.
Part II - Castles, Forts, and Artillery, 8th to 15th Century -
Armour, 12th to 15th century, Infantry of the Renaissance,
Cavalry of the Renaissance, The Slavs and Oriental to the end of
the Renaissance. Prentice-Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.;
First Published in England in 1981 by Ward Lock Limited, London,
a Pentos Company. First American Edition by Prentice-Hall Inc.
1983. II - ISBN 0130462926 paperback, 01304663183 cloth hardback.
111 pages.
Part III - The Renaissance: Arms, Horses and Tournaments; Helmets
and Armour, Tactics and Artillery. Prentice-Hall, Inc.,
Englewood Cliffs, N.J.; First Published in England in 1982
by Ward Lock Limited, London, a Pentos Company. First American
Edition by Prentice-Hall Inc. 1983/reprinted 1984. III -
ISBN 0130463264 paperback, 0130463345 cloth hardback. 104 pages.
Part III has 45 methods of hanging swords on belts depicted alone.
Also has about thirty saddles on and off horses.
A comprehnsive study. The book covers the costumes & dress, armour,
weapons, heraldic insignia of armies during the age of chivalry
during the Renaissance. It is replete with hundreds of colour
illustrations of armour, foot & mounted soldiers, personal & siege
weapons & firearms as well horses, their furniture & regalia.
104pp, 300 + col ills.
The German book is in print and combines all three cheaply.
The English versions are often expensive to come by. With a little
knowledge of history you can easily identify most periods and cultures
in the current German book.
............
Goubitz, Dr. Olaf: Stepping Through Time, Archaeological Footwear from
Prehistoric Times through 1800; Zwolle 2001, ISBN 9080104469,
Dr. Olaf Goubitz is the head (about to retire) leather
archaeologist in the Netherlands, with additional articles
by Carol van Driel-Murray on Footwear in the North-Western
Provinces of the Roman Empire; and Willy Groenman-van Waateringe
on Prehistoric Footwear (other international shoe and leather
authorities)). Goubitz alone had 8500 shoes to deal with.
This large, and diverse book deals with European shoes of
many areas (although primarily Holland in Goubitz's case)
from the earliest times up to 1800. A huge range of decoration
and fastening techniques, as well as shoes styles and their
construction, can be found in this book. It is in English,
Hardback, 397 pages.
* There are 17 pages of very different pattens and straps
in it alone.
Foundation for Promoting Archaeology (Stichting Promotie Archaeologie)
SPA, Lijnbaan 103, 8011 AP Zwolle; Fax: 00-31-38-4236016
Email archeologie.spa@wxs.nl Website: www.archeologie-spa.nl
Postbank: 703734.
Goudge, C.E. "Late Saxon leather sheaths from Gloucester and York"
Antiquaries Journal 59 (1979):125-7.
The book I would choose after Goubitz (I have them myself.) is:
Hald, Margrethe: Primitive Shoes, An Archaeological-Ethnological Study
based upon Shoe Finds from the Jutland Peninsula; (Covers also
Eng.(York), Scotland, Faeroes, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Finland,
Aaland, Estonia, Norway, and Iceland). National Museum of
Denmark, Copenhagen 1972. Publications of the National Museum
Archaeological-Historical Series I Vol. XIII, Printed by Bianco
Lunos Bogtrykkeri A/S, Copenhagen Copyright by the National
Museum, Copenhagen 1972, ISBN 87-480-7282-6
Hall, Richard: _Viking Age York_ depicts a Viking Shoe Last from Jorvik
in the context of tenth and early eleventh century buildings along
with 5 awls, the length is listed as 8 1/2 inches, it has a
rather squarish end, and is obviously intended for either foot.
It is shown side and what I assume is below with some nailed
leather fragments on the bottom middle and one side.
ISBN 0-7134-7014-3 PB or 0-7134-7013-5 HB
Batsford Ltd., London, English Heritage Series. 1st Ed. 1994.
Hands, Rachel (Ed): English Hunting and Hawking in the "Boke of St.
Albans; Oxford, Oxford U. Press, 1975. No ISBN. (Have not seen this
one.)
Hobson, G.D.: English Binding Before 1500; Cambridge: University Press,
1929. Folio, (xii)+58+(2) pages followed by 55 plates. Cloth,
First edition, limited to 500 copies. The Sandars Lecture for
1927. An important, well-illustrated study of Romanesque and
Gothic bindings. The appendices also contain a wealth of
information with subjects including Early Irish Bindings and
Satchels, English Cut Leatherwork 1300-1500, Additional 15th
Century English Bindings and a list of English small-stamp
Binderies working before 1510, Unbound books
in Medieval Libraries, etc.
Larsen, Arne J.; Footwear from the Gullskoen Area of Bryggen, The
Bryggen Papers Main Series, Vol. 4; Scandinavian University
Press, University of Bergen 1992. ISBN 82-00-21533-4,
Scandinavian University Press, P.O. Box 2959 Toyen,
N-O608 Oslo, Norway. Bryggen is the German Wharf in Bergen,
the old capital of Norway. Eleventh to early sixteenth
century with embroidery on some of the shoes.
Lucas, A.T.: Footwear in Ireland; Journal of the Archaeological
Society of County Louth, Vol. XIII, Number. 4, pp.309-94,
(a lot of which involves making a sock style peculiar to
the Irish) 1956. (Boston College - O'Neill Library)
Seems they primarily wore these IN church. There aren't
too many shoe survivals and at this time none of them were
dated but they are the prettiest shoe styles I know of.
Lucas was the museum director. Some of them are in Hald.
Medeltidsstaden 30 - Broberg, Birgitta m. fl.,
KERAMIK, KAMMAR OCH SKOR FRÅN 7 MEDELTIDA STÄDER.
Fyndstudie. Illustr. Sth 1981. 166 pp.
(Ceramics, Combs and Shoes from 7 Medieval Cities.)
Morris, Carole A.: Craft, Industry and Everyday Life: Wood and
Woodworking
in Anglo-Scandinavian and Medieval York: The Archaeology of York
- The Small Finds Series 17/13, 2000, app. 400pp, 225 illus.,
paperback, (Council for British Archaeology, Bowes Morrell
House, 111 Walmgate, York, Y01 9WA), ISBN 1902771109, Available
through Oxbowbooks.com or the York Archaeological Trust -
http://www.yorkarch.demon.co.uk/
Has a lot of information on medieval woodturning. Depicts
woodworking tools and techniques, the craft of lathe turning,
vessels, and resultant waste; coopered vessels; domestic
equipment and utensils; boxes and enclosed containers;
furniture bits; personal items; manual and agricultural
implements; textile implements; implements used for non-
woodworking crafts and activities; games and passtimes;
building bits and fragments; pegs and miscellaneous implements;
two saddle bows; and a willow shoe last; with a large
bibliography and a small glossary.
Moscati, Sabatino & Venceslas Kruta (eds): The Celts;
New York, Rizzoli, (1999. 719pp, Bibliography, Photo. & Illus., 8vo,
First Edition paperback, New Softcover. $35.00), or 1991 Hardback,
ISBN: 0-8478-1407-6, 712 pp., dustjacket. Huge book, lots of color
pictures, for a major exhibition. A great many tools, including
the remains of a saddler's leather bag with the (many) tools in
it. Pottery reproductions of various shoes.
This thing is indexed by locality only. Lots of chariots and
wagons, weapons, armor, shields (with diagrams good enough to
reproduce). Kinda the Ultimate Celt Book, at least 2" thick by
many authors in many countries. Lots of metalwork and pottery,
and everyday items, sculpture, drawings of recreated graves,
oppida, etc. Tremendous amount of jewelry and fittings.
Needham, Paul: Twelve Centuries of Bookbindings 400-1600; New York:
Pierpont Morgan Library, 1979, 4to, xxvii + 338 pages, 100
illustrations. First paperback edition. Illustrates and
discusses "The Codex Book and the Earliest Bookbindings",
Medieval Treasure Bindings", and "Early European Leather
Bookbindings".
Nenno, Rosita: "Gerbeverfahren, Lederverarbeitung, und Zeirtechniken"
in: Europa"ische Technik in Mittelalter, 800 bis 1400, Tradition
and Innovation, Ein Handbuch, by Uta Lindgren, Gebr. Mann Verlag,
Berlin, 1996. ISBN 3786117489. Leather article covers pages
487-92, includes closeups of several highly molded caskets.
Nicolaysen, Nicolay: Langskibet Fra Gokstad Ved Sandefjord /
The Viking-Ship Discovered at Gokstad in Norway; Softcover.
Gregg International, Reprint of 1882 ed. , Kristiania: A.
Cammermeyer, Farnborough, England (1971) is available in
"print on demand" at http://www.alibris.com/ $48.50
Print On Demand: 2001 black and white facsimile of original
book. Charts and graphics may be obscured or resized to fit
pages. No cover art (generic softcover binding).
pp. 118. Norwegian/English. more details ISBN: 0598010394
Alibris.com I.D.: 8014706741 It is the original book from the man
who discovered the ship. Pictures and plates and repinted
in swedish and english in facing columns. Mine seems to have
been missing the very last plate which is the bones from the
excavation. However, the rest has to do with the Gokstad ship
plan, the furniture, beds, carvings, the Faering (small boat),
the dress accessories (cast metal bits), shields, treen
(woodenware), etc. One of the interesting leather bits is the
remains of a small pouch or purse, originally cloth lined.
Oakeshott, Ewart, The Archaeology of Weapons;
For medieval sword belt fittings. ISBN 1566195969
Okasha, E.: "Anglo-Saxon Inscribed Sheaths from Aachen, Dublin, and
Trondheim";
Medieval Archaeology 36, 1992, pp. 59-66, including bibliography &
plates IV and V depicting 5 sheaths.
Ottaway, Patrick, 'Anglo-Scandinavian Ironwork from Coppergate', 1992,
Archaeology of York AY17/6, CBA, London. Shows awls and creasers
from 16-22 Coppergate, York.
Rahme, Lotta and Dag Hartman (chemistry sections): Leather - Preparation
and Tanning by Traditional Methods; Translated from the Swedish
by David Greenbaum, Jack C. Thompson, editor, copyright 1995,
1998 by the Caber Press, 7549 N. Fenwick, Portland OR 97217,
Www.teleport.com/~tcl Thompson Conservation Laboratory.
ISBN 1887719008. LoC# 95-71505. Covers:
History - tanning methods, equipment, pictorial representations,
clothing finds, tanners in literature, leathercraft as an
Every Day Task; The Inuit - the caribou Inuit, the first
clothing; The Indians - the Dogrib Indians, Decorations; The
Sami - bark tanning; Tanners - the Guild System, the Malung
tanners, the Structure of Skin - protein chemistry; Hides and
Skin; Curing - Drying, Salting, Freezing; Fleshing - Scraping
on a trestle, Scraping on a Frame; The Beam - the scraping post;
Pre-tanning - soaking, hair removal, liming, brain soak,
pickling; Tanning - oil tanning: Chamois clothes, chemistry;
Recipes; Alum Tawing: Chemistry, Recipes; A Soak of Oatmeal,
Salt and Water: Recipes. Urine Tanning Recipes. Dyeing -
Alum-tawed leather, Chamois leather, Bark tanned leather;
Oil Tanning - Recipes. Softening; Cleaning; Glue; Parchment;
Some different varieties of leather, Shopping list;
Study Plan; Bibliography.
viii, 112 pages, 3 page bibliography, 93 illustrations.
de Récy, Georges: Leather Work; From the French of Georges de Récy (The
Decoration of Leather) translated by Maude Nathan, (1905)
Reprinted 2000, The Caber Press, Jack C. Thompson, Editor.
Originally 104 pages reduced to 48, retaining the period
Middle Ages and Renaissance information and pictures,
dropping the modern material. Eleven pictures depict leather
caskets (3); An Italian 15th C.case of cut and embossed
leather cuir bouilli; a French 14th C. Coffret, incised,
colored and gilt, a case of cut and punched leather - German,
15th C., an Italian cover of a Case for a cup in wood
covered embossed leather - cuir bouilli, embossed, painted
and gilt, about 1500; A Powder-flask of wood covered with
leather - cuir bouilli, cut and embossed - Italian 16th C.;
An Italian 16th C. Shield of cut and embossed cuir bouilli;
A Blind stamped leather bookbinding oF the Winchester
Domesday Book - English 12th C.; A 15th C. German Brown
Leather bookbindind, cut and engraved with punched background
- German MS. Chronicle of Events; A blind-stamped Morroco
binding with gilt roundels and coloured cameo design - Celsus.
De Medicina, Venice 1477, A cover of a work box of wood
covered with embossed leather, cuir bouilli, German 16th C..
Sections include Tools and Leather, Choice of Skin, Methods
of working in leather: tracing the design on the leather,
Incising the leather, Modelling Tools, Embossing leather,
modelled leather with Punched background, Leather Hangings
and Furniture, Some extracts from the report of the commitee
on leather for bookbinding appointed by the Society of Arts,
February 1900.
Russell, Janet: English Medieval Leatherwork; Arch. Journal 96 (1)
1939, pp. 132-41 and plates I-VI. Discusses metal stamps,
embossed and relief designs, blunt tool engravings, incised
designs, cuir bouilli, painting and gilding, guilds,
illustrates sheathes, part of a saddle, shoe toe, short
select bibliography. Plate I contains a fifteenth century
knife sheath with fleur-de-lis stamps in an under and over
double lattice running between diamonds (quite attractive),
and the upper and lower pieces of an embossed thirteenth
century knife sheath at roughly 2/3 scale size, totaling
about nine inches each. Plate II shows an embossed fifteenth
century Rondel Dagger Sheath with incised coil decoration;
Part of stamped and incised Fleur-de Lys decoration on a
belt (very intricately and numerously stamped; and a small
bit of Moulded Relief decoration on a cuir-bouilli inkwell,
showing three saints in arcaded little panels over a man
(Saint Sebastian probably) with his hands tied behind him
and three arrow heads to either side of his arcade,
with archers on either side of him in their arcaded panels.
Plate III shows an incised knife sheath, fifteenth century
(9 1/2"); an engraved knife sheath with embossed birds in
acanthus scrolls of the 12th C. (8"); and Part of a
sword-sheath decorated with punched and engraved fleur-
de-lys of the 14-15th centuries (13"). Plate IV shows the
upper part of a knife sheath, back engraved with animals in
Acanthus Roundels and the front having designs of chevrons
and three shields in both embossed and lightly stamped and
cut designs. Plate V shows a 14th C. knife sheath with
dull tool embossed cross-hatch designs; a 15th C. sheath
with engraved and pricked design of diamonds with strapping
between them and varying designs within them; and a small
part of a 13-14th C. zoomorphic design. Plate VI shows a
suggested part of a saddle (now taken to be an upper arm guard)
with foliage and animals. Plate VII shows the triangular
supposed toe of a shoe, which is taken to be the highest
degree of Medieval Leather Craftsmanship attained in the
late middle ages. The article is probably the best discussion
of decorative styles of leatherwork and cuir bouilli to be found.
Schnack, Christine: Mittelalterliche Lederfunde aus Konstanz (Grabung
Fischmarkt) Landesdenkmalamt Baden-Wurttemburg 1994
Kommissionverlag - Konrad Theiss Verlag - Stuttgart. 54 pages
and 50 plates. About $45- Has a fantastic bibliography on
leatherworking and shoes. ISBN 3-8062-1165-5 The timeline
looked to be before 1100 to about 1500 and included sheathes,
pouches, and some mittens. Some highly decorated.
Scott, Russell: Unsheathing the Dark Age Scabbard, The Medieval Scabbard
in Manuscript Art and Archaeological Finds; No date, 56 page,
paperbound.
Distributed by: The Vikings! Norse Film and Pageant Society.
They are on the web.
Scull, Christopher, with many assorted other authors: Excavation and
Survey at Watchfield, 1983-32; Arch. Journal 149, 1992,
pp.124-281. Includes many photographs and drawings of an early
Anglo-Saxon Cemetery and it’s inhabitants and their possessions
from the Vale of the White Horse.
Some finds are neolithic to medieval, one is 1700’s knife
handle, other finds include glass and bone beads, brooches,
weapons, shield rivets, handles and umbos, - a deteriorated
leather scabbard and a scale case made of leather with
scales and weights and inscription -, cauldron bits and
fittings, tweezers, knives, buckles, Anglo-Saxon saucer
brooches and one’s construction, ear spoon, square headed
brooches, amber, dress pins, skeletal remains with analysis,
remains of horn handle for sword, electron pictures of grooves
cut in carnelian by a bow drill, reconstructions of the
pattern welded sword blades (similar to Sutton Hoo but not
quite as complex, nine page bibliography. Most things are
drawn and not photographed in the text. Excellent coverage
of most materials and discussions of specific fields of
items by specialists. 11gbp4/01.
Severin, Tim: The Brendan Voyage. A medieval boat, made of leather, and
how a crew sailed it across the Atlantic from Ireland to
North America. Drawings by Trondur Patursson. Hutchinson,
London 1978, 1st edition.. Octavo. ix + 292 pages, map, 48
plates, illustrations, decorative endpapers. Original blue
cloth, gilt.
Shaw-Smith, David: Ireland's Traditional Crafts; Thames & Hudson, 1984,
ISBN 0500013217. Contains two illustrated pages on making
pampooties by native Aran Islanders.
Speake, G.: A Saxon Bed Burial on Swallowcliffe Down (Wiltshire) English
Heritage Archaeological Report, English Heritage, London 10,
1989, vii, 135 pp, pls, figs, table, refs, index, 18#, paper,
1850742111, "A BA barrow had been excavated by L. and F. de M
Vatcher in 1966 had been reused in 7th C AD for a richly
furnished Anglo-Saxon inhumation of a female aged 18 to 25 years.
She lay on an ash wood bed with elaborate iron fittings, and
was surrounded by high quality grave-goods including an iron
bound bucket, a maplewood casket containing a sprinkler, a
spoon, and personal items, an ornate satchel with gold foil
mounts of possible Christian significance, and a bronze-mounted
bucket. The burial’s significance is considered in its local
and national context. Documentary and topographical evidence
suggest the possible identification of the barrow with Posses
Hlaewe, recorded in a charter of AD 940." OS report 10.
Publ: 1/1/89 ISBN: 01-85074-211-1 £22.20 PRODUCT CODE: XA13010
Price: Paperback £10 / Customer Services on 0870 333 1181
or customers@english-heritage.org.uk Copies of the English
Heritage publications are available from Room 209, 23 Savile
Row, London W1X 1AB http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/
A leather satchel of 800 AD. Remains of the satchel, satchel
reconstructed; fancy satchel mounts with archaeological
comparisons to other jewellery. Looks a bit like St. Cuthbert's
cross to me; Moylough, Ireland belt reliquary. Ardagh Chalice
fitting; various mould fragments from the Mote of Mark.
Big Bibliography.
Swann, June: History of Footwear in Norway, Sweden and Finland.
Prehistory to 1950; Publisher: Kungl. Vitterhets och
Antikvitets Akademien 2001.; (Royal Academy of Letters,
History, and Antiquities, Stockholm; Almqvist and Wiksell
International, Stockholm, Sweden; ISBN 9174023233, 23.5x21 cm.,
357 s. (pages) Ill. (in color frequently) Publisher's
printed wrappers. Sold by the largest bookseller in Sweden:
Ronnells Antikvariat AB, Birger Jarlsgatan 32, Stockholm,
Sweden, S114 29. Phone: +46 8 545 015 60. Fax: +46 8 545 015 69.
Email: ronnells@svaf.se; Bookseller Inventory # 45769
Price: K 340.00 (approx. US$ 32.43) plus shipping from Sweden.
It is a large paperback, with frequent color photographs
and illustrations from many previous archaeological books
concerning shoes. The scope of the book covers more than
just the three countries in the title.
The wool embroideries on the multiple Bergen shoes are in
color in this book for example. Covers prehistoric, some
Coptic, a few Scottish, a couple Saami, Aran Islands, German
Halstatt pottery reproductions, the Bergen last, a simple
Danish one piece, others from the iron age covered by Hald,
a number of Roman shoes from Germany, migration period shoes,
some of the Irish one pieces (inc. probably the handsomest
example of these); shoes from carvings, the Charlemagne
sculpture, and the Torslunda helmet plaque patrice; the
Viking Period (Staraja Ladoga; Oseberg; Mindets tomt, Olso;
an Ottonian ivory; English illuminations; Bergen, Norway;
Trondheim, Norway; a walrus Ivory carving from the V&A;
10/11th C. Ostfold, Norway gold spur). The Early Medieval
period: Bayeaux Tapestry examples; St. Olav’s Statue from
Norway; 11th C. Shoe Soles from Oslo; Silk shoe offcut from
Trondheim, Norway; Various shoes from Trondheim, Oslo, Lund,
Uppsala, and Bergen. The later Medieval Period: illustration
of a Polish Shoemaker's workshop; a woodblock of St. Crispin
and St. Crispianus making shoes from Paris; the Mendel
Hausbuch shoemaker illustration; various other paintings;
poulaines from Stockholm and Switzerland; a colour illumination
from Germany of the King of Sweden and Duke of Mecklenburg;
various church paintings and a sculpture from Sweden; views
of a bishop's platform shoes, boots, an unusual patten and
top piece; Leather overshoe, footwear with decorative cut-outs;
a shoe with a net upper. Ankle shoes, square and ear toed
shoes, buckle ankle shoe, cowmouth shoes, an Illustration
from Maximillian's Triumph showing shoe sellers carrying
50 pairs; Gustav Vasa and other nobles in colour, a highly
embroidered shoe in colour, sailor's shoes by Goubitz from
a shipwreck; slip on shoes, an embroidered Tartar boot from
the Khan (1582); Tartar decorated bowcase, arrow quiver and
boots (1549) illustration; a clog seller with another high
Venetian style chopine at his feet; decorated tie shoes.
After that it passes beyond 1600 at page 101. There are still
quite a bit of primitive shoes later on in the book, with
cuts and cross sections. 15 page bibliography.
Szirmai, Dr. J. A.: The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding: "for
period binding techniques, this book is the bible." $189,
an extensive chapter on Carolingian bookbinding (in the
bookbinding world, our period of interest is Carolingian),
with enough details, explanations, and documentation to
reproduce the binding techniques. He even provides histograms
of board thicknesses!" - Jim Graham.
Thompson, M. W.: Novgorod the Great, Excavations at the Medieval City by
A.V.
Artsikovsky and B.A. Kolchin, compiled and written by M.W. Thompson.
Frederick A. Praeger, Publ., New York, Washington, 1967, LoC 6714709.
Contains leather on pages 80-84. Things illustrated depict
Slippers, Shoes, and Boots, a Leather Mask and several Balls,
an Axe-sheathe, knife and spoon (eating utensil) cases.
Thunmark-Nylen, Lena: Die Wikingerzeit Gotlands I, Abbildungen der
Grabfunde; "This volume is therefore only the first of several
on the Viking Age of Gotland. Over 500 photos. (KVHAA Stockholm
1996) Paperback ISBN: 9174022415 Book # 16661P Oxbow Price:
£ 40.00 (approx. US$ 56.63)
"This volume provides photos of the grave groups from some
450 Viking graves on Gotland, approximately 40% of the known
excavated graves on the island; illustrated at 1:1 the graves
are arranged in chronological order and by sites. A further
volume will illustrate the finds from the remaining graves
and the two together will provide the basis for a catalogue
and study of the material.
Thunmark-Nylen, Lena: Die Wikingerzeit Gotlands II: Typentafeln
Volume of plates arranged by types of find. Includes an index
concordance which allows the reader to reconstruct associations.
German text. 307 b/w and 8 col pls (Almqvist and Wiksell 1998)
ISBN: 9174022873 Book # 23833P Oxbow Price:
£ 43.50 (approx. US$ 61.58).
In these books only photos are present. However there are metallic
remains that allowed the reconstruction of knife sheathes they
were trimed with and an unusual belt pouch.
The remaining three books, which I don't have yet are supposed
to discuss the finds.
Tweddle?: Anglo-Scandinavian Finds from Lloyds Bank, Pavement, and Other
Sites, which has write-ups on two leather sheaths from Jorvik,
Dominic Tweddle refers to the decoration as "incised" (p. 142).
These are the two sheaths that are also written up in the
exhibition catalogue _The Vikings in England and in Their Danish
Homeland_ (p. 119).
Vezin, J. (1989). Le decor des reiures de cuir pendant le haut Moyen
Age.
_Bulletin_du_Bibliophile_ , Vol 1 pp. 16-33.
"Has some great photos of 6 different stamped leather bindings
(mostly German, one French) from the 8th to 10th centuries.
Provides a discussion (or so my French-speaking friends tell me)
of blocking stamp-work through this time period, and provides
evidence (though not direct) that this technique was used
through the 11th century (again, like the pouches, this seems
to be a case where the technique was used just prior to and
just preceding the 11th century, but no surviving 11th century
evidence has been found - I'm relying on the translation of a
friend, so I'm not sure how eloquent his arguement is). While
the examples deal mainly with Continental bindings, paralells
are drawn between the examples and the Stonyhurst Gospel, and
he discusses Anglo-Saxon design in some detail."
- description by Jim Graham.
Waateringe, Willy Groenman- van: The Archaeology of Svenborg, Denmark.
No.5. Leather from Medieval Svenborg; by , Odense University
Press, 1988. ISBN 87-7492-698-5. Lots of shoe and boot patterns
with stitching and seam guides. Other pieces include; scabbards,
purses, bags, saddles, sling pouches, belts and straps.
Waateringe, Willy Groenman-van. Die Lederfunde von Haithabu. ("Leather
Finds from Hedeby") Schleswig-Holsteinishes, Landmuseum fur
vor- und Fruhgeschichte, Herausgegeben von Kurt Scheitzel,
1984, Karl Wachholtz Verlag, Neumunster, ISSN 0525-5791,
ISBN 3-529 19216.
From the Series "Berichtung uber die Ausgrabungen in Haithabu",
Berichte 21. "For those who are not aware Haithabu was originally
part of Denmark but is now under German control. The publication
is in German." I wish you luck finding one not in a library.
It has a viking age quiver and a simplistic pouch or two.
Waddington, Q. Viking sheaths of leather" Antiquaries Journal 7 (1927):
515-29.
Waterer, J.: ‘Irish Book-Satchels or Budgets‘, in Medieval Archaeology
12,
1968, pp. 70-82, plates IV-VII. Depicts the Breac Maoedoic
Budget; some stitching details used on budgets; exploded sketch
of the one-piece Irish Shoe, sewn together and the heel detail;
The Corpus Christi budget, a conjectural restoration.
Plate IV shows three views of the Breac Moedoic Budget, two
sides and a bottom view. Plate V shows a Mock-up of the Breac
Moedoic Budget in two views. Plate VI shows The Corpus Christi
Budget from the front (very damaged) and the Budget of the Book
of Armagh from the front. Plate VII shows the Armagh Budget
with the front flap raised to show the full front, and the back
of the same budget.
Waterer, John W.: Leather; Paper Covers. A 32 page illustrated booklet
reprinted from the 'History of Technology Vol II" for the Museum
of Leathercraft. Loosely inserted is another 8 page booklet
titled 'Reprint from The Oxford Companion to the Decorative Arts
- J.W. Waterer on Leathercraft"
Waterer, John William: Leather and the Warrior : an Account of the
Importance of Leather to the Fighting Man from the Time of the
Ancient Greeks to World War II ISBN 0 950418218 Museum of
Leathercraft, Bridgestreet, Northampton, Eng.
Issue Price £25.00 http://www.bookshop.co.uk/
Waterer article in Medieval Archeology, Vol. XII (1968) titled
"Irish Book-satchels or Budgets." Pp. 70-82.
Welch, Martin: Anglo-Saxon England; English Heritage PB Edition,
Batsford, 1992- 2000, ISBN 0713465662. 144pp., 91 illustrations,
appendices, 2 1/2 page bibliography. Cremation pot, truly
exceptional on building and walling methods, many redrawn
structures, burial practices, dress practices with placement
of brooches, cremation and grave structures, two phases of
objects by 50 year periods 475-575 and how the objects changed,
pottery stamps including one for Thor and one for Ale, wooden
bed from Swallowcliffe Down, bronze hanging bowl, a replica
of Childeric’s signet seal ring, 7th C. Gold pins and chain
set with garnets in the pin heads and a glass center boss,
Gold and Garnet beads and gold wire beads from Roundway Down,
-reconstruction of the Sutton Hoo ship burial stating that a
leather jerkin with gold shoulder clasps was suspended from
the chamber roof,_ - reconstructions of Saxons living amongst
Roman ruins, reconstruction of a fifth century Roman officer’s
broad belt from Dyke Hills at Dorchester.
Wilson, David M., F.S.A: An Anglo-Saxon Bookbinding at Fulda (Codex
Bonifatianus); Antiquaries Journal 41, 1961, pp. 199-217 and
plates XXXV-VIII, including five figures. Probably binding is
Northumbrian of late seventh century / eighth century date.
Depicts metal mounts, schematic drawings of both covers, the
press-blech pattern (patterned metal foil made on a matrix),
photos of front and back, mounts, detail of Hexham bucket
(similar design), channel and cord inside the back board,
reconstruction of the lower cover with mounts (this thing is
tooled). several similar bookbinding mounts from three other
finds, an Anglo-Saxon bookbinding stamp from Swanley, Kent
(A round stamp with a short tang and a celtic knot style
cross design), disposition of the stamps on the lower front
cover, binding mechanism (channels cut in the front and back
boards) shown diagrammatically, general and historical
descriptions of the whole book.
..............
NORTHAMPTON LEATHER and SHOE MUSEUM / Central Museum:
The footwear collection is possibly be the largest in the world.
The shoe collection contains over 1,000 items.
Central Museum and Art Gallery. Guildhall Road,
Northampton, England Tel: 01604 238548
http://www.northampton.gov.uk/Museums/Museums/museums.htm 1/02
for orders from the shop email: Betty Pegg on museums@northampton.gov.uk
or Telephone on +44 (0)1604 238548 1/02 This person sent me the wrong
book, insisted on it's return (it cost more to remail it than it was
worth), and I don't think I ever got credit for it back. I did get
the other book I had ordered. Buy in person if possible.
............
Leather Thickness Conversion Chart
Ounces / Millimeters / Irons / Fractional Inches / Decimal Inches
1 0.40 .75 1/64 .016
2 0.80 1.50 1/32 .031
3 1.20 2.25 3/64 .047
4 1.60 3.00 1/16 .063
5 2.00 3.75 5/64 .078
6 2.40 4.50 3/32 .094
7 2.80 5.25 7/64 .109
8 3.20 6.00 1/8 .125
9 3.60 6.75 9/64 .141
10 4.00 7.50 5/32 .156
11 4.40 8.25 11/64 .172
12 4.80 9.00 3/16 .188
............
The Crispin Colloquy - A web-based discussion forum for bootmaking
and shoemaking topics. Also wide ranging discussions regarding leather,
historical figures, sources and techniques. Open to the public.
http://www.thehcc.org/discus/ 7/02
..........
Master Magnus Malleus, OL, SCA; GDH; Regia © R.M. Howe
*No reposting my writings to newsgroups, especially rec.org.sca, or
the SCA-Universitas elist. I view this as violating copyright
restrictions. As long as it's to reenactor or SCA -closed- subscriber
based email lists or individuals I don't mind. It's meant to
help people without aggravating me.* Inclusion, in the
http://www.Florilegium.org/ or MoAS Atenveldt / or Chronicle
as always is permitted.
It generally helps if you want to ask me a question to put an
* in front of the subject line. I read by list, not by date generally.
"There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading,
the few who learn by observation, and the rest of them have to
pee on the electric fence for themselves." - Will Rogers