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- Tanning |
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| History |
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THE DAWN
Leather tanning is undoubtedly one of the oldest crafts known to man.
The skins obtained from hunting and breeding were initially used
to make clothing or tents, but they became stiff at low temperatures
and rotted in the heat.
They were probably later rubbed with animal fats to make them more
flexible and durable.
This represented the first rudimentary tanning process and is documented
in Homer's Illiad and various Assyrian writings.
Another process used in ancient times was smoking - almost certainly
discovered by chance.
This then lead to tanning with aldehyde, an element present in
the smoke emitted by burning leaves and green twigs.
It was soon found that the putrefecation process could also be
slowed down by drying, carried out by exposure to the sun or by
rubbing in salt. Vegetable tanning, in its turn, was also known
in far off times, although it is not clear how the properties of
the tannin found in the bark of some trees (especially oak) was
discovered.
The other method known since 'the dawn of time' is tanning with
alum.
This mineral is quite widespread in its natural state, particularly
in volcanic areas.
These processes, which gradually became more refined and effective,
provided the basis for the use of leather in the ancient world,
and continued to do so for centuries and centuries, right through
to the present.
Evidence of widespread use of these techniques has been found in
numerous written documents and paintings, and in archaeological
finds. In Mesopotamia, for example, the Sumerians used leather to
make long dresses and diadems for women between the fifth and third
milleniums BC.
The Assyrians used leather for footwear, and also for wineskins
which, when inflated, served as floats for rafts. But it was the
ancient Indian civilisation that first began to process leather
in the manner now known as 'Morocco'. The Egyptians also achieved
considerable skills in working leather, using it for clothing (even
for gloves), tools, weapons and simple ornaments.
The Phoenecians came up with an interesting use for leather: according
to the historian Strabo they fashioned it into water pipes. In Roman
times leather was widely used in all corners of the Empire, where
the best tanning methods were introduced if these had not already
been developed locally.
The Romans used leather for footwear and clothing, and for making
shields and harnesses. A tannery of the period was discovered amongst
the ruins of Pompei and was found to contain all the equipment that
was to remain in use over subsequent centuries.
FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO THE PRESENT
'Cordovan' leather production was developed during the eighth century
in Spain, then under Moorish domination, and, thanks to the important
advances this represented for the tanning process, remained famous
throughout Europe for centuries.
But Marco Polo demonstrated that working leather was not restricted
only to the Western world. In his 'Il Milione' he tells us that
the Mongols had been using leather for flasks, blankets, masks and
caps, and until last century few substantial changes had been made
to their tanning methods.
Oil tanning was used to produce skins for protective garments,
and alum tanning was also widespread, though not always entirely
successful.
Various finishing operations were also often made to make the leather
more supple and give it a better appearance, mainly through dyeing.
In addition to their practical uses, these products also served
decorative purposes.
As early as the fourteenth century, for example, leather was combined
with wood to produce chairs, sedans and benches with a skill approaching
that of genuine art. This was also the case with upholstery (especially
in Venice in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries), and the construction
of boxes and jewel cases, while leather also lent refinement and
durability to the craft of bookbinding.
Going back to tanning techniques, the depilatory action of quick
lime was discovered around about the Middle Ages, a technique that
is still valid and in normal use. But a radical shake-up in the
middle of last century came with the discovery of the tanning properties
of chrome salts. This lead to great improvements in production quality
when it was adopted by industry towards the end of the century.
Another revolutionary factor was the substitution of the tanning
pit with the rotating drum, along with the discovery of new types
of tannins. As a result of these innovations, the time needed for
tanning was greatly reduced; a process requiring eight to twelve
months was reduced to just a few days.
In conclusion, we'll make a backward jump to look at the systems
and tools used for working leather. And we find that these remained
almost unchanged from Paleolithic times to the threshold of the
modern era, apart from improvements in efficiency and ease of use.
Similar tools for fleshing, scraping, shaving, perching, padding
and trimming have been found from almost every historical period
in which tanning was carried out.
This is a further indication that the craft of tanning skins has
been in step with the history of mankind, retaining a level of craftsmanship
that, even now in times of increasing automation, is still closely
linked to the personal sensitivity and solid experience of the tanner.
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Tanning
History