Japanese leather

Susan L. Maltby <susan.maltby [at] utoronto__ca> writes

>I am currently investigating early interior finishes for an 1889
>building.  A period newspaper article describes the walls as being
>covered with "Japanese leather".  This is a term that I am not
>familiar with.

I've checked through some 19th c. leather tanning books and found
nothing except references to Japanned finishes (linseed oil,
pigments, etc. to give a glossy finish).

H.R. Procter's 1936 book, The Principles of Leather Manufacture
gives one short reference:  "... the white Japanese leather used for
brace tabs is produced with rape oil." p. 461

Braces are another term for suspenders.  There was one other brief
reference in another book to alum tawed Japanese leather.

So, it appears that either a black or a white leather may have been
used in the 1889 interior....

There was another reference to tanned Japanese frog skins.

Jack C. Thompson
Thompson Conservation Lab.
7549 N. Fenwick
Portland, Oregon  97217
503-735-3942  (voice/fax)


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:52
                Distributed: Thursday, January 24, 2002
                       Message Id: cdl-15-52-003
                                  ***