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DATING AND ATTRIBUTIONS «f cody piata and moulds must Kavc mcant that, in the field of gik leather, a panem wu kepe gong far a long rime.

As we have jon ta id, gili leather Hangingt wcrc freguentły shown in SpanisH pamnngt of (be fifoenth and sbttecnth centurio, tomerimes as a backdrop behind the central figuro, and thcK are rendered with coiuidcrable realism. For exampie, noc contenc with a mcticulous reptesentation of the painted panem on the gik gromad and, in tonie cascs, dehneating the seamt by which the panek were joincd together, the painter had cven gone to the notable of rtproducing, noc in paint but physically, the Kamping with kkrm (iron tools) which was a conunon featurc of the fudmrri tcchnique of the period (Plato 5-7). In panicular, two pamrings of about 1490* dcmonstrate that this, the sccond phasc of/nafinwd, was a wdl established att at this datę. One of these cumpłei (Platę ó) abo thows toocho of ted and green glazes. The ptacticc of pladng a dccorativc panel or backdrop behind the central figurę in a painting probably derrad from the work of Fkaush pamters, for acamplc, Dinie Bouts, Gerard David, Hans Memlinc and Jan tan Eyck, who drpteted cody brocadcs m which fiolds were clearly shown.² Bot m Spain jfntdmta was subititutcd far woven (abrics. Thcre is no doubc that this is whac they att becaote the pand joins are clearly indicatcd.

Another featurc, which relates to the chód and faurth phases of gili leather hangings. when the patterns were embosied, is also worthy ofstudy, namcly the technŃjucs employed in painting fruit, flowers and foliage. In coundess cxamplci from the scvcntccnd) and cightecuth centuria miy be found a carcful and delicate painting of dcciii. In particular the tcining and thading of flowers is strongly reminiscent of the work of the flower* painten of the Low Countrics and it might be cooduded that soch worlu are Flemish or Dach. But herc difficulty it cńcountcrcd. far thcre cxist somc identical design*, siinilady painted, to which bod) Flandcts and Spam lay claim, and ochcn which, akboogh ptactically identical, havc snuli diffćrcnces of detail (in some casa teversal of the design) that provc they were madę from diffćrent piata or moulds. This dchcacc painting is abo found in eaampla almoet ccrtainly of Spanish origin, and herc the mning might be assumed to have dermd kom the work of the Catalonian pnmkms. Bot preciicly the same kind of ddicate vdning is to be obsaved on the V<ncsaan^rtr chair which a thought to datę from the cightcenth cenniry (Pkte 7*)-

Cernio design* could hm been, and no doubc were, produced both in Spain and in the Spaaah Ncthctlands. Plam or moulds were cumbenomc and heavy and possibly theii cxpon was peohibited: k would hm been ampla to transfer a nibbing or an <m-