IMGR13

PREFACE

The resulcs of several yeais* researcb into thc obscurc and tangled bisiory of 'Spanish* leather was communicated to che Socicty of Antiquarics of London, in a papcr by che author of this book, on 19 November 1964. Coosklerabłe intercst was irouscd by a smali but representative exhibition arrangcd by thc Museum of Leathercraft at che Royal £xchange in the City of London, in March 1965, and a $ubsequcnt, moce sdecrive one, in the Am Club, London. The Inter, in pardcular, is still tallced about and it ii elear thar the beauty and variety of this spcctacular form of interior decoradon was a revelauon to many, evcn when judged by a rcbdvdy smali sdection. Theauthor was encouraged to puisoc his cnquiricswhich haveled him to Spam, France, Flanders, Holland, Germany and bały, and this book is the rcsult.

The ongins and tnie significance of'Spanish' leather have bcen so long forgotten chat an attempt to disentangfc part of the involved story seems justified herc, espedally as tbere arc no convcnient sources of enlightenment. Nothing of oonsequence bas bcen writteo in English about its generał history. Some sixtecnth-century Italian, French and Spanish books contain high praisc of'gold leather* bur itry linie factual infcrmadon. Diderot and de Bondaroy ofthe French Academy describcd and illnstrated che methods employed in che dghteenth ccatury, md anocher Frcnchman, Davillier, recorded some important historical matter in 1870.' During the present century sevcral Spanish hisroriani have dehtd into mciatt records and broughr 10 light valuable Information bearing 00 the organisadon of the jwjmra crafi in Spain, chiefly during thc nncendi and ieventeenth oencuries;² and a Dutch hiscorian, G. Doorman,¹ has delvcd, rewardingly, into records

¹ Dmlia, ftuoo Chuła, Nurt m la adn it Corlm, Pani, 1870.

* ^RfJŁurócadeAidlaiN\Jotf FoniKiBTofTcSrJ. GuidoljrGinilland Vńtsy Gicai (scc Btbiiognphy). i Oocoufl, C, toauj* Imntmi in At Ntthtiimit iumj ikr Slxtrt*th, StmtmA mJEjf M Ctottto, T1*Hi|oe,/fłi_łpp.47-Jf

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