The art of tanning, from prehistory to today.
The noble art of leather working has very ancient origins. Just think of the fact that leather is one of the first materials that primitive man learned to use first of all as a container for supplies, then as a garment and finally as an ornament.
Moreover, the versatile nature of this material makes it suitable for any processing and use. Originally obtained only from wild animals, primitive man subsequently began to devote himself to breeding and to use the leather as a recycled material, recovered from the waste of the food chain. Since the leather putrefied in high temperatures and stiffened in low ones, the man sensed that it needed to be worked on. That’s why he began to expose it to the smoke of vegetable fires with the aim of preserving its duration.
The Greeks and Romans, on the other hand, used vegetable tanned leather to build shields and armor, but it was in the Renaissance that this material began to spread and to be used to produce expensive footwear.
Vegetable tanning was, in fact, the only method known until the second half of the 19th century. In this period, the tanning of luxury leathers with alum also began, as is still done today. Over time, technology has evolved and the quality of leather has improved, but leather continues to be the living and natural material appreciated since prehistoric times.
Today, the processing of a leather requires over 17 operations before it is ready for use. Yet the distinctive element continues to be the human factor. High-tech instruments have been invented, but manual skills make the difference. The craftsman with his fair made in Italy savoir makes each leather different and at the same time better. It is precisely the love for leather and for craftsmanship that makes our hides perfect for creating luxury objects.
