1 82 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
CUT LEATHER 
Ann Shazv 
HAD heard much concerning the leather articles 
manufactured at Vienna but was not quite pre- 
pared for the wonderful effects to be obtained 
by brush and tool on such materials. The num- 
erous shops one passes in the streets of Vienna, 
(to me one of the most beautiful of European cities,) contain 
fine examples of the work, but it remains for one shop on the 
Kolmahrt to surpass in exquisite design and execution all 
others in this lately renewed art. 
As the trend of the time seems to be to the conventional 
in design and the combination of Persian coloring, enriched 
by gold and occasional jewels, I find this style predominant in 
leather work also. 
The Arabs were the most noted cutters and fashioners of 
leather of the early times, using it to enrich the trappings 
that adorned the magnificent steeds whose royal service caused 
them to carry themselves and their mountings with such im- 
perial grace. The art was almost obsolete for seven decades, 
and it remained for the practical and enterprising German to 
study out and renew this useful but lost art, that is of such 
practical as well as artistic value, as leather can be used in so 
many necessary articles. These would remain plain and un- 
attractive without the added charms of decoration. The Ger- 
man who first noted the clever work on old saddles and 
leather articles used by the Arabs, obtained permission to ex- 
amine carefully some rare specimens of work exhibited in a 
museum, and from there deducted the facts that the leather 
was prepared carefully, then designed and cut with tools of 
which he knew naught.- He however fashioned from nails 
tools with which he experimented. After years of experience 
and hard work he died leaving a mode of handling such work 
that it (though crude) caused his efforts to be continued. 
Now one can obtain for a few florins a set of tools with which 
great results may be produced even by an amateur. The cut 
leather is considered the finest, as it can only be done suc- 
cessfully by hand and no machine work can in any way ap- 
proach it. The enameling and stamped gold is essentially 
factory work, as the machines requi.ed can not be used by 
amateurs. A wonderfully effective blotter and writing pad 
which was exhibited at last year's Salon in Paris and received 
a mention for artistic design and execution was wrought by 
a V. It was a beautiful trifle and can easily be reproduced 
by a beginner, light leather of a greenish tone shading at 
the edges to a deep cream, being used. The leather had been 
chosen with care, for its fine grain, not too thin, and was taken 
from the centre of the skin which is the best, though most 
expensive of course. A design of orchids growing from one 
corner was lightly traced, then the edges cut rather deep in 
the outline and turned by the modeling tool. The leaves 
were then veined in the same way, while the petals of the 
flowers were of very thin white kid inlaid as it were on the 
leather. The kid was tinted a bit toward the center of the 
flower with purple and at the immediate centre with yellow 
while in this latter was set by means of a gilt vine an uncut 
amethyst. The entire outline was then darkened slightly by 
means of the modeling tool being heated over an alcohol 
lamp and the tool used after the manner of a burnt wood tool. 
The background under the orchids was then stained a dark 
brownish color fading toward the top to the tone of the 
leather. The book was lined with white moray and the 
edges artistically finished by lacing the two materials together 
with a fine leather thong. They can of course be turned and 
mounted as the regular workmen do, but it gives a much 
more mechanical and commercial look to it all. Book design, 
ing in all materials has been growing steadily for the last few 
years and now one finds almost as much thought bestowed on 
the cover and its corresponding in color and design with the 
illustrations, as is given to the literary effort itself. This 
however is a different line on which I will not dwell here, but 
will speak of some useful and beautiful articles in cut leather. 
Card cases, picture frames, shopping bags, memorandum 
books, and countless other small trifles used every day may 
be fashioned and decorated with little trouble. 
Some handsome chairs ordered by royalty were of dark 
oak with seat and back of a dark brown natural colored leather, 
and the coat of arms exquisitely executed on the back, 
while the leather seat was in a conventional design very much 
raised. This effect is gained by padding the design from un- 
derneath with a cement for the purpose, which hardens and 
then keeps the leather in place, and centuries of hard usage 
can not change it when once dried and properly mounted. 
There is an interest displayed in this work and it bids fair 
to prove a very lucrative field for artistic and original workers 
and one that as yet is not over crowded, especially in our 
country. 
Vienna, September 25, 1899. 
o 
f 1? 
SUPPLEMENT 
UR supplement is an imported German study showing 
how the Pheasant can be used decoratively. This can 
be reproduced in color or lustre, and outlined in gold or color. 
It is particularly suitable for a vase or tankard. 
THE PARIS EXHIBIT 
To the Members of the National League of Mineral 'Painters : 
The following circular is addressed to the four hundred and thirty artists 
constituting the rank and file of the National League. 
The result of careful examination of contracts for space in the League's 
exhibit at Paris, and comparison of same, the maximum limit of time having 
been secured, and details of transportation settled we are now able to place 
before you these final instructions. 
The apportionment of space is necessarily your first consideration and 
your decisions will have a bearing of no small proportion upon ihe efforts of 
the Board of Managers towards justice to all exhibitors and economy in the 
use of the space allotted to the National League. 
A thorough calculation of the available space, and a well studied plan of 
arrangement of glass cases proves that we could give to many more exhibitors 
each one square foot of space. 
To make our exhibit the artistic and financial success for which we are 
striving we ask you to give us your highest support. 
If you will keep close to your heart and uppermost in your mind, for the 
next few weeks, the proper carrying forward of this enterprise in which you 
are, we believe, deeply interested, success will be ours. 
The National League contract for space is No. 25, Department of Varied 
Industries, Group XII, Class 72, running feet of Colonade n ; length of room 
in feet, 12.2-Hs ; depth of room in feet, 10.7 ; wall space, 299 square feet. 
RULES iND SUGGESTIONS I-OK EXHIBITORS AND JUDGES. 
As the contracts for individual exhibitors for the Paris Exposition call for such 
unequal divisions of space the Advisory Board believes that it will be more just to 
those having smaller exhibits to make additional charges lor extra apace. Exhib- 
itors should be guided by the following suggestions from the Board before submit- 
ting pieces to their local judges : 
A registration fee of five dollars entitles each exhibitor to one square foot of 
space, and no further assessment will be made lor that amount of space. For 
every additional foot an extra ch irge of three dollars will be made. Fees payable 
upon the decision of the judges. 
Believing it to be for the best interest of the League, we urgently recommend 
that the executive of each club interest themselves personally in obtaining the best 
representative work of their club to place before the jury of selection. The Com- 
missioners suggest that a small but choice exhibit would reflect more credit to the 
League than a larger one, in which the lines were not so closely drawn. 
The judges are instructed to show a preference to all pieces decorated on Anier 
