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| Mandarin's
hat box, China, 19th Century |
| Samurai
warrior's armour, Japan |
Peoples of the World: Japan / China
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Leathercraft is still very much alive in Japan, where there is a particularly
long tradition of producing goods of deerskin. The Samurai of mediaeval Japan
with their exquisite armour, helmetry, saddlery and bows and arrows did much
to promote a highly sophisticated leatherworking industry. Dutch influence at
the close of the 16th century led to the introduction of gold-embossed wallpaper,
which the Japanese were later to produce in their own unique fashion as "kinkarakawa".
The Chinese, too, found unique ways of crafting and working with leather. Leather
cases and boxes were coated with lacquer, which was then carved in relief and
gilded. Shagreen - the skin of sharks and some rays - was also used throughout
China and Japan. In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, this attractive,
mostly green or beige-coloured material also became popular in Europe.
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Deutsches Ledermuseum / Schuhmuseum Offenbach |
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D-63067 Offenbach | Frankfurter Str. 86 | Tel. 0049-(0)69829798-0 | Fax 0049-(0)69810900 |
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Webpages created by Dr. Burkhard Gäbler |