Description

Cowhide Florentine Moulded Box

Rounded shape, no lining

Gold decoration

Size: 5 x 3 cm.

 

THE MOULDING OF THICK SOLID LEATHER

IT IS A FLORENTINE CRAFT WHICH GOES BACK A FEW CENTURIES AND IT IS THE FUSION OF VARIOUS ANCIENT LEATHER CRAFTS, WE CAN INFACT RECOGNIZE MANY OF THE TECHNIQUES USED IN THE PAST TO MAKE SHOES, SHIELD, ARMOURS ETC…

THIS WORKMANSHIP WAS INITIALY USED FOR MILITARY PURPOSES DUE TO THE THICKNESS OF THE HIDES, BY GLUEING SEVERAL LAYERS TOGETHER YOU COULD ACHIEVE A REASONABLY RESISTANT MATERIAL STILL LIGHT ENOUGH TO BE WORN.

THE LAYERS OF  ROUGH LEATHER ARE FIRST SOACKED IN WATER TO MAKE THEM FLEXIBLE AND THAN ARE WRAPED AROUND A WOODEN MOULD AND FIXED TO IT WITH A COUPLE OF NAILS, THIS IS REPEATED AS MANY TIMES AS YOU NEED AND PUT NEXT TO A SOURCE OF HIT, AS THEY DRY THEY SHRINK AROUND THE MOULD TAKING ITS SHAPE. NEXT STEP IS DYING OF THE BOX, ONLY VEGETABLE COLOURS ARE USED AND THEY’RE THAN FIXED WITH PARAFFIN WAX. ALL THOSE PROCESS ARE MADE BY HAND. LAST THINK IS THE GOLD DECORATION IN 22.8KT GOLD. NOWADAYS GOLD USED ISA SORT OF FILM AND IT TOOK THE PLACE OF THE GOLD LEAF USED IN THE PAST. ONCE ALL THIS IS DONE THE CRAFTSMAN OPEN THE BOX TO REMOVE THE MOULD THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN INSIDE, THIS IS THE MOST DELICATE PART OF THE JOB. A VERY SHARP KNIFE IS USED FREE HAND BY THE ARTISAN WHICH HAS TO CUT ALL THE LAYERS OF LEATHER EXEPT THE FIRST ONE WHICH WILL BE THE JOINT OF THE BOX. MOULD AND NAILS ARE REMOVED AND BOX IS READY.

IT IS NOT UNTIL THE MID 1500’S THAT THIS SAME TECHNIQUE WAS INTRODUCED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PRATICAL DAILY USE ITEMS. THE SOLIDITY OF THIS MATERIAL MADE IT SUITABLE TO HOLD VARIOUS OBJECTS, INFACT WITH A PADDED LINING THE CASE BECOME PERFECT TO HOLD THE MOST DELICATE AND FRAGILE OBJECTS OR LEAVING IT ROUGH INSIDE CAN BE USED  FOR ALL SORT OF TABLE GAMES OR STATIONERY OR WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE.

THE STORY GOES THAT WHEN IN 1533 CATERINA OF THE MEDICI MARRIED THE  KING OF FRANCE HENRY II, THE JEWELRY THAT SHE BROUGHT AS HER DOWRY WAS CONTAINED IN LEATHER CASES OF THIS SORT, PRESENTS OF THE FLORENTINE LEATHER MASTERS SO THAT SHE WOULD NOT FORGET HER CITY AS LONG AS SHE LIVED. THIS IS WHAT NOWADAYS IS CALLED SIMPLY THE “FLORENTINE SOLID LEATHER BOX” AND WE CAN WELL SAY THAT IT REPRESENTS A PRECIOUS HERITAGE THAT WE CANNOT AND WE DO NOT WANT TO LOOSE. UNFORTUNATELY THIS UNIQUE CRAFT HAS NOWADAYS NEARLY DISAPPEARED DUE TO THE GREAT MASS-PRODUCTION WHICH HAS INVADED THE MARKET, AND AS A CONSEQUENCE, IN THE WHOLE OF FLORENCE, THERE ARE FEW CRAFTMEN LEFT THAT PRODUCE THIS FASCINATING ITEM.

LLW, SINCE IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1968, HAS DEDICATED A GOOD PART OF ITS BUSINESS IN CARRYING ON THIS FLORENTINE CRAFT SO DUE TO ITS EXPERIENCE IT IS PROUD TO OFFER ONE

OF THE LARGEST ASSORTMENTS IN FLORENCE OF THESE UNIQUE ITEMS.