Chair
Author: Unknown
Origin: Portugal
Dating: 17th century
Material: Wood, Leather & Brass
Dimensions (cm): 146,8 x 57,3 x 54,5
Inv. no.: PD0001
A high-backed chair in carved leather with brass nailing. It displays phytomorphic motifs, female figures, griffins and a coat of arms. The legs and crosspieces are carved.
In the first half of the 17th century, one of the most striking features of Portuguese pieces of furniture was the use of carved leather. It was used mostly in seats, backrests and armrests.
Leather comes from tanned animal skin that undergoes several procedures until reaching the final product. Then, several decorative techniques take place in order to proceed with the artwork. In this case, leather wallpaper was the chosen method: the design (made from paper) was pencil drawn in the leather (when damp, so it would to be malleable), then marked with a stylus and, lastly, opened with proper carving tools.
