Medieval Three-Dimensional Techniques

[LHissong]

Hi all,

Been looking at some medieval pieces lately and haven't been able to find a lot of information about how they were tooled. Some pieces, like the attached picture of a round canister, are obviously incised and could be recreated with modern tooling. Others, like the rectangular case, are three dimensional and difficult to make out how such crisp detail was obtained. And yet others look like they are somewhere in between.

Does anyone know how the three dimensional relief tooling was done in period with such detail? Best I have heard from other sources indicates some use of a stylus on the grain side and perhaps some form of wooden last or molding block, but really no other detail is given. Anyone have any ideas?

[MojoGeorge]

I believe the box in the middle consists of plugs covered in leather

MojoGeo

[radar67]

Look up the technique called Repose.

[celticleather]

Look up the technique called Repose.

Repousse may work better!

Edited December 5, 2013 by celticleather

[Thornale]

I know a very good article about medieval box making but it is in French (I will source it at the end of the post though). Boxes like the one in the middle were made with thin and supple leather. The leather pieces were put in a collagen solution. While damp, this make the leather behave like play-doh and almost as hard as wood after drying. The damped leather pieces are stretched over wood last and worked with a bone and other modeling tools (a bit like for Comedia del'Arte masks). Then they are let to dry (for small pieces allow 24h) and are workable.

There are some easy ways to create your collagen solution. Period method uses bone glue, fish glue or skin glue. You can also use gelatin sheet for cooking ( a ratio of 2 sheets per 25cL of water works fine). Your solution must be a bit heated to optimize the collagen penetration into the leather. It should be around 35°C and should not get over 40°C.

When you put your leather in the solution there will be some bubbles around (and that's where the term "cuir bouilli" come from, don not put your leather into boiling water unless you want to have something as brittle as glass). Let it inside until there are no more bubbles.

Hope this will help ...

Edit : I forgot to mention but this will only work with veg tanned leather.

(further reading : http://astelier-medi...e-12542584.html)

Edited December 5, 2013 by Thornale

[Jazznow]

The description on the rectangular box means "leather on wood and carton, stamped, carved and modeled". I think there is a carved wood form underneath the leather to wich the wet leather is molded. For detail like that I would try thin belly leather veg tanned.