1. Blind-stamped leather binding of the WinchesterDomesday Book. English, 12th Century.

THE DECORATION
OF LEATHER

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TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

In a preface which is omitted from this translation, the author claims forhis work a place between the books dealing solely with the history anddevelopment of the art of working in leather and those of which the objectis to impart a knowledge of the technique of its various processes toamateurs who may be unable or unwilling to undertake a regular course ofinstruction. He points out that leather, in its adaptability to manydifferent kinds of treatment, is a material eminently suited to theinterpretation of the style of decoration known as “modern art.”

In the French edition there are numerous reproductions of examples ofleather decoration and of ornament intended for adaptation toleather-work. In the following translation these illustrations and also ashort chapter referring to them are omitted, and some examples ofleather-work derived from various English sources are substituted. Thetext of the work has been generally somewhat abridged. The fact that thereare many technical and other terms in French that have no exact equivalentin our own language, has rendered a free translation desirable, but themeaning of the original text has been carefully preserved.

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CONTENTS