a figuração nos espaldares em couro lavrado das cadeiras portuguesas/Carved illustrations – the figures carved in leather upholstery of Portuguese chairs. In Papers from the 3rd International Seminar Memória e Cultura Visual/Memory and Visual Culture – AGIR – Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento Sócio-cultural . Portugal, September 2010/pages 91-114.

Keywords: leather carved upholstery, antique furniture, decorative arts, Portuguese chairs.

Abstract: In early 17th century, Portuguese leather carvings got free from the Mediterranean style owning its aesthetics to Iberian Muslim heritage.

The chair started to substitute the former “sitting in the Moorish way”, on tapestries and cushions; in its early stage, the chair was kept to be used by the lord of the palace or the figures of the Church, and slowly its use got democratized. In Portugal, the Moorish/mudejar taste kept the use of cowhide in upholstering, carved with a sharp “V” gauge in its initial style and, later on, by non-sharp chisels and ornamented punches.

With the Renaissance coming into the decorative arts, leather carving started to include other elements, to be developed by Baroque and Rococo styles. Besides the high quality of the chisel carvings and plenty of stylized foliage, birds, double-headed eagles, coats-of-arms, and young lads, several examples do show us parts of History or stories of the dominant class, whether illustrations of daily life, aspects of meetings with other cultures, or as metaphors of Power and Love. This series of figures adds more to Portugal visual culture, and gives prominence to a seat that became famous in Portugal and in Europe as well, in the Baroque times.

The research covered all country, in museums and private collections, which allowed me to write a few books and articles. This talk is centered in a particular aspect of the matter that asks for a specific attention.

German leather art in Portugal – the work of Hendrik Schulze.

Anachronism in leather carving

A gilt leather chair of two epochs

contaminação estética e cultural/ Leather art and the ornamented wall: aesthetical and cultural contamination. In ARTIS/magazine of Art History Institute of the Faculty of Letters/University of Lisbon/no. 9-10/2010-2011, pages 279-289.

Keywords: Drapery, mural, guadameci, furniture, carved leather

Abstract: In this paper the author studies the ornaments displayed on walls, either by painting or by fixing a temporary or seasonal draperies; the author gives particular importance to the gold leather/guadameci, using inventories of rare medieval and Renaissance examples and paintings on board. Other aesthetics parallels are made with leather carved Mudejar lineage of the oldest Portuguese chairs.

New Zealand: Leather Artisan, no. 139, June 2011, pages 15-16.

a close look into a vanishing technique. Somerset: The Tool and Trades History Society. Newsletter (Autumn 2011), 114, pages 17-22.

Uma leitura do painel “Santiago aos Mouros” do Museu de Arte Sacra de Mértola: a equitação medieval e os artefactos da guerra a cavalo/ An interpretation of the woodpainting “Santiago attacking the Moors” of the Sacred Art Museum of Mértola: medieval horsemanship and the artifacts of the war on horseback (in the thick magazine “Arqueologia Medieval”/Medieval Archeology, Mértola)

Estéticas em trânsito: a partilha do ornamento da cerâmica do Gharb al-Andalus com outros artefactos/Aesthetics in transit: the sharing of the ornament of the Gharb al-Andalus pottery with other artefacts (papers from the seminar O Gharb al-Andalus problemáticas e novos contributos em torno da cerâmica/Gharb al-Andalus: questions and new contributions around pottery, Mértola, 2009).

Moors, Jews and Christian in Lisbon: the ordinances of tanners, bottlemakers and shoemakers of 1489

Low Countries gilt leather of the 17^th – 18^th century used in Portuguese altar fronts, upholstery and screens

Low Countries gilt leather and its influences in Portuguese leather art

Gilt leather for the King: the imports from Paris to Lisbon in the 19^th century

Tanning and bag tanning in India: leather work in Kolhapur – further research

Cordovam, leathers from Córdoba, gilt leather/guadameci – documents and myths.

Gilt leather for the King: imports from Cordoba to Lisbon in 1525

German leather art in Portugal – the work of Hendrik Schulze.

Anachronism in leather carving

A gilt leather chair of two epochs