Boiled leather
| Boiled leather | |
|---|---|
| Material type | Leather |
Cuir bouilli, generally translated as boiled leather, was a historical construction material for some armour in the Medieval period.[1]
It is mentioned in Froissart's Chronicles of the Hundred Years' War, and Geoffrey Chaucer, in his Canterbury Tales, written in the late 1300s, says of the knight Sir Thopas:[2]
Hise jambeux were of quyrboilly, |
His jambeaux were of cuir-bouilli, |
(Note: jambeaux are greaves – shin armour).
Preparation
The historical preparation is not clear, but is generally assumed to be thick leather, boiled in water. According to some sources[which?], boiled oil and wax were used as well, while others posit the use of ammonia from fermented animal urine. The boiling causes the leather to become harder but also more brittle. The leather remains flexible for a short time after boiling, allowing it to be molded into larger plates.
Cuir bouilli has also been employed to bind books.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Harris, Susanna. Why Leather?: The Material and Cultural Dimensions of Leather. p. 42. ISBN 978-9088904707. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
- ^ "The Tale of Sir Thopas". Librarius. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
External links
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