Celtic knot leather cuff

The latest creation of the Proper Leather Studio is a Celtic knot leather cuff in black and yellow with intricate details. The cuff bracelet is made of high quality veg-tanned leather (1.6-2.0 mm (4 to 5 oz) single bend European hide.). It is entirely handmade, from pattern transfer to incision, tooling, dying, and finishing. The background was dyed by sponge and the pattern with a small brush. As for the finish, the bracelet is protected with several layers of acrylic finish (sheene and resolene) and the edges and back are polished and waxed. The closing system of choice is with leather lace as it allows for a good fitting on almost all wrist sizes and is not uncomfortable to wear as metal snaps usually are.

Gladiator fights in Cluj-Napoca

Transylvania History Days, held on the banks of the Somes in Cluj-Napoca between the 29th and 31th of July included a rich display of historical activities. Virtus Antiqua was among the invited NGOs and the team provided the usual display of gladiatorial combats, presentations, religious rituals, though it was not all blood and sports, but love make its way as well. One of the Furies has fallen in love with one of the gladiators and we are all following this development with interest as it might bring changes to Ludus Memni (the school of gladiators from Virtus Antiqua) in the future! :)

See photos from the show HERE. 

The online temple of Goddess Gruia

Goddess Gruia is the only living goddess, from the mythical land of Transylvania. She is the patron of asymmetry, self-love and self-irony, peace, women museographers, hypochondriacs, slave reenactors, women artists, fat ballerinas, small business owners, tile stoves and many other groups of people, abstract concepts, and things ! 

Goddess Gruia - cult image, available as contact relic at the temple

Her cult focuses on her online temple - the Etsy Shop of the same name and on her Sancta Sanctorum, the inner chamber where she actually touches pieces of art that become contact-relics.

 Temple sign

Buy such pieces of original art and you will immediately feel the benefices. You will love and accept yourself as you are, you will work hard for small money but you will enjoy your job, you will feel the urge to visit pharmacy museums, you will be peaceful and creative, though not able to draw a straight line, your stove will never malfunction, and the world will generally seem a happier place!

 Amuletic depiction of Goddess Gruia, soon to be made available at the temple

For more details on the goddess, how to worship her, and the analysis of this fascinating new phenomenon of popular religiosity, wait for the monograph that is currently under print!

 

Bucranium leather wallet

The Proper Leather Studio is working on another project, a new folding handmade leather wallet with bucranium - tooled decorative motif consisting of a buffalo's skull,a motif of ancient Roman inspiration. The intended special effect is to be achieved through a Leather Sheen (three times over), dying the background by hand in a mix color (very dark violet brown) and then applying over the entire surface orange Gel Antique (saddle tan). This lazure/patina effect on nuances of orange/yellow/brown renders the organic color of the animal skull. Soon on Etsy!

Rose honey

The FOCUS exhibit of August 2016 at the History of Pharmacy Collection in Cluj-Napoca deals with one of the basic apothecary products in entire Europe, i.e. rose honey.

Rose honey, MEL. ROSATUM (or Mellis Rosae) was one of the most common and often used products of the medieval and pre-modern pharmacies. For his reason it is also known as Mel rosatum commune, sive foliatum (common rose honey, as there were other variations as well). Apothecary dispensatories mention different way of preparing it. Some pharmacists mixed red roses (Rosa centifolia) in honey and left the mix in the sun; others boiled the petals, not to dry but not too fresh either, in honey, while yet others obtained a juice from the petals and then mixed it with honey.

The product was used as such, due to its emollient and lenitive (calming pain) properties, but was also an ingredient in various composite drugs (especially gargles and creams).

The History of Pharmacy Collection in Cluj-Napoca includes just two jars for rose honey, both dated to the nineteenth century and made of porcelain. The first was used in the Mathias Corvinus pharmacy in Cluj (1815), while the second was once used in Iaşi, in the Engel pharmacy there.

1815 porcelain apothecary jar from Cluj

Transylvania History Days

The latest reenactment festival in the region will be organized in Cluj-Napoca between the 29th and 31st of July 2016. Transylvania History Days is not at its first edition and growing nicely, with the support of the university and several NGOs.The location has changed from the previous editions to the banks of river Somes, by Garibaldi bridge in Grigorescu neighborhood. There will be parades, interactive workshops and shows, with reenactors embodying various characters from Antiquity until the World Wars period.

Here is the general Facebook page: THD 2016

And here is the main event of Virtus Antiqua which recreates the gladiatorial games of ancient Rome, but also, as a novelty this year, an auxiliary Batavian unit.

The promo videos are also fun, with Batavians and furies from Virtvs Antiqva: 

And here is the detailed program for each of the three festival days:

 

Leather: Etsy treasury and teams

Here is my most recent treasury that focuses on a group of objects close to my interests, i.e. hand tooled leather wallets. I have collected both new and vintage handmade wallets that I like due to the quality of their craftsmanship, the decorative effect, or other surprising elements. I confess, I am a fan of the Sherridan style.

If you sell such items on Etsy, here is a list of teams focused on leather products to which you can apply to promote your shop and items. Unfortunately, these smaller teams are not so active, so you might consider also joining some of the more general ones to compensate. See you there!

Association of Artisans in Leather (AAL) 

hand stitched leather craft 

Hell Bent For Leather 

Leather Crafter 

Leather lover 

Leather lovers all over the world

 

 

 

 

Mjolnir wallet

Our latest Etsy item is a special product, that we chose to feature on the cover of the Proper Leather Studio shop. It is a bi-fold handmade leather wallet with the Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, as tooled motif (folded measurements: 12 x 9.5 cm / 4.7 x 3.7 inches). This item is made of high quality Veg-tanned leather and completely handmade (no machines were used). The leather is hand dyed and protected with several layers of acrylic finish, with polished and waxed edges.

The decoration is the result of a lengthy process: the pattern was incised on the wet outer side, then incised and tooled. After drying, the relief was blocked with three successive layers of leather sheene. The background was painted with black leather dye and then leather Gel Antique (saddle tan, aka orange) was applied and partially rubbed off the entire surface. The technique allows for special effects that stress the relief and and add depth to any tooled details.

Stories with paintings

This is another of my idealized vistas of Sibiu / Hermanstadt (in Transylvania), made in 2014, with a bit of collage (linocut prints of the old tower and narrow alley) and acrylic on canvas. The photo is rather truthful in its color tones, so it shows the reason why I like it so much. Hope it's owner enjoys it too!

In order to reveal some of the technique employed, here are the individual linocut prints that I used in the general composition. In order to better integrate them the prints have been cut closer to the intended contours and partially painted over.

Northern explorers at Camp Virtus

Our reenactment park Camp Virtus, near Cluj, has received the visit of a group of young northern explorers whom we dressed up as Romans and Dacians, checked their arrow shooting skills, and tough them hands-on about the past of Transylvania. Looking forward other organized groups of tourists, as we can explain everything in English as well! Contact us!

 

TV show at the History of Pharmacy Collection

I am apparently the start of the latest TV documentary show presenting the History of Pharmacy Collection in Cluj. Though in Romanian, the video does present the museum and some of the most interesting artifacts such as bezoar powder, bottles for aphrodisiac drinks, the laboratory in the basement, the mummy powder, and the medical equipment collection.
The show, produced by the TVR Cluj, branch of the Romanian National television, was aired these past days. It is part of a series entitled Gusta Transilvania ["Taste Transylvania"]. 
Do visit the museum, on appointment, for a guided tour in English! Here are the contact details: http://farmacluj.blogspot.ro/