Tara

Description

The tannin-rich pods from the Caesalpinia spinosa tree native to the South America. The 3-inch long tara pods contain a high percentage (about 32-55%) of water-soluble, pyrogallol tannin. It produces a light colored leather that is plump and soft. Tara is also used as a substitute for sumac. It is also similar to divi-divi, and algaroba.

Synonyms and Related Terms

cevalina; Bogota divi-divi

Sources Checked for Data in Record

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 272

• Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982