Deerskin

Burmese arched harp
MFA 17.2163

Description

Leather made from the skin of a deer or other ruminants from the family Cervidae. It was used for bookbinding from the 8th century to the Middle Ages (Roberts and Etherington 1982). It has also been used for garments, such as jackets, shoe uppers, and gloves. When the outer grain is removed, these skins are generally called Buckskin. Split cowhides are sometimes substituted for deerskins.

Synonyms and Related Terms

deer skin; pele de veado (Port.); piel de ciervo (Esp.); cuir de daim (Fr.); daim (Fr.); pele de veado (Port.)

Leather shirt, Lakota
MFA# 1991.962

Additional Images

• 

  Deer

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  White-tailed deer

Resources and Citations

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

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• Edward Reich, Carlton J. Siegler, Consumer Goods: How to Know and Use Them, American Book Company, New York City, 1937

• American Leather Chemists Association Glossary at www.leatherchemists.org