A three-day intensive course with Dr Theresa Emmerich Kamper and Caroline Ross. For thousands of years humans have been turning raw skin into usable leather products using very basic techniques and materials. Discover how to use these techniques to tan and dye fish skins and make a pouch.
Fish skins are easy to acquire, small enough to fit in a jar, and come in a wonderful variety of patterns and textures. This makes them a great entry into the world of tanning as they can easily be tanned almost anywhere, including in your own kitchen!
Stay on-site in one of our historic buildings for an additional fee.
About the workshop
Three day workshop, Friday-Sunday. Please note this course covers a lot of content; Friday will run 10am-8pm, Sat 9am-8pm, and Sun 9am-4pm.
Learn the basics of vegetable tanning fish skins to create soft, strong, durable leather
Discover how to produce six different colours from natural dyes
Pattern and sew a small pouch or bag from fish skin and brain tanned leather
Take home handouts covering the tanning process and a list of helpful literature
Option to camp on-site in one of our historic buildings for an additional fee.
Set in the unique surroundings of Butser Ancient Farm’s historic buildings
For more details about staying overnight, email workshops@butserancientfarm.co.uk
This course will cover the basics of vegetable tanning fish skins using tannins to produce surprisingly soft, strong and durable leather. The subjects included in the course are: Sourcing skins, scraping and scaling, producing and timing the tan baths, tanning stages, the importance of pH, testing tanned-ness, and will include plenty of time for questions and answers.
Using previously tanned fish skins you will learn to produce 6 different colours from natural dyes: cream, yellow, blue, green, red and black. Discover how to produce the dye baths and timings, how to test for colour, washing and drying the skins, and finally dressing and softening.
In between tanning and dyeing, learn how to pattern and sew a small pouch or bag to create a usable work of art using fish skin and brain-tanned leather. This course will use Salmon skins, however many types of fish are usable, and samples of different species will be available for future inspiration.
In addition to enthusiastic instruction, detailed handouts covering the tanning process, as well as ethnographic anecdotes and a list of helpful literature (for those who wish to further their own knowledge of tanning) will be provided.
Please join Caroline and Theresa for a course sure to contain plenty of memorable moments, lots of practical information and, provided you put in the work, one that will see you heading home with a set of uniquely beautiful, traditionally tanned and dyed fish skins!
Dr Theresa Emmerich Kamper is a traditional living skills specialist with a PhD in experimental archaeology: expertise in historic and prehistoric skin tanning technologies, and clothing construction. She has extensive experience in organic material culture studies, leather artefact analysis, artefact replication, implementation and presentation in both traditional and open-air museum settings as well as private group and university classroom courses.
Caroline Ross is an artist and author who makes drawings and paintings from wild and ancient materials, from small illustrations to large murals. She has taught life drawing as well as painting and currently teaches people how to make the materials she uses across Europe and UK. She also teaches her own unique course ‘Found and Ground art materials’. She spends her life outdoors as much as possible, sourcing materials, making her work, and immersing herself in nature.
Included in your ticket
Entrance to the farm, a full 3 days tuition and expertise, all course materials, handouts on the tanning process, 6 dyed fish skins, and a leather pouch to take home. Please bring your own meals. Staying on-site is an additional cost.
This workshop is suitable for ages 18+.
Please wear sensible clothing and footwear for this workshop.
Food is not included in this workshop. Sandwiches (subject to availability), hot and cold drinks, and snacks are sold in our gift shop.
If you have any mobility concerns, special requirements, or other questions, please contact admin@butserancientfarm.co.uk for help!