Leather Color Help

[Martin Moser]

I think that one of the mostly overlooked possibilities is that leather could have been painted. They painted everything else they could.

Of course they did, just think of the Dura Europos shields. The difference of course is that if it is only one color all over, dyeing gives the more durable results and if done on a decent amount of hides at the same time, cheaper, too.

I mean, really, why paint a marble statue.

I'd rather ask why not? ;-) Seems pretty straightforward to me.