3rd Century Roman Ivory Ring-Buckle Belt Reconstruction

[Magnus]

Just my 2 cents worth...first cent. Awesome work Christian...simple but elegant. Second cent...if you can get away with a substitute material that doesn't require killing an animal for it's bones...go for it lol.

[caiusbeerquitius]

Thanks, guys

Martin, that is oil and cinnobre - paste rubbed in several layers into the leather. Then fixed with olive oil, dried, olive oil, dried etc...
In that sense, the leather is rather painted, not died. Like those fat-based leather paints from the skythian graves in the Altai.
The colour looks smoother oand more homogenous on the pics, as it actually is.

.kremer-pigmente.de/shopint/index.php?cat=0102&product=10620

There is a oil dye for leather on the market which is basically the same, but contains turpentine or something like that as well ( one of those headache-substances). Works pretty well, and seems to be apart from the pigments all from stuff the Romans had access to - I heard. I am not so sure, though. It is easily and quickly applied, and much less annoying than the rubbing. I dyed a scabbrad for a friend with this stuff, and it turned out quite nice. I first tried this out for the belt, and had rings and rims of darker colour everywhere which then faded after a while. Looked nice, but died in the skiving machine. Then I made this one.
The linen thread is dyed by hand with indigo, prepared with alum

[caiusbeerquitius]

This is the stuff:
www.lederhaus.de/lederzubehoer/lederfarbe.php
If you just use olive oil to fix the colour, you´re half way on th safe side. Apart from the pigments, of course.
Might be an idea to try out to make such a colour. 40-or so % clear alcohol, olive oil, pigments. Should work.
(remember the distellery found on Crete, before you condemn the alcohol... )
Martin, do you know how Junkelmann´s leather stripes on the horsegear in "Reiter wie Statuen aus Erz" was dyed red?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

My favorite cavelry impression!
Not sure if that is the one to which you refer, but it is definately a spine chilling impression!

[caiusbeerquitius]

Yes, that´s the one. The leather straps turned the horseé fur red, when it was sweating..

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Ahhh, who is this guy, Junklemann? I have heard his name mentioned often, but never seem to track his group down.

I have seen another picture with several mounted men in similar amazing gear! Really impressive stuff! Sorry to go off here.

I guess it will come off on humans too then? :roll: :lol:

[caiusbeerquitius]

Junkelmann:
www.junkelmann.de/
He´s like the father Roman reenactment in Germany.
Wrote several great books about the Roman Army, Cavalry, Gladiators et al. He´s a military Historian teaching at Munich University, and also does other periods, early modern and such heretic stuff...

Yes the colour goes off. My tunic tends to have thin red stripes from time to time... but it´s washed off easily.[/quote]

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

All the more authentic tho!

Yes, I remember someone saying this before now. Possibly yourself! :roll: Thanks again, I will try to remember this time.

[Marcus Mummius]

Christian, can you tell me what skiving is?

Vale,

[caiusbeerquitius]

It´s what I paraphrased as "thinning".

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Christian, can you tell me what skiving is?

Vale,

In a different context, it means 'skipping school classes' or taking a day off work without good cause... etc :wink:

[Caballo]

Going back to an earlier question, is hippotamus ivory (which I was offered by a US vendor) legal?
(I would very much be against using something that might endanger a species)

Cheers

Caballo