It became question about the norwegian leather art and craft history in front of the Leather Meeting in Allariz this year, as the years before, was arranged on Museuo del Corio by the river Arnoia in Galicia in Spain. I was asked if I could held a lecture about norwegian leather art and craft. ” Yes, yes” I aswered. It’s of course no problem to held a lecture about norwegian leather art and craft, even by sence – which include all groups as is involved with the material – as longest you only make a lecture out of what you “have by hand” and not lift on any stones to look what could be under. By once you do that, and try to systematize this history on a piece of paper is it runing out in all directions. And in the end of some of them find you sometimes unions. Some of old date. Some is newer. Alongside other directions, in the end of them, runs the history out in the horizon were name on humans and events have been standing back as shadows and a kind of mistery you wonder over were they all diseappeared with theire craft and story. And sometimes appear new information as make you wonder why you not was newing it before. The last matter happen after I come home from Allariz. Then it appered information about that it was arranged giltleather courses as fare north as Tromsø in 1890. Of some of the towns own inhabitants. In Allariz do they call that type of craft for Guadameci. And Allariz is not so fare from the town Cordova in Spain, the town from were guadameci or giltleather startet its journey sometimes around year 1000 north through Europe. And it took several 100 years before it reached Scandinavia and 1890 is so fare the earlyest date I know for craftpractice of guadameci or gilt leather so fare north – even if it is examples on works form a much earlyer time – as probably must have been bought and brought north from elsewere. The new information I received also pointed on that it perhaps must have been a quite active milieu before 1890. So the date will possible, with more investigation be moved little fare back, But who have heard about it and who can tell what what kind of importans it could have had?. It would in any case not have been mentioned about in the lecture as I should held in Allariz – because I did not know about it before one week after the return. Luckily could you say, was the lecture never held. It lay half improvised written down in a envelop, turn – return right across europe. And who can tell what kind importans it could have had – if some held a lecture about norwegian leather art and Craft there ?. With many general interested and at least one international historican on place. At least a white spot on the international gilt leathermap would have get little color. But probably not more than a “creamy” as a comment. Anyway could it possible be to help for all as work with a small craft in connection to leather and hide on those egdes of the world close under the northpole. Even could it have been a impuls to business in a lager scale even if the economical results not would make up the biggest columns when the survey over the states incomes posts. But it could for a person, a family have had importans. The other side of it is close to a kind of scandale, that the circumstances are that it not are any international history book about Norwegian leather art and craft as are accessible. Or any recharge on this field in the country in connection to leather art and craft. If you like to learn the small leather crafts history to know , will you became a kind of note and section archaeolgist looking fore a history you after twenty, thirty, even 40 years not reach to the botton of. It appear steady up something new, as looks so elementary. But regardless what you find. you must self put together to a kind of story about leather art and craft as best yoou can do it, concerning its begining, prevalence, activity and importans for humans and society. Allready around year 1000 is courduan mentioned in the vikingking Olav 2 Haraldsøns saga, written by Snorre, two, three hundre years after the kings dead. So it’s quite much of a myth as also is launced about the kings “courduan hoser” = courduan stockings. You do not know if this courduan mention means “guadameci, maroquin or cordovian”. Or were the hide come from, or who made the stockings. Perhaps was the skin both tanned and worked finish to stockings in Allariz. Like that, a 1000 years later have leather art and craft in the comtemporary time become a diverse field as include many skills, even inside a simple craft . Snorres story also have its ecco in the contemporary times at the new industrial masters as get made what ever it is in China or other places in the world fore later sell it on norwegian markeds and fairs. It show a trade pattern as not are so unlikely the “courduan deal” a 1000 year ago. And it’s behind this time picture the small crafts once get its strict borders between the diffrent crafts and trade as to day have a history. But in many cases is it most often existing of fragments, as “courduan stockings”, or a name, perhaps a photo glimps , or a small story, a memory in the horizon. It was quite simply this 1000 years I should plan down to a one houre or so long lecture in Allariz, on the Museuo del Corio by the river Arnoia in Galicia, Spain. I would probably ended the lecture by reminding about the Norwegian Applied Art Unions 100 years jubilee in 2018. Even if it’s not more than a tenth of the time is it a important time. The most significant in it is how the importants of the craft have changed form beeing a part of the kings Court until to day were the craft not stay so high in course. One example is the Norwegian Applied Art Union . The union was founded in 1918. And the unions history have, after what this magazin have been informed about, in many years laying stored in the national archives. Incredible enough looks it to, without that any authoryties have seen it as necessary with a grant of founds so the unions history could have been worked out in bookform to the jubilee year. You can only speculate over why. And no answer should suprise you., nor if leather art and craft not should be mentioned the day the story is published.