Boroso

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Surface structure of shark leather in an enlarged view
Chocolate shark skins drying on Câmara de Lobos (Madeira)

Boroso is a name for shark leather from the Mediterranean region.

Description of the Boroso

The term Boroso is the name that exclusively refers to shark leather from the Mediterranean area on the coasts of Spain and other coastal regions of Morocco and Portugal . The etymology of the term is unknown - in Spanish, “borroso” roughly means “blurred” or “out of focus”. The skin of the chocolate shark ( lat. Dalatias licha , English kite shark ) is preferably used . This natural product was used for the leather covering of sword, saber and other weapon handles and also for edged weapon scabbards in order to obtain a permanent, non-slip and resistant surface. This is achieved by leaving the naturally existing teeth of the placoid scales on the shark skin and polishing it. The shark's skin as a precursor called "Shagreen", first by polishing the surface that arises Boroso . It is used in different colors and levels of quality. The most common are: bleached, colored black or red. Because of its difficult processing, shark leather is many times more expensive than leather from other animal species. Occasionally the term "pearl shark" is used, which is misleading because the species does not exist and the term was only used as a synonym for Boroso or other shark skins. With historical weapons in particular, it is difficult to determine whether it is Boroso or another type of shark leather. Therefore, often only "shark skin" is noted for the objects.

Differentiation from other types of leather

Boroso should not be confused with the generic term for similar (rough) types of leather known as chagrin . The term “shagreen” is also used in the Anglo-American region, although a clear distinction from other types of leather is not always recognizable. In the 21st century, leather from various types of fish is used or, due to its high price, an artificial substitute with similar properties. Often one finds a kind of Heftbelederung in Japanese bladed weapons, which is thereby usually are tanned, dyed or bleached skin of stingrays is, the leather is also known as "stingray" and after the Frenchman Jean-Claude Galluchat is named. JC Galluchat is also known to have processed the skin of cat sharks , which also come under the name "Galuchat", but have a finer surface structure than the skins of rays.

  • Oriental sabers, some scabbards covered with shark leather. The pearled surfaces are clearly visible.

  • A tanto related to "Galuchat" from the ray

  • A box covered with smoothly sanded “Galuchat” from the ray

  • A can of fine "Galuchat" from the shark

literature

  • Stefania Vannuccini: Shark utilization, marketing and trade , issue 389 of FAO fisheries technical paper, Food and Agriculture Organization, Verlag Food & Agriculture Org., 1999, p. 292, p. 395, ISBN 978-92-5-104361-5 . ( can be viewed online )
  • John A. Musick, Ramón Bonfil: Management Techniques for Elasmobranch Fisheries , issue 474 of FAO fisheries technical paper, Fao Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Papers Management techniques for elasmobranch fisheries, Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org., 2005, pp. 245 ff. ISBN 978-92-5-105403-1 . ( online book preview )
  • Gerhard Seifert: sword, epee, saber. The manifestations of Europe's long handle arms are shown as a floor plan for collectors and enthusiasts. Publishing house HG Schulz, Hamburg 1962.
  • Gerhard Seifert: Technical terms of edged weapons , Haiger 1981, Reprint 2007 available as ( online PDF 2.02 MB )
  • Timothy Tricas, LR Taylor, Sharks & rays , Time-Life Books, Alexandria (Virginia), 1997, p. 37, ISBN 978-0-7835-4940-8 .
  • Harold W. McCormick: Shadows in the sea: the sharks, skates and rays , Chilton Books, Philadelphia, 1963.
  • Jean Perfettini: Le Galuchat: un matériau mystérieux, une technique oubliée , ISBN 978-2-85101-204-3 .
  • Cathy Silverman: Shagreen. The history and conservation of decorative ray skin in furniture , in "Thirteenth International Symposium on Wood and Furniture Conservation" ( online PDF 991 kB )
  • Mary Brooks Picken: The Language of Fashion Dictionary and Digest of Fabric, Sewing and Dress , Read Books Ltd, 2013, pp. 414–425 ISBN 978-1-4474-9361-7 (online book preview)
  • Abhijit Mitra, Sufia Zaman: Basics of Marine and Estuarine Ecology , Springer, 2016, p. 211, ISBN 978-81-322-2707-6 (online book preview)
  • Hyman Gordon Kates The Luggage and Leather Goods Manual: A Constructive Text Book for the Industry New York, Haire Publishing Company, 1942, p. 64
  • Pro Wildlife: Buying guide for shark lovers , clothing, jewelry & souvenirs: Stay away from Boroso, p. 2, ( online PDF 1.39 MB )
  • Erich Haenel: Precious weapons from the Dresden armory , Verlag Karl W. Hiersemann, Leipzig, 1923

Web links

Commons : Boroso  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Hyman Gordon Kates: The Luggage and Leather Goods Manual: A Constructive Text Book for the Industry New York, Haire Publishing Company, 1942, p. 64
  2. ↑ Stefania Vannuccini: Shark utilization, marketing and trade p. 292
  3. ↑ Tricas, Taylor: Sharks & rays S. 37
  4. ↑ a b Gerhard Seifert: Technical terms of edged weapons. German ABC of the European naked defensive weapons. (Cut, thrust, hit and hand thrown weapons). Verlag Seifert, Haig 1981.
  5. ↑ John A. Musick, Ramón Bonfil: Management Techniques for Elasmobranch Fisheries, pp. 245 ff.
  6. ↑ Stefania Vannuccini: Shark utilization, marketing and trade p. 395
  7. ↑ Abhijit Mitra, Sufia Zaman: Basics of Marine and Estuarine Ecology p. 211
  8. ^ McCormick: Shadows in the sea: the sharks, skates and rays, p. 200
  9. ↑ Seifert, Technical Terms of Edged Weapons , 2007
  10. ↑ Erich Haenel: Precious weapons from the Dresden armory , Verlag Karl W. Hiersemann, Leipzig, 1923
  11. ↑ Cathy Silverman: Shagreen. The history and conservation of decorative ray skin in furniture
  12. ↑ Jean Perfettini: Le Galuchat: un matériau mystérieux, une technique oubliée