House Museum Art on Leather (House Ramón García Romero)

The House Museum Art on Leather, today House Ramón García Romero, appears with the aim of showing this different kind of artistic example in the area of sumptuary arts, with the original embossed leathers from Umayyad legacy.

This House Museum, located in the middle of the historical centre, a few metres from the Mosque-Cathedral, shows and values, through a permanent exhibition, the work carried out by artist Ramón García Romero, who, after a long research in time and history, recovers the famous embossed leathers from Caliphal times (10th century) for humanity.

In our visit to the House Museum Art on Leather we can enjoy a complete exhibition, unique in the world, made with the old Umayyad techniques, according to the very appreciated embossed leathers made back then together with other arts, in Abderraman III’s palatial city, Medina Azahara, when Córdoba was a cultural centre of the Muslim West.

This art on leather, which appeared in Córdoba during the Caliphate, was admired from the east to the west. An interesting recovery which is shown along five halls, as well as other old leather techniques, both Arab and Hispanic.

HALLS OF THE MUSEUM

HALL I: The Caliphal Embossed Leather

We start our visit with a hall dedicated to the technique of the Umayyad embossed leather, at its purest state, with all its refinement, where we could admire numerous panels and chests of different kinds, with the oneiric creation of unique worlds, with vegetable, geometrical and exotic bird shapes.
In this hall, we can appreciate how the original embossed leather from Caliphal times was, hence the great value of artist Ramón García Romero, who has been able to rescue this exceptional technique from oblivion.

HALL II: Ceramics in the Embossed Leather

Along the artist’s passion for the embossed leather, we can see his determination when coordinating several artistic trends under the same work on leather. Thus, we can feel it in the opacity of the oil and the transparency of the embossed leather. In this hall, the author reflects shapes which are typical of Arab ceramics, decorated with rich alcoves, fruit and flowers.
In order to get to the next room, we need to go across a small and simple white courtyard, typical from Córdoba, which reminds us of the old Roman atrium because of its arrangement.

HALL III: Techniques

This hall intends to show the different trends used in the artistic ornamentation of leather, as well as the techniques used in its creation.
This way, we can see different kinds of chests: carved, speckled and studded, even mixed techniques, engraved, modeling, embossing. There are also studies on silver on the embossed leather, illuminated parchment, mosaics, and the exquisiteness of the purest refinement of the Umayyad embossed leather, the main element in the museum.

HALL IV: Among columns

We will discover here different instruments, tools and equipment to carry out a perfect job, used by Ramón García Romero in his works.
We can see specific tools, different paints used in the diverse leather techniques, decorations and complements, which are part of many of the works displayed in this exhibition.
We can also see the Book of Signatures of the Museum, with expressions and signatures by public figures who have visited the exhibition.

HALL V: The figure of the Embossed Leather

The first news of its use go back to the middle of the 13th century; the head of an altar, a clear example of how the embossed leather will play a relevant role in religious decoration, through altarpieces, heads, portraits and reliquaries, among other types.
In this hall, the artist travels back to the Middle Ages in order to show the essence with his embossed leathers, always according to his point of view and inspiration. The result is a series of unquestionably beautiful and unique works, where the main element is always the figure.

UNIQUE WORKS

The tree of life

Author: Ramón García Romero.
Silver, golden, polychrome and carved leather.
Size: 103 x 122 cm.

Work made in leather with the technique of embossed leather, recovered from Umayyad legacy, and rescued from oblivion in this museum. It is inspired in the magnificent plasterwork from the Rich Hall of Palatial Complex of Medina Azahara, it has a clear symmetry, with numerous vegetable motifs, which are the main elements of the complex, giving it great harmony and beauty.
The tree of life is one of the most important decorating manifestations in Umayyad times, and its meaning is “source of knowledge and happiness”. Ramón García Romero made his own creation with the same motif for Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Asturias.

Embossed-leathered chest

Author: Ramón García Romero.
Silver, polychrome and carved leather, decorated with wrought iron and ivory.
Size: 39 x 41 cm.

Work made in leather with the technique of embossed leather, recovered from Umayyad legacy, and rescued from oblivion in this museum. It is an exceptional square chest covered by a four-sectioned vault, decorated with clearly Umayyad-inspired motifs, with different vegetable and animal elements, such as birds, very frequently used by the author in his works. Its symmetry and elegant lines make it a brave, balanced and exquisite composition.
If we went back in time, we could face one of the works made in the Palatial City of Medina Azahara for Caliph Abderraman III.

Poemto Córdoba 

Author: Ramón García Romero.
Silver, golden, polychrome and carved leather.
Size: 79 x 91 cm.

Work made in leather with the technique of embossed leather, recovered from Umayyad legacy, and rescued from oblivion in this museum. The author defines it as a proof of love for his city, Córdoba, with the inspiration of the most representative place in the old Aljama Mosque, its Mihrab.
In order to do that, he takes its beautiful horseshoe arch as a starting point, representing the scallop shell which actually covers the inside of the opening in a very original way, whose centre is occupied by a resting bird. Further down, there are two birds facing each other with wide interlaced necks. Both birds, clearly oneiric, represent the harmony and love mentioned before.

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