Describe your profession, your finished products, and what makes them unique.
We are a family business founded in 1958 by my grandparents, Mercedes and Ángel, dedicated to preserving and continuing the tradition of Córdoba leather craftsmanship (cordovan and guadamecí) in our city.
My grandfather was a painter who studied in Barcelona. In 1950 he returned to Córdoba and thought it would be a good idea to establish a leather craft workshop dedicated to Córdoba leather, a traditional local craft that had become greatly undervalued, with very few artisans still practising it. My grandmother, Mercedes, already had experience working with leather, and together they began creating leather pieces for exhibitions and sale.
In 1958 they opened their workshop in Calleja de las Flores. Soon afterwards, their sons Carlos and Alejandro López-Obrero joined the business. They continued developing the workshop, expanding both its activity and its range of products.
In 1997, Daniel López-Obrero Carmona became the third generation of the family to join the business. Daniel studied Business Administration at the University of Córdoba, but later, at his parents’ request, he joined the family workshop to preserve the family tradition and ensure the continuity of the business.
After several years working in the workshop, Alejandro and Carlos retired, and Daniel became the company’s director. Together with a team of skilled artisans, he continues the workshop’s activity. The focus of this third generation has been to modernise the workshop at every level while creating more contemporary products using the same techniques that were already employed in the 10th century.
From that point onwards, we began collaborating with designers and developing modern fashion accessories while preserving traditional craftsmanship. In 2013 we collaborated with the luxury brand Loewe on its “Barroco Collection,” producing cordovan leather work for a collection of handbags and accessories sold in Loewe boutiques worldwide. We have also completed interior decoration projects for hotel chains, incorporating cordovan leather into a variety of interior design schemes.
Today, the company is managed by Daniel López-Obrero, the third generation of artisans continuing this tradition. We produce leather goods for fashion accessories and interior decoration using the traditional techniques of cordovan and guadamecí, which originated during the Hispano-Muslim period and continued throughout the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Cordovan craftsmanship survived until the 18th century, after which it almost disappeared, leaving only a handful of artisans to preserve this unique tradition.
Our fashion accessories include handbags, belts, wallets and coin purses.
Our decorative products include folding screens, leather chests and coffers, decorative panels and tapestries, cushions, leather seats for chairs and armchairs, leather-covered tables, and mirror frames.
We have collaborated with luxury brands such as Loewe, producing a collection of handcrafted leather handbags and small leather goods. We have also completed interior decoration projects for hotels and exhibition spaces.
What materials do you use?
We use goat leather or sheepskin (badana), leather embossing tools (modelling tools, tracers, embossing tools and burnishing balls), goat’s foot tools, penetrating leather dyes, silver or gold leaf, various types of varnish, transparent oil paints, and bitumen of Judea.
Describe the knowledge, techniques, tools and materials you use in your work.
Cordovan refers to a traditional method of tanning and working leather. Historically, it referred to high-quality goat leather tanned using sumac. Sumac is a plant that produces leather of much higher quality than other vegetable tanning agents such as pine bark or holm oak. Since medieval times, cordovan leather has mainly been used for practical purposes, including covering chests, making gloves, shoes and cases.
Despite its functional purpose, cordovan leather was often richly decorated with painted, embossed, engraved, incised or pierced motifs.
Guadamecí is an artistic leatherworking technique characterised by applying a thin layer of silver leaf onto already-tanned leather to create a durable surface for painting and polychrome decoration. Guadamecí is traditionally made on sheepskin (badana) and has a clearly decorative, luxurious and artistic function. One of its distinctive features is its gold-coloured backgrounds created using silver or gold leaf.
To gild or silver the leather, a layer of adhesive varnish (mixtion) is first applied to make the surface tacky. After 30 to 40 minutes, the silver leaf is carefully applied with cotton, ensuring that each sheet joins seamlessly. Once the silver leaf has been applied, a protective varnish is added before painting over it with transparent oil colours. Optionally, small metal punches with decorative patterns are used to emboss the leather. If an aged appearance is desired, a thin layer of bitumen of Judea is applied over the silvered surface.
What is the typical profile of your customers?
Our customers are generally men and women over the age of 40 looking for distinctive products that stand apart from mass-produced industrial goods. They appreciate exclusivity, originality and handcrafted quality. Our customers also include companies looking for unique corporate gifts, as well as tourists visiting Córdoba who wish to take home an authentic local craft product.
At what age and under what circumstances did you begin this profession?
I started at the age of 25. After completing a degree in Business Administration, my parents asked me to continue the family business. I first worked in the workshop before gradually taking on the role of company manager.
Where and for how long did you train before starting your own business? Did you learn in a school, with a craftsperson, or both? What do you think is the best way to learn this profession today?
In my case, I learned from childhood in the family workshop and never attended an arts or crafts school.
Today, I believe the best approach is to begin at an Arts and Crafts School, where students can learn about leather, its properties and working techniques. Afterwards, they should continue their training in an artisan workshop, where they can put their knowledge into practice and keep developing their skills.
I believe education and training are essential to becoming an excellent craft professional.
What role do talent and creativity play in your profession?
They play a very important role because our work requires both creativity and manual skill. Learning the craft is essential, but once that foundation is established, artisans who are passionate about their profession and possess natural talent can create exceptional handcrafted products of great originality and quality.
What about innovation? How has the profession changed since you started? Do you use new materials, tools or processes? What impact has innovation had?
The biggest changes have occurred in marketing and business management. We have created an online store that allows us to sell our products worldwide. We also use an integrated business management system that provides detailed information about sales over the years, current stock levels and profitability, enabling us to make informed decisions about which products should continue to be produced and which should be replaced due to lower demand.
What is the best way to learn your profession?
The ideal path is to begin at an Arts and Crafts School to learn leatherworking techniques and then gradually integrate into an artisan workshop. Even after entering the profession, continuous training remains important. Learning new techniques and collaborating with other artisans helps improve our products and enables us to achieve finishes and create products that would otherwise not be possible.
What message would you like to share with younger generations who may choose your profession?
If you are passionate about a profession, fight for it. When we truly love what we do, we are capable of creating beautiful, unique and extraordinary products.
