This beautiful image shows a ‘boiled’ leather bowl that Cathy made whilst working on a residency at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. Boiled leather is a historical material common in the Middle Ages and was used for a varied of purposes, such as horse armour, tournament armour, scabbards and carrying cases. Initially the leather becomes very soft and can be pressed into a mould, which created the desired shape and decoration but then becomes tough and rigid. Boiled leather was even mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury tales.
Cathy’s intricate bowl is the perfect receptacle for some delicious British apples, which have recently had their own day on the 21st of October. This was first launched in 1990 by Common Ground, to raise awareness about the importance of orchards and the traceability of food. The activities that take place on apple day include; apple bobbing, the longest apple peel competitions, apple and spoons races, tractor rides through orchards and storytelling about the myths and legends of apple trees and orchards. There are cookery demonstrations and food and drink to consume such as cider, apple juice, apple cake and chutney.
If you want to create your own mini apple hour, have a go at this cake. We can confirm it is delicious…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/german_apple_cake_59663
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