Leather was a valued material in ancient Egypt, but it was not the everyday material many people imagine. Most Egyptians wore plant-fiber sandals, and leather was more often used for military gear, chariot harness, and items for elites. Leather was also valuable, and it was often reused.
Which hides Egyptians used
Egyptian leatherworkers used the hides of cattle, goats, sheep, and gazelles.
Sandals: plant fiber for most, leather for the few
Most sandals in ancient Egypt were made of papyrus or palm fiber. Many people went barefoot, and plant-fiber sandals were the common footwear. Leather sandals were mainly for elites and soldiers.
Tutankhamun’s tomb (KV62), found in 1922, contained many pairs of sandals, including gold and leather examples. Counts of the sandals vary by source. The wider picture is more varied than these famous finds suggest.
Armor and shields
Egyptian body armor was mostly linen or scale, not solid leather. A leather scale armor body was found in Tutankhamun’s tomb. It is fragile, and researchers have studied it closely.
Shields were made from oxhide stretched over wooden frames, often with the hair left on.
Quivers, bow cases, and wrist guards
Archers used leather for their equipment. Quivers, bow cases, and sheaths for weapons were commonly made of leather. Archer’s wrist guards protected the arm from the bowstring. These items show how widely leather was used in archery and warfare.
Chariots and harness
New Kingdom chariots used leather for harnesses, bindings, and fittings. Harness needed to be strong and flexible to work with horses and the chariot. Tutankhamun’s tomb held six chariots.
Curing and tanning in Egypt
Egyptian leatherworkers used several ways to preserve hides:
- Oil and fat curing was used to keep hides supple. This method is well attested.
- Alum tawing produced white leather. It is also well attested.
- Plant tannins may have been used. Acacia pods contain tannins, and some evidence suggests they were used on leather.
The extent of true vegetable tanning in Egypt before the Late or Roman period is debated. Many leathers were oil-cured or tawed rather than tanned in the modern sense.
Tools and workshop scenes
The tomb of Rekhmire (TT100 at Thebes), a vizier under Thutmose III, dates to about 1450 BCE. Its scenes show leatherworkers soaking, stretching, cutting, and sewing leather. The tools they used included the half-moon knife, still used today as the round knife, copper or bronze awls, and stretching frames.
These scenes are some of the best evidence for Egyptian leatherwork. They show a workshop with a clear sequence of steps.
Dyes and color
Egyptian leather was dyed red, green, and yellow. Red was very common.
Other leather goods
Cut-leather loincloths of slit gazelle skin appear in the 18th Dynasty, for example in the tomb of Maiherpri (KV36). Leather rolls were sometimes used for writing, though papyrus was far more common.
Why so much has survived
Ancient leather is brittle, and most of it would not survive long outside special conditions. Leather conservation explains how old leather is preserved today. Egypt’s dry climate is a major reason many examples have lasted. This is also why much of what we know comes from tombs.
Common misconceptions
- Most Egyptian sandals were not leather. Plant fibers were the standard material.
- Egyptians did not invent leather or tanning. Hide use is much older.
- Most Egyptian body armor was not solid leather. Linen and scale armor were common.
- Not all “leather” from Egypt was truly tanned. Much of it was oil-cured or tawed.
- Ancient leather is brittle. Survival is due largely to Egypt’s dry climate.
For the earlier history of hide use, see when did people first start using leather. For the wider timeline, see the history of leathercraft. Tanning methods in later periods are covered in medieval leatherworking techniques.