Creative cowhide

A leather painting showing a bride in a traditional Mongolian weddings with leather tassels. Photos by Wang Kaihao / China Daily

A studio in Hohhot is hoping to revive the tradition of leather paintings, a unique ancient art form of Inner Mongolia. Wang Kaihao visits the studio to find out more.

Various sizes of wine pots, penholders, and vases stand proudly on the shelves. A huge detailed map of Inner Mongolia autonomous region spreads across the wall. A punching bag containing leather fragments sways in the middle of the room.

These are among the items found in a studio called Suluding, named after an ancient Mongolian spear, located in the autonomous region's capital Hohhot.

At first glance, they may not look special. But with careful observation, visitors will discover that almost everything in Suluding is made of cowhide. And the most precious items in the studio are leather paintings.

At one corner, 37-year-old Dong Jianbin painstakingly polishes a leather painting of horses. The craftsman has been working on it for a few weeks now and says he's giving the painting its final touches.

"Well, I only have to punch holes on the edge of the painting, string hide ropes for decoration, and use another hide to cover its wooden frame," he explains nonchalantly, but to any layperson, the process sounds like a lot of work.

Dong has been in the business since 1998, but he still considers making a leather painting a tough job. For a start, selecting the right material is a major challenge. The surface of cowhide cannot have the slightest damage. The leather must be glossy, soft and of high tenacity.