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Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Yugoslavian, British

Omersa is best known for its iconic leather footstools and decorative objects that take on animal forms. The British furniture brand appropriately began with a pig. 

Legend has it that a man named “Old Bill” worked for eclectic department store Liberty of London and wanted to use leftover scraps of leather from handmade luggage to craft an animal-shaped footstool. The first swine-shaped ottoman was born in 1927. Decades later, in 1958, Yugoslavian native Dimitri Omersa had found work in the leather industry in a town in Hertfordshire after time spent imprisoned in the years following World War II. He was working for an independent leather company when he and Bill crossed paths. Taking a shine to one another, Dimitri took over production of the playful leather pig footstools and ottomans for Liberty, and Old Bill retired.

Omersa’s line of animal-themed furnishings expanded to include donkeys, elephants and more. The company made these home accessories in the United Kingdom specifically for Liberty until the mid-1970s and the ears of the lovable leather creatures that were produced during the era are said to have been adorned with the retailer’s branding. A leather badge now appears on the furnishings that is inclusive of the name Omersa as well as the year of manufacture. 

Today Omersa creates bespoke leather stools, desktop accessories and other seating in various animal shapes. The company’s artisans rely on traditional methods to craft each of their pieces by hand, paying particular attention to sustainable practices. To this day, Liberty continues to stock the Omersa animals it has carried since the 1930s.

In 1963, the animals crossed the pond to America and won a gold medal at the California State Fair. The mid-1960s saw a relationship take shape between Omersa and Abercrombie & Fitch —  long before it transformed into a clothing mecca for teens in the 1990s and early 2000s — while the 1980s saw Omersa forge a partnership with Scully and Scully, a purveyor of luxury furniture and decor founded in New York City.

Dimitri Omersa passed away in 1975, but the animals continued to be produced by his wife Inge for another decade.

While the ownership of the business has changed hands more than once since then, Omersa’s artisans continue to create a range of animal-shaped decorative objects and furnishings that include sheep, cows, horses and more. Annual production is limited, and each piece, made with top grain cowhide leather sourced from an environmentally responsible UK tannery and stuffed with the wood wool of European pine trees, is designed and produced by local craftspersons in Lincolnshire, England.

Find authentic Dimitri Omersa leather animals, decorative objects, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Dimitri Omersa
Charming hippopotamus by Dimitri Omersa. Leather footstool.
By Dimitri Omersa
Located in Köln, NW
Charming hippopotamus by Dimitri Omersa. The leather animals by Omersa were originally used as footstools but have since become popular Design Objects for indoor use. The hippopotamu...
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2010s English Modern Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Materials

Leather

Small Infant Liberty's London Omersa Brown Leather Hippopotamus Footstool
By Liberty of London, Dimitri Omersa
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this absolutely sublime very rare and original 1930’s Liberty’s London Omersa brown leather land dyed infant Hippo stool or footstool with original glass eyes. These come in varying sizes, this is the small sized infant, I have the matching medium sized male and female listed under my other items, I also have the extra large bench...
Category

1930s European Art Deco Vintage Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Materials

Leather

Largest Leather Rhino Stool by Dimitri Omersa for Abercrombie & Fitch, Signed
By Abercrombie & Fitch, Dimitri Omersa
Located in Lisse, NL
A wonderful and original collectors example of the large-size rhinoceros footstool by Dimitri Omersa for Abercrombie and Fitch. This impressive size and highly decorative design Rhi...
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Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Materials

Leather, Glass

Leather Donkey by Dimitri Omersa for Valenti, Late 20th Century
By Dimitri Omersa
Located in Greding, DE
Leather donkey as a footstool with tail and small mane. The brown leather has a beautiful, authentic patina.
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20th Century European Modern Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Materials

Leather

Dimitri Omersa Leather Duck Doorstop by for Abercrombie and Fitch, 1950s
By Abercrombie & Fitch, Dimitri Omersa
Located in AMSTERDAM, NH
A wonderful example of the leather duck doorstop (or paper weight) by Dimitri Omersa for Abercrombie and Fitch, circa 1950s. This is a collectible early...
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Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Materials

Leather

1960s Dimitri Omersa Leather Rhino Retailed by Abercrombie & Fitch - Restored
By Dimitri Omersa
Located in St. Louis, MO
Early Vintage 1960s leather ottoman / sculpture in form of Rhino, made by Omersa and was retailed by Abercrombie & Fitch. This rhino has been refurbished, including new Omersa factor...
Category

1960s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Materials

Leather

1930's Extra Large Liberty's London Omersa Brown Leather Pig Footstool Stool
By Liberty of London, Dimitri Omersa
Located in GB
We is delighted to offer for sale this absolutely sublime, very rare and original 1930’s Liberty’s London, Omersa brown leather hand dyed, extra large Pig stool...
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1930s European Art Deco Vintage Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Materials

Leather

Dimitri Omersa for Abercrombie and Fitch Leather Duck, U.K. 1950's
By Abercrombie & Fitch, Dimitri Omersa
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Leather duck stuffed with straw by Dimitri Omersa. The duck can be used as a door stop or as a decorative item in a kids room. It has traces of use.
Category

1950s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Materials

Leather

20th Century Brown Leather Model of a Rhinoceros by Dimitri Omersa
By Dimitri Omersa
Located in Petworth,West Sussex, GB
A 1970's Rhinoceros trophy by Dimitri Omersa in brown havana coloured leather in very good condition including hanging bracket. Great colour and patina throughout. Free delivery for ...
Category

Late 20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Materials

Leather

Vintage Omersa Leather Turtle Use as Paperweight or Decorative, Retains Label
By Dimitri Omersa, Omersa
Located in St. Louis, MO
Vintage Dimitri Omersa embossed brown leather Turtle with label. Can be used as a paperweight or as decoration. Fun size. In fine condition, retains label.
Category

1970s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Materials

Leather

"Duck" by Omersa, England, 70s
By Dimitri Omersa, Omersa
Located in Rivoli, IT
Rara e deliziosa papera firmata Omersa. Ottime condizioni vintage, pelle senza rotture o strappi. Marchio Made in England sotto la base
Category

1970s English Vintage Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Materials

Leather

Leather Lion Footstool by Dimitri Omersa for Abercrombie & Fitch, 1960s, Signed
By Abercrombie & Fitch, Dimitri Omersa
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A wonderful collectors example of an original leather lion footstool by Dimitri Omersa for Abercrombie and Fitch, circa 1960s to 1970s. This exa...
Category

1960s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Materials

Leather

Leather Seal by Dimitri Omersa for Abercrombie & Fitch, circa 1970s
By Dimitri Omersa, Abercrombie & Fitch
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A wonderful collectors example of the 'Seal' leather animal by Dimitri Omersa for Abercrombie and Fitch, circa 1970s. This example is in beautiful lightly aged with light patina. Sturdy and structurally sound, this seal is ready to be used as a fun doorstop, a large paperweight, or use as a designer floor or tabletop sculpture / work of art or a friendly companion to an otherwise lonely house dog or cat. Omersa's designed leather animals for Omersa Leatherworks of England, Omersa & Company, Liberties of London and Abercrombie and Fitch. Excellent early production original of this design, ideal collectors example or for an interior design client. Omersa made his first leather animal, a pig, in 1927 and from there created a full suite of interesting and charismatic creatures. Each leather animal is of the highest quality, beautifully stained and waxed. This example is one of the earlier ones, which are rare and highly sought after by collectors therefore very few on the resale market. Incredible opportunity for a collector or design enthusiast to have an original production example in beautiful patinated condition and to keep and collect for years to come. As you can see in our photos, we have a large collection of Omersa leather animals...
Category

1970s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Materials

Leather

Leather Dark Brown Elephant by Dimitro Omersa for Abercrombie & Fitch, UK, 1960s
By Dimitri Omersa
Located in Den Haag, NL
Leather dark brown elephant by Dimitro Omersa for Abercrombie & Fitch, UK, 1960s.  
Category

Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Dimitri Omersa Animal Sculptures

Materials

Leather

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Vintage Leather Abercrombie and Fitch Duck Doorstop by Dimitri Omersa England
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A wonderful collectors example of an original leather elephant footstool by Dimitri Omersa for Abercrombie and Fitch, circa 1963. This example is signed with the circle 'A&F CO' embossed stamp under one ear, has the early nail heads under its feet, and is covered in beautifully aged and patinated gorgeous brown leather. Ideal collectors example or for an interior designer wanting the perfect finishing touch. Omersa started producing the Elephant in 1959 and was the first new design after the Pig which had been in production for over 30 years at that point. This example is one of the early 1960s ones produced for Abercrombie & Fitch per the embossed A&F stamped ear. Some creative ways to use an Omersa is as an ottoman next to a coffee table, a designer footstool for a reading chair or something to rest your elbow while sitting in your favorite lounge chair, on a credenza, sideboard, bookshelf or mantle as a tabletop sculpture, on the floor as a floor sculpture or as a friendly companion for an otherwise lonely house dog or cat, or by the front door as a greeter to your guests and when you return home after a long day. They are made with an inner steel frame so they can withstand a good amount of weight. Adults can sit on the larger ones and kids can sit on most of the smaller ones. We think it's great to name your Omersa, as many Omersa owners do, and we also believe every home needs at least one Omersa. Omersa's have so much personality and character - each one was hand made of the highest quality leather, beautifully stained and waxed, this one approximately 50 to 60 years ago, and each of the years this one has lived has developed its own stories to tell through its gorgeous patina, it's no wonder most Omersa owners have developed personal relationship with theirs - not too much different than a house pet. We love our personal Omersa's that we keep at home, they always make us smile. A client of ours got one after his dog had passed, he said he wasn't ready yet for another - so an Omersa became the perfect friend at a time in need. From 1927 though 1950 leather pigs using scrap leather from hand made luggage were made by "Old Bill" for the department store Liberty of London. Around 1958 the business was transferred to Dimitri Omersa when Old Bill retired, and it was at this time that Dimitri came up with the ideas for other leather animals. Around 1963 Dimitri's leather animals caught the eye of Abercrombie and Fitch, at that time purveyor to the fantasies of the rich and famous. The animals were advertised in the A&F catalog from the mid 1960’s through to the late 1980’s. This leather elephant is an excellent early production Abercrombie and Fitch original of this design with lots of light age and patina, signed with early Abercrombie and Fitch logo, making this example ideal for a collector or interior designer with a love for aged leather. As you can see in our photos, we have a large collection of Omersa leather animals...
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Dimitri Omersa animal sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Dimitri Omersa animal sculptures are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of leather and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Dimitri Omersa animal sculptures, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original animal sculptures by Dimitri Omersa were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider animal sculptures by Abercrombie & Fitch, and Omersa. Prices for Dimitri Omersa animal sculptures can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $695 and can go as high as $8,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,738.

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