Leather Bull by Dimitri Omersa for Liberty, circa 1950s

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Leather Bull by Dimitri Omersa for Liberty, circa 1950s

About the Item

- Made from heavy tan leather - Embossed "Liberty Of London ark on the left ear - English, circa 1950s - 55cm long x 37cm tall x 26cm wide Omersa & Co It seems that the first leather pig came into being almost by accident when ‘Old Bill’, who worked making hand luggage for Liberty’s of London, wondered what could be done with the leftover leather. He came up with the idea of a stuffed leather pig footstool! The first pig was sold through Liberty’s in 1927 and Liberty’s has stocked the animal ever since. In those days the pigs were made from pigskin and had very long noses! Dimitri Omersa and his wife Inge came to England in 1955 and settled at Lavender Croft, a sanctuary for refugees in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Dimitri Omersa, a Yugoslav by birth, had been a naval officer and a political prisoner having been imprisoned by Tito for 10 years after the second world war. Dimitri Omersa found work in the leather trade and whilst representing a small leather company in Hitchin met ‘Old Bill’ at Liberty’s. ‘Old Bill’ was due to retire and a deal was struck for Dimitri Omersa to take over the business and continue the supply of pigs to Liberty’s. The business was located to Hitchin in 1958 and before long Dimitri Omersa had ideas for other animals! His first new piece was the leather elephant, followed by the leather donkey and leather rhinoceros. Initially, Liberty’s were sceptical of the rhino but it became a “best seller” and subsequently formed the Omersa logo. The animals were sold exclusively through Liberty’s up until the mid-1970s. Animals made during this period have the words “Liberty of London” embossed on the underside of an ear. Condition report No missing pieces, but the leather shows signs of age in the form of crackles, some minor splits and repairs.

Creator:
Dimitri Omersa (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 14.57 in (37 cm)Width: 10.24 in (26 cm)Depth: 21.66 in (55 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Leather
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
Mid-20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1950s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Gloucester, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU3796311121691