A pouch maker immersed in history
- Martynas makes leather pouches that feature in historical re-enactments
- Leather captivated him from the first touch
- Everything in his life is inspired by the past: music, battle re-enactments and leatherwork
Martynas Švedas studied biology, but his passion for history triumphed in defining him. Fully immersed in ancient times, Martynas plays and sings in a Baltic music band and has been involved in martial fraternities since he was a teenager. This is where battles of the past are re-enacted and why he had no choice but to learn the craft of leatherworking. He makes traditional belts and pouches form leather, using information from books and historical data, to produce items fit for re-enactments which aim to be historically accurate. Creativity and history are both important in Martynas' work. It is not enough to copy. "The most accurate description of my approach would be that it is an artistic expression based on history and archaeology," says the artisan who calls himself a pouch maker.
Interview
- How did you become interested in leather?
- My interest arose when I joined a historical battles re-enactment club, where we had to make all our battle clothing and weapons ourselves. That is when I started working with leather and I liked it from the start. My great-great-grandfather was a tailor, so it is a bit of a joke to say that maybe the heritage of the craft was passed on.
- Where did you get your craft knowledge from?
- From nowhere. I just had to get on with it. I got some advice from more experienced leatherworkers, but I did not have any real school or teacher. So it has taken me a long time to learn, and it is still ongoing because there are certain things I still do not know how to execute.
- Are your works reconstructions or interpretations?
- Most of it is interpretation because there is simply nothing to reconstruct. Of course, it depends on the historical period. Starting from the medieval period and onwards, there are surviving leather goods that can be reconstructed. But if you take the period before the year 1000, there is simply nothing.
- What do you like most about your craft?
- The two-dimensionality of the leather. I think of leather as a two-dimensional object first, that can be bent to become a three-dimensional object. It is an effortless transformation, but it is very addictive. For me, leather is a real object, and you can produce it yourself. It is not an easy process, but it is feasible.
Martynas Švedas is a master artisan: he began his career in 2008 and he started teaching in 2018
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Martynas Švedas
