THE CIPREA COLLECTION
A unique collection, entirely handcrafted by the only leather artisans who still use the ancient "cuoietto" process. It’s Il Bisonte’s tribute to a forgotten technique which has been practiced for centuries exclusively in Florence. This collection’s common trait is how extraordinarily soft to the touch the leather is, as well as its vibrant shine and warmth, paired with the essential nature of the shapes in the collection. Each bag is unique, as unique and irreplaceable as the hands of the artisans who take each individual piece through the thirty processing phases. The “Florentine cuoietto" process is usually utilized to produce small leather goods, but the Ciprea collection will be the first time it’s been adopted for a collection of bags. The leather—vegetable tanned and still in its raw state—is cut, soaked and shaped on special handmade beech frames, where it stays and dries for at least 100 hours, and during which time is dyed, burnished and polished. Only at this point are the "shells" ready to leave the frames.