(pronounced KOR-deh-vehn)

Cordovan leather emerged in the 8th century in Spain when the Moors arrived there and tanned horsehide with a sulphur tannage. The soft, vegetable-tanned leather was first made in Córdoba, a city in Andalusia area of southern Spain. The leather was soon made in a similar fashion with sheep, goat, and pigskin leathers, and Cordovan leather became known for absorbing little and wearing well. Now the term cordovan (not capitalized) has come to mean made of Cordovan leather or to describe the rich color of Cordovan leather.