m22: The Cobra English Bridle Leather Case
A cobra rears up off the top of this case. It is solid brass, and it does not move.
The snake
The handle is a solid brass cobra, coiled along the top with its hood raised. London tan bridle leather forms the flap and the front is dark green. A gold push lock closes the case, and the inside is red Italian calf suede.
I source hand-carved brass handles like this one as antiques through dealers, mostly from India. The video above shows several on my bench: a horse, a bull, a cobra. They are usually one of a kind, not mass produced.
No strap
This one is a hand case with no shoulder strap. You carry it by the cobra.
Why I made it
I make pieces like this the way I make many of my art pieces: to change the design. The briefcase has a form I have worked for years. This one is a small case with a solid brass cobra on top.
Size
10 x 7 x 4 inches, hand saddle stitched, made in late 2023.
How it is made
The suede is real: see the suede lining page for why I use it instead of microsuede, and the care page for how to look after it.
The bridle leather is described on my leather page, and the journal explains it in What English Bridle Leather Actually Is, and Why Briefcases Are Cut From It.
The seams are hand stitched; see The Saddle Stitch Explained: Hand-Sewing Leather Step by Step for the method.
