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This article describes the views proposed by researchers over the years on the dating of the Great Shigir Idol (originally found in a Ural peat bog) and the interpretation of images carved on the body of the wooden sculpture. Special attention is paid to finds from the Volvoncha I settlement (the Eneolithic) located on the Konda River in Western Siberia: these discoveries allow a comparison with the anthropomorphic creatures on the idol, composed in the skeleton version of the X-ray style. Analogues of the Shigir images can be found among figurative images in cave carvings. An anthropomorphic image from the Far Hall of the Ignatievka cave allows us to not only identify the sex of the characters at the base of the idol, but also to propose a radical revision of the age of the Shigir sculpture. 14C calibrated dates obtained in Russia and Germany indicate that the larch from which the idol is carved is from the early Holocene, which demonstrates the validity of searching for parallels in other artefacts of late Paleolithic art. This is relevant to not only cave painting, but also to small art objects found in Western European monuments, which implement similar artistic techniques like the transfer of perspective. It is from this point of view that the carvings - chevrons above some of the likenesses on the idol – are studied in this paper. Each element of the chevron reflects a separate figurative image, following the principle "pars pro toto". In the Shigir sculpture, one can discern a new iconographic canon in the representation of anthropomorphic images, with wide variation in the X-ray style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Museums usually exhibit thousands of artworks, and nowadays, they often have their collections online for visitors. In these collections, the curators are responsible for organizing the artworks seeking a delicate balance between emotion and reason. Given an initial artwork, however, a visitor is likely to select and admire a set of related artworks that match her interests. This setting can be seen as a recommendation problem in the art domain. Although image recommendation systems have been previously developed, considering the artwork nature is a fundamental aspect when designing a recommender system in this domain. Thus, we propose a hybrid recommendation approach that combines deep autoencoders with a social influence graph in order to capture the visual aspects and context of artworks (represented by images). These mechanisms inform the generation of rankings of related artworks. In this context, we report on a case-study with a group of art experts who assessed the rankings of artworks recommended by our approach. Although preliminary, the results showed a better precision than traditional strategies based solely on image features or metadata. Furthermore, the recommendations exhibited diversity properties, avoiding typical over-specialization problems of content-based techniques. • We propose an artwork recommendation approach that combines deep autoencoders with a social influence graph. • Visual-content features and context features are jointly used to improve the recommendation. • The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated with a group of art experts and compared against a content-based approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative design study addressed the enhancement of nursing assessment skills through the use of Visual Thinking Strategies and reflection. This study advances understanding of the use of Visual Thinking Strategies and reflection as ways to explore new methods of thinking and observing patient situations relating to health care. Sixty nursing students in a licensed practical nursing program made up the sample of participants who attended an art gallery as part of a class assignment. Participants replied to a survey of interest for participation at the art gallery. Participants reviewed artwork at the gallery and shared observations with the larger group during a post-conference session in a gathering area of the museum at the end of the visit. A reflective exercise on the art gallery experience exhibited further thoughts about the art gallery experience and demonstrated the connections made to clinical practice by the student. The findings of this study support the use of Visual Thinking Strategies and reflection as effective teaching and learning tools for enhancing nursing skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Raman spectrum of tartrazine has been mistakenly reported as being that of Indian yellow in the literature, which has serious consequences for the identification of this pigment in art works regarding their authentication. Unlike tartrazine, Indian yellow (a natural mixture of the magnesium and calcium salts of euxanthic acid) exhibits in its Raman spectrum a strong fluorescent background when visible excitation is used, however, excitation in the near infrared (1064nm) permitted the observation of the Raman bands from the raw pigment with the main features placed at 1346, 1368, 1425, 1441 and 1626cm-1. Indian yellow identification was assured by 1H and 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance characterization and the complete assignment of the proton and carbon resonances was accomplished using heteronuclear single quantum correlation (HSQC), heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC), nuclear overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) and 1H-1H correlation spectroscopy (COSY). Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzes were also conducted on a genuine sample of this historical pigment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction materials used in museums for the display, storage, and transportation of artwork must be assessed for their tendency to emit harmful pollution that could potentially damage cultural treasures. Traditionally, a subjective metals corrosion test known as the Oddy test has been widely utilized in museums for this purpose. To augment the Oddy test, an instrumental sampling approach based on evolved gas analysis (EGA) coupled to gas chromatography (GC) with mass spectral (MS) detection has been implemented for the first time to qualitatively identify off-gassed pollutants under specific conditions. This approach is compared to other instrumental methods reported in the literature. This novel application of the EGA sampling technique yields several benefits over traditional testing, including rapidity, high sensitivity, and broad detectability of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Furthermore, unlike other reported instrumental approaches, the EGA method was used to determine quantitatively the amount of VOCs emitted by acetate resins and polyurethane foams under specific conditions using both an external calibration method as well as surrogate response factors. EGA was successfully employed to rapidly characterize emissions from 12 types of common plastics. This analysis is advocated as a rapid pre-screening method to rule out poorly performing materials prior to investing time and energy in Oddy testing. The approach is also useful for rapid, routine testing of construction materials previously vetted by traditional testing, but which may experience detrimental formulation changes over time. As an example, a case study on batch re-orders of rigid expanded poly(vinyl chloride) board stock is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid and safe method has been developed for preparing matte artists’ paint samples for binding medium analysis by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy. Hydrofluoric acid (HF) transforms many inorganic components of matte paints that commonly interfere with medium analysis, viz. carbonate and silicate fillers and pigments, into chemical species whose infrared absorptions are shifted outside the spectral area of interest. This method provides a route for removing these interferences without relying on lengthy and sometimes unsuccessful solvent extraction of the binding medium. Microsamples of common binders, pigments, and inorganic fillers were reacted with solution or gas phase HF to determine the effectiveness of the chemical treatment in removing unwanted interferences while preserving the binding medium. A second method of chemical treatment, using in situ generation of HF gas from acidified sodium fluoride, proved equally effective while minimizing the hazards of handling and storing liquid HF solutions. The success of the technique in removing mid-infrared interferences in binding medium analysis is demonstrated on various paintings dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study defines the visual symbols in the spontaneous artwork of 10 women who are survivors of childhood traumas involving loss or sexual abuse. The analysis was based on 379 artworks and a semi-structured, in-depth interview with each creator. Seven main visual symbols were identified using qualitative methodology and an art-based research approach. The symbols were characterized and interpreted according to a Jungian approach that uses amplification to process and expand upon the products of the unconscious. The symbols were found to tell the story of the trauma and perhaps even hint at the direction of its healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One way to increase art appreciation is to create congruency between the actions performed by the artist and the actions performed by the viewer. Leder, Bar, and Topolinski (2012) successfully created such a link by asking participants to make either stroking or stippling motions while viewing stroke-style and pointillist-style paintings. We carried out a direct replication of Leder et al. (2012) in Experiment 1 but failed to reproduce their results. In Experiment 2, we achieved the desired cross-over interaction between image and action but only when the relationship was made more transparent. Experiment 3 demonstrated that this effect requires a motor component and cannot be reproduced by simply hearing the sounds associated with drawing production. Experiment 4 investigated whether either an external manipulation or a self-report measure of awareness of the image–action match modulated the liking ratings, in addition to artwork familiarity and participants’ own hypotheses regarding the direction of the image–action effect. Participants who predicted that congruent relationships between what they saw and what they did would increase liking showed enhanced congruency effects. The links between historical production and contemporary exposure to art may then be an overt rather than covert process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Between 1505 and 1506 Leonardo Da Vinci painted his masterpiece, the Battle of Anghiari, in Palazzo Vecchio’s Hall of 500 in Florence. The unfinished mural remained visible until 1563, when architect Giorgio Vasari undertook a renovation of the Hall and all traces of the Battle of Anghiari were lost. However, scholarly interpretation and scientific evidence suggest that the mural could be on the eastern wall, hidden behind a brick wall built in 1563 by Vasari. This paper discusses the possibility of using NNA/APT (Nanosecond Neutron Analysis/Associated Particle Technique) to establish the presence of the masterpiece by identifying behind the Vasari’s wall chemical elements from the gesso preparation layer of the mural and possibly from its pigments. This paper reports on the experiments run with a simple NNA/APT system and the Monte Carlo simulations that have been carried out in order to outline the experimental setup of an advanced NNA/APT able to detect and locate the tiny amount of gesso and pigments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we present a dialogue about the seemingly innocuous presence of environmental art in hospital settings as a way of furthering critical perspectives on the therapeutic landscapes concept and its application to medical spaces. We explicitly consider the potential utility of two perspectives, Foucaultian and Lacanian readings, for understanding the relationship between environmental art and the hospital waiting room. We use this paper as a vehicle to demonstrate how such theoretical perspectives can enhance critical scholarship on the therapeutic landscape concept, particularly as it is applied to settings such as health clinics and hospitals. A brief agenda for further critical engagements with the therapeutic nature of health care spaces is put forth in the conclusion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (μ-SR-XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-SR-FTIR) are used in the non-destructive identification of reaction and aging compounds from micrometric ancient painting layers. The combination of the micrometer size and non-destructive nature of the techniques together with the high resolution and brilliance of the synchrotron radiation has proved to be a procedure most advantageous for the study of reaction, aging and degradation processes. Copper, lead and calcium carboxylates and oxalates are determined in the chromatic, preparation and alteration layers from 15th century egg tempera and oil paintings. Their nature and crystallinity have been assessed. Some hypothesis about the mechanisms of development of both carboxylates and oxalates are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This contribution presents a research aimed at the study of the commercial products Laropal K80, Keton N and MS2A, ascribed to ketone resins prepared as thin films, in an attempt to reproduce the pictorial layers and protective finishes that are commonplace in contemporary paintings. For this purpose, a new method based on “online” silylation–pyrolysis using hexamethyldisilazane as a derivatisation reagent in pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py–GC–MS) has been proposed. This procedure leads to the unambiguous identification of such varnishes and improves direct Py–GC–MS. Chemical changes due to the degradation effect of environmental agents have been especially considered. To that end, three different accelerated ageing processes were applied to a series of specimens prepared from the studied commercial products: thermal, UV light and ageing in an SO2-polluted chamber. Chemical changes due to UV light ageing of Keton N resin are in good agreement with those previously reported in the literature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper presents the use of laser radiation for cleaning of beeswax treated granite stone. In the early sixties, prestigious restorers decided to apply molten beeswax on the granite surface of valuable monuments with the aim of preventing the erosive action of atmospheric agents. An interesting example of this treatment is the Renaissance Frieze in the Cloister of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia (Northwest Spain). With time, salt accumulation beneath the beeswax layer has caused an intense surface disintegration of granite. Conventional cleaning methods can destroy sculptured details of these emblematic monuments. For this reason, excimer laser cleaning has been chosen as a promising non contact, selective and environmentally friendly cleaning technique to be studied. The cleaning tests have been carried out using an excimer laser (ArF, 193nm), with fluences between 0.5 and 2Jcm−2 pulse−1 and a spot area of 0.025cm2. Samples representing beeswax films over Roan granite have been irradiated and their degree of cleaning has been studied as a function of the number of pulses and the laser fluence. Cleaning efficiency has been evaluated by FT-Raman Spectroscopy, allowing to establish the beeswax ablation threshold and the ablation rate. Excimer laser cleaning allows a progressive and controlled removal of a few tenths of micrometers of beeswax per pulse without damaging the underlying granite stone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Since the first reported analytical studies and technical examinations of art and archaeological objects conducted in the late 18th century, analytical techniques and methods applied to the study of artworks have constantly grown. Among the materials composing the art object, organic compounds used as binding media or protective coatings have attracted the attention of the conservation profession given their noticeable ability for undergoing morphological and chemical changes on ageing. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review the most recent advances in the identification and determination of organic compounds present in art and art conservation materials. Immunofluorescence techniques have been proposed in recent decades as an alternative to the classical and simpler microchemical tests. Besides, a variety of instrumental techniques have also been improved in an attempt to enhance the sensitivity, repeatability and accuracy of the analytical results. Spectroscopic techniques, such as UV–vis, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, have been coupled with light microscopes for these purposes. Synchrotron radiation FTIR microspectroscopy has also been successfully applied to the analysis of artworks. Mass spectrometry has also been increasingly used as a detector system coupled with a chromatographic device. Chromatographic methods have also improved in recent years. Paper and thin layer chromatographic techniques have been progressively replaced with gas chromatography (GC), pyrolysis-GC, high performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. More complex proteomics hyphenated techniques, such as nano-liquid chromatography–nano-electrospray ionisation/collision quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry, have been recently applied to the identification and determination of proteinaceous binders. Microbeam analytical techniques have also been incorporated into the list of advanced instrumental techniques for art conservation purposes. Finally, a number of new instrumental techniques have been proposed as a suitable alternative to the conventional microscopy techniques for morphological studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A complete Raman and X-ray fluorescence study on the Spanish 15 cents stamp from the King Alfonso XIII (1889–1901) issue with colour error is presented. Even though this fact has been known since 1890, there is no record of such error in any catalogue. The number of printed stamps was around 1300million, and it is believed that around 4000 stamps were printed with colour error, but less than 100 stamps are known to have survived. The official colour of the 15 cents stamp was chestnut-brown violet, but due to the long period of time in which this stamp was used and due to the different printings, the differences in colour are common. All the stamps with colour error considered in this study present the same philatelic and printing technical characteristics as the standard stamps, but with chestnut-brown orange or yellow shades. As a result of the scientific analysis, the differences of the colour lie only in the use of different kinds of inks. The nature of the inks as well as the way this error happened is discussed, discarding the presence of fakes or forgeries in the stamps analysed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We present an overview of the application of some vibrational spectroscopic techniques (Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman) to industrial archaeology in the field of cultural heritage, particularly centered on the wallpaper industry. Both techniques present a better performance for cost than other set-ups applied to the analysis of multilayer artworks on cellulose supports. To illustrate the applicability of these techniques, we present examples of different decorative wallpapers from the whole nineteenth century and compare the results obtained with other artworks from the same century. Raman spectroscopy was mainly used in pigment determination with the help of FTIR spectroscopy. The study of the binder was better achieved using FTIR spectroscopy, and FTIR could also be used to evaluate semi-quantitatively the degree of the degradation of the cellulose. The wallpaper industry was a very prosperous sector in the nineteenth century that followed the same pattern of the other crafts from the same century, applying the new pigments available in that period. Antique pigments (e.g., minium, red oxides and carbon black) were determined together with new ones, first synthesised during the nineteenth century (e.g., copper-arsenic pigments and ultramarine blue). We observed a transition in the use of the antique pigments to the new ones in the wallpaper items going through the century. The great transformation of the chemical industry was clearly reflected in the evolution of the wallpaper industry during that century. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A procedure based on the technique of the pyrolysis-GC/MS has been applied, in this work, in order to determine the composition of synthetic acrylic resins employed in artworks. The method is based on the on line derivatization of these resins using hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS). Results obtained have been compared with those others from direct pyrolysis and in situ thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH). Sensitivity using HMDS as derivatising reagent is found similar to that from direct pyrolysis and methylation with TMAH. Better resolution of the most representative peaks has been also obtained. Additionally, this method reduces the formation of free acrylic acid molecules during the pyrolysis process and, in consequence, more simplified and well-resolved chromatograms are obtained. Finally, the reported procedure has been successfully used for characterizing several acrylic-based varnishes and binding media currently used in Fine Arts and real pictorial samples from graffiti performed on a Middle Ages bridge. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the present work, a study attempting to characterize the Manila elemi and Mexican copal resins from the Burseraceae family, which are used as components of varnishes and binding media of artworks, has been carried out. A new GC–MS method involving the use of methyl chloroformate as derivatisation reagent has been proposed. A second method which uses pyrolysis-GC–MS and hexamethyldisilazane as derivatization reagent has also been applied. Characterization of the main components of the mono-, sesqui- and triterpenoid fractions occurring in the raw materials has been achieved. Both α- and β-amyrin have been established as the major triterpenoid compounds occurring in these resins together with hop-22(29)-en-3β-ol, found only in the Mexican copal. Artificially aged samples of Manila elemi and Mexican copal have also been analysed in order to study the stability of the triterpenoid components of the resins and their possible use as marker molecules. The results obtained indicate that these molecules, in particular, α- and β-amyrin undergo oxidation processes during both artificial and natural ageing. Nevertheless, hop-22(29)-en-3β-ol could be selected as marker compound for Mexican copal. The proposed methods of analysis have been applied to real paint samples extracted from paintings in which Mexican copal was present as the main component of an “oleoresin” binding medium to assess their ability for identifying this product when used in artworks. Satisfactory identification of this resin is obtained by means of GC–MS whereas Py-GC–MS provides, in general, weaker signals for the components of the resin. Additionally, the influence of the pigments present in real samples on the resin ageing process has been considered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Scientific studies of the pigments used in the manufacturing process of some pigmented wallpapers are presented in this work. Non-destructive micro-Raman spectroscopy was selected for this purpose, and provides important information about how the 19th century wallpaper industry incorporated new materials in their works and designs. At the same time, analysis can help to date the samples of uncatalogued wallpapers. Chrome yellow, burnt Sienna, Prussian blue, ultramarine blue, red lead, carbon black, calcium carbonate, red iron oxide and a red organic pigment were identified. According to the palette used, as well as to the manufacturing process, the wallpapers in this study can be dated to the second half of the 19th century. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Raman micro-probe spectroscopy has been applied to the analysis of a non catalogued hand-crafted wallpaper during its restoration process. The analysis has been totally non-destructive without the necessity of taking any sample. The artwork showed a great chromatic palette having been detected the presence of calcium carbonate, Prussian blue, ultramarine blue, gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O), minium (Pb3O4), vermilion (HgS), chrome orange (CaCO3), chrome yellow (PbCrO4), barium sulphate and carbon black (C). From the spectroscopic analysis the date of its manufacturing has been set between 1828 and 1830, introduction of chrome yellow and orange, as well as artificial ultramarine blue, and 1840, when continuous industrial wallpapers were extensively manufactured in Europe. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the present work, alkyd and acrylic self-made paints containing synthetic organic pigments (SOPs) of different chemical classes (phthalocyanine, quinacridone, and diketopyrrolo-pyrrole) were analysed by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry with MeV primary ions (MeV-SIMS) to study the chemical changes that occur due to accelerated UV ageing. MeV-SIMS is an emerging accelerator-based, surface-sensitive mass spectrometry technique that can provide information about the chemical composition in the uppermost layers of materials. Two-component mock-up samples were prepared and aged for two and four months, to mimic environmental ageing over periods of one and two years. The obtained results show that the studied SOPs are stable under the accelerated ageing conditions used in this study and that they can be easily identified in aged paints, while the binder components undergo structural changes due to the photodegradation processes. The kinetics of binder degradation were found to be dependant on the pigment present in the paint, with phthalocyanines having the highest photostabilizing effect amongst the pigments studied. In addition, the acrylic binder exhibited slightly higher stability to UV ageing than the alkyd medium. This study allowed the identification of SOPs and binders in the selected contemporary artworks, which date from different periods and belong to both outdoor and indoor collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Preparation of hydroxyapatite protective film on the surface of marble substrate was studied. The metasomatic reaction between monocalcium phosphate solution and marble substrate was explored to prepare hydroxyapatite film. The prepared hydroxyapatite film was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The properties of the hydroxyapatite film were evaluated by color difference, capillary water absorption, adhesion strength and acid resistance test. The results revealed that the hydroxyapatite film had good adhesion strength, compatibility and enough acid resistance and would be promising in the conservation of outdoor marble artworks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• People with autism and intellectual disability show a specific drawing style. • Characteristic features are in the area of formal design and are less related to the content. • Repetitions and line order are potential markers supporting ASD-diagnostics. • Some formal design features may be caused by atypical processing of visual stimuli. Many people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) show a photographic memory and visual strength. Geometric forms and serial structures are described as characteristic features in autistic art. However, there is little awareness of the artistic expression of persons with ASD and an intellectual disability. In order to assess the specific design elements displayed in this group we developed a list of design characteristics based on 120 drawings of adults with intellectual disability. Reoccurring features were grouped in the areas of form and content. The list was tested psychometrically in N = 40 patients; t n = 20 with ASD and an age and IQ matched control group. All drawings were rated by three independent experts, who were blinded to patients' characteristics; inter-rater reliability was measured by the mean absolute agreement. Salient features were identified based on their discriminant power. Overall, 60 design features were identified. Inter-rater-reliability was good (M = 82.6 %). Nine items discriminated distinctly between individuals with and without ASD; thus, 'line structure' and 'repetition' were shown to be significant markers. In conclusion, the artwork of adults with intellectual disability and ASD displays specific formal design characteristics compared to those with intellectual disability only. This may give important clues to support multidimensional ASD-diagnostics in this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceived stability is an important feature of pictures with respect to their aesthetic appreciation. Pictures whose composition is perceived as stable are usually liked more than those with unstable arrangements. However, there are exceptions. In a recent study, we found that unstable Japanese calligraphies were preferred to stable ones. From this result, we hypothesized that instability is liked when it implies movement. Therefore, we systematically tested these two types of instability. In our first experiment, we used multiple-element pictures of varying stability as stimuli and show that perceived instability has a negative effect on liking. In a second experiment, we used dynamic paintings by the artist K.O. Götz, which largely vary in implied movement. As expected, for these dynamic pictures, instability was positively related to liking. Taken together, our findings indicate that perceived instability reduces the aesthetical appreciation of a picture unless it implies movement. • Pictures are usually preferred, whose elements are arranged in a gravitationally stable way. • Instability positively affects aesthetic appreciation if it serves dynamics and implied movement. • It can be differentiated between gravitational instability, which is not liked, and dynamic instability, which is liked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study organoclay based acrylic polymer nanocomposites were prepared via emulsion polymerization and used as filling agent for leather. The main objective of the study is to use inexpensive clay for preparation of synthetic tanning agent (syntan) for leather processing. Prepared clay/polymer nanocomposites consisting of different weight ratios of organoclay were characterized for morphological and mechanical strength properties. The results showed that surface roughness and mechanical strength of the films increased with increasing concentration of organoclay. The particle size and zeta potential analysis reveal that the clay/polymer nanocomposites (CPNs) were electrostatically stable with particle size varying between 62 and 295 nm. The leathers treated with experimental clay-polymer nanocomposite incorporated with 5 wt% clay exhibited smooth fibrillar arrangement suggesting excellent dispersion and filling properties, thus opening new avenues for efficient leather processing. The experimental leathers also exhibited better tensile strength of 28 ± 0.5 compared to control 26 ± 0.5 N/mm2 and organoleptic properties such as fullness, belly filling and softness were also improved. Thus, the preparation and application of the syntan paves a way to the sustainable approach for making leather filling agent, which is cost-effective, abundantly available and eco-friendly. Clay/polymer nanocomposites for leather application. Image 1 • Clay/polymer nanocomposites (CPNs) were prepared via emulsion polymerization. • Leathers treated with CPNs exhibited better filling on the crust leather. • CPNs pave way to the sustainable approach for making a syntan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]