Sensitivity of leather tanned by ancient techniques to fungal infestation

Ancient leather cultural relics are prone to degradation caused by fungal infection after long-term burial. Although tanning can significantly lower the susceptibility of leather to fungal invasion, research on the correlation between ancient tanning technologies and fungal infection remains insufficient. In this study, leather samples prepared by ancient tanning methods (including aluminum tanning, iron tanning, vegetable tanning, smoke tanning, and oil tanning) were used as experimental materials. Fungal tolerance tests of tanning agents and antifungal infection experiments were carried out to reveal the relationship between different ancient tanning techniques and fungal invasion. The experimental results showed that iron and aluminum tanning agents exerted obvious inhibitory effects on leather‑destructive fungi. Vegetable‑tanned, aluminum‑tanned, and iron‑tanned leathers exhibited excellent antifungal infection resistance, while oil‑tanned and smoke‑tanned leathers displayed relatively poor antifungal performance. This study verified that tanning agents employed in ancient leather manufacturing have inherent antifungal properties, and the tanning process can effectively reduce the fungal sensitivity of leather.