The Living Craft of Falconry in Britain

Falconry has been part of the British landscape for well over a thousand years, and its equipment has always been as carefully made as the birds it serves. Long before falconry became a field sport of the nobility, hoods and jesses were practical tools, but they were never merely utilitarian. In museum collections across the country, these small, hand-worked objects survive as some of the most intimate examples of leathercraft in our heritage. For the wildlife artist, they offer a subject that is rich in texture, history and quiet drama.

The Hood: A Sculpted Shell for a Wild Eye

A falconry hood is a leather cap that fits over a bird's head, blocking its vision so that it remains calm in company. The best hoods are shaped with almost anatomical precision. Makers traditionally used vegetable-tanned calfskin or horsehide, dampened and stretched over a wooden block, then stitched with waxed linen thread. Some were lined with soft kid leather, felt or even silk. Brass or silver mounts might reinforce the beak opening, and a drawstring of braided cord ran through a series of hand-punched eyelets.

Look closely at a historic hood and you will see the maker's individual pattern: a slightly raised crown, a long, tapering beak, a cheek panel that curves around the bird's eye. Hoods for a peregrine differ from those for a goshawk, not just in size but in proportion. These are sculptures in miniature, and they reward careful observation.

Jesses, Swivels and Bells: The Falconer's Furniture

Jesses are the straps that fasten around a bird's legs, and like hoods they are deceptively simple. A pair of jesses might be cut from goatskin, calfskin or horsehide, then braided, stitched or riveted. They are meant to flex without chafing, and to be soft enough to fold small in the fist. The falconer's furniture also includes the swivel, a metal ring that joins jesses to the leash, and the bell, usually brass, which sounds the bird's position in cover.

In old collections you will often find these items grouped together: a hood, a pair of jesses, a tattered leash and a bell, all mounted on a board or arranged in a case. The leather may have darkened to a deep russet or oxblood, cracked along the fold lines, and the brass may be worn smooth at the edges. These are the details that make still-life studies so compelling.

Reading Wear and Tear as an Artist

When you study historic falconry equipment as a painter or draughtsman, the temptation is to treat it as a single object. Resist that. Look for the evidence of use. A jess might show a slight elongation at the point where it passed through the swivel. The inside of a hood may be stained from the bird's breath and oil. A bell's clapper might be worn unevenly, suggesting a bird that favoured one side. These marks are not damage; they are biography.

For a still-life composition, try raking light from a low angle. It will reveal the grain of the leather, the dimples of hand stitching and the tiny cracks that form where the leather has been repeatedly flexed. Work in thin layers, building up the deep shadows where the hood's crown meets its cheek panel. The colours of aged leather are rarely simple browns; they move through umber, burnt sienna, ochre and even violet in the cool recesses.

Practical Study: Museums, Country Houses and Handling Sessions

Many UK museums and country houses hold falconry material, often as part of a wider collection of sporting or natural history. Some pieces are displayed in glass cases, but a few institutions offer study sessions or handling collections for artists and researchers. If you are sketching in a gallery, keep your pencil still and your hands off the glass. Ask staff whether there are catalogue records or photographs of the reverse side, which can be just as revealing as the front.

Useful things to note in your sketchbook:

• The shape of the hood's crown and how it differs between species.
• The type of stitch, and whether it is even or slightly irregular.
• The colour of the leather and where the patina is darkest.
• Any repairs, replacements or maker's marks.
• The weight of the swivel and the sound of the bell, if you are lucky enough to hear one.

These notes will feed your studio work long after the visit.

A Heritage Worth Painting

Falconry is a living tradition, and modern makers still produce hoods and jesses to historic patterns. But the old examples in museum collections have a particular quality: they carry the imprint of human hands and wild birds in equal measure. For the wildlife artist, that is a gift. A weathered jess, a scuffed hood, a tarnished bell — these are not just objects. They are quiet records of patience, skill and the long partnership between falconer and hawk. Set them on a plain cloth, light them carefully, and they will tell their story again.