1970s Omersa Leather Turtle

Omersa is best known for its iconic leather decorative objects, footstools and other seating and furnishings that take on animal forms. The British brand appropriately began with a pig. 

Legend has it that a man named “Old Bill” worked for the eclectic department store Liberty of London and wanted to use leftover scraps of leather from handmade luggage to craft an animal-shaped footstool. The first swine-shaped ottoman was born in 1927. Decades later, in 1958, Yugoslavian native Dimitri Omersa had found work in the leather industry in a town in Hertfordshire after time spent imprisoned in the years following World War II. He was working for an independent leather company when he and Bill crossed paths. Taking a shine to one another, Dimitri took over production of the playful leather pig footstools and ottomans for Liberty, and Old Bill retired.

Omersa’s line of animal-themed furnishings expanded to include donkeys, elephants and more. The company made these home accessories in the United Kingdom specifically for Liberty until the mid-1970s and the ears of the lovable leather creatures that were produced during the era are said to have been adorned with the retailer’s branding. A leather badge now appears on the furnishings that is inclusive of the name Omersa as well as the year of manufacture. 

Today Omersa creates bespoke leather stools, desktop accessories and other seating in various animal shapes. The company’s artisans rely on traditional methods to craft each of their pieces by hand, paying particular attention to sustainable practices. To this day, Liberty continues to stock the Omersa animals it has carried since the 1930s.

In 1963, the animals crossed the pond to America and won a gold medal at the California State Fair. The mid-1960s saw a relationship take shape between Omersa and Abercrombie & Fitch — long before it transformed into a clothing mecca for teens in the 1990s and early 2000s — while the 1980s saw Omersa forge a partnership with Scully and Scully, a purveyor of luxury furniture and decor founded in New York City.

Dimitri Omersa passed away in 1975, but the animals continued to be produced by his wife Inge for another decade.

While the ownership of the business has changed hands more than once since then, Omersa’s artisans continue to create a range of animal-shaped decorative objects and furnishings that include sheep, cows, horses and more. Annual production is limited, and each piece is made with top grain cowhide leather sourced from an environmentally responsible UK tannery. Authentic Omersa furniture and decor is stuffed with the wood wool of European pine trees and is designed and produced by local craftspersons in Lincolnshire, England.

Find antique and vintage Omersa furniture on 1stDibs.