Shagreen

Shagreen, (1) the prepared skin of the shark and other fish of the same order which was at one time used as a covering for watch and instrument cases, etc. In this sense the word may also denote the unprepared skin. (2) A kind of leather made from the skin of the horse, the ass, and other animals. Whilst the skin is still moist and soft a seed belonging to the genus Chenopodium is forced down upon it, so that it becomes imbedded in the surface, As soon as the skin is dry, the seeds are removed, and the surface is pared down almost to the level of the cavities they filled. The skin is then soaked in water, the result being that the cavities swell up and produce a blotched appearance.