Shoe

Shoe

Object name: Shoe
Date: 1700-1902
Dimensions:
100 x 40 x 130 mm
Medium: Silk, leather
Object number: C02305
DescriptionChinese foot-bound shoe, with an orange silk background and a black linen ankle guard. There is a red and silver chequered galloon around the top edge. It is decorated with gold metal embroidery with raised green and cream floral motifs and spangles around the toe. It has green, pink and white (discoloured) fabric wrapped around the heel.

The almond colour symbolises a fortuitous date in the Chinese calendar. When a lady married she would be expected to have made 4 pairs of shoes at minimum, an almond pair were to be one of these.