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pair of silk lotus shoes

 


Core Record

Title pair of silk lotus shoes
Collection Artworld: Oriental Museum
Date 19th century CE
Description A pair of finely embroidered lotus shoes in pink silk.
The shoes have a high heel and slightly curled toes. The sides of the shoe are embroidered with lotus flowers and birds in silk threads of many colours, with sequins attached. There is a green cross-pattern stitched above a white and brown patterned tape around the opening of the shoe. The heel-tab is dark blue with an embroidered white flower with sequins surrounded by white and brown patterned tape. The upper is hand-stitched to the sole using white thread. The sides of the heel are covered in white brocade interwoven with a bird-pattern; the underside of the heel has a lotus flower embroidered on pink silk. The soles are of white cotton, textured using small stitches in white thread.
Cultural Context Chinese
Location Creation Site Zhonghua
Location Current Repository The Oriental Museum
Subject clothing, shoe
Measurements 4.5 x 6.3 x 9.4 cm
Context It is believed that the custom of foot-binding originated from as early as the 10th century CE.

Northern style lotus shoes
Relation References Ko, D. 2001. Every step a lotus : shoes for bound feet. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Rights Oriental Museum, University of Durham, Durham, 2002. All Rights reserved
Rights Owner OM
Style Period Qing Dynasty
Work Type footwear
 
 

 

 

 

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