Pair of socks, woven silk and cotton, China, ca. 1880-1900

Pair of knee-high socks for Manchu men made of blue woven damask silk and woven striped pattern white silk, lined with cotton, with its heels and soles made of padded cotton and have reinforced stitching. It is most likely worn in the cooler months.

Given by Jill Proctor

"Socks were worn inside the boots…Those worn in the cooler months were made of silk, cotton or linen, lined and padded with rows of stitching; they were knee length, and opened down the back, with a vamp but no sole. Another type of sock for warmer weather was shorter, embroidered or plain in blue or white silk or cotton. The were worn with shoes and pulled over the hem of the trousers.

Lengths of tightly woven silk about 8 cm wide and 85-120 cm long, often with silken fringes at each end, were used as puttees and wound spirally around the leg from ankle to knee, over the trousers and socks, for protection or support. They were useful for cushioning the knees when required to perform the full kowtow. " (Garrett, 134-135)

Possibly late 19th century (circa 1880 -1900)

This is a pair of men's Chinese socks. Such socks would have been worn in shoes and pulled over the hem of the trousers, and the soles and heels of the socks are of padded cotton and have reinforced stitching.

Apart from the cotton soles and heels, the rest of the sock is made of patterned woven silk. There is no padding under the cotton lining on the inside of the sock, indicating this pair would have been worn in warmer weather.

FE.401:1, 2-2007