Shoe, one of a pair for a Manchu woman, satin-weave silk; embroidery in metallic threads and spangles; paperp leather, China, Qing dynasty, 1800-50

Manchu shoe for women of lower ranks characterised by its thick boat-shaped convex sole most likely made of layers of felted paper with a final layer of leather at the sole, whitened around the edges, with a slightly upturned toe. The shoe is in peach-coloured silk satin densely embroidered with tinsel spangles in green and crimson, and gold wrapped thread to form a floral trail pattern on its upper which has a red silk border.

Given by Miss Caroline Nias and Mrs Isabel Baynes

Description at accession:

“Shoe of pale red satin, embroidered with gold thread and tinsel spangles.
Chinese: first half of the 19th century
From whom received: Miss Caroline Nias and Mrs Isabel Baynes
Date of receipt: 23.10.22”

"Womenfolk of the ruling Manchus did not bind their feet, instead those in high-ranking families wore a special shoe, exaggeratedly elevated, with a concave heel in the centre of the instep. As well as imitating the swaying gait caused by bound feet it also made them tower over the diminutive Chinese: "…the shoes stand upon a sole of four or six inches (10-15cm) in height or even more. These soles, which consist of a wooden frame upon which white cotton cloth is stretched, are quite thin from the toe and heel to about the centre of the foot, when they curve abruptly downwards, forming a base of 2 or 3 inches square (5-8cm). In use they are exceedingly inconvenient, but….they show the well-to-do position of the wearer. The Manchus are…a taller…race than the Chinese, and the artificial increase to the height afforded by these shoes gives them at time almost startling proportions." (Garrett, 135-137)

This striking pair of Manchu shoes would have elevated their female wearer. The thick, boat-shaped soles are made from layers of felted paper, whitened around the edges, with stitched leather bottoms. Manchu women of lower ranks used such shoes for outdoor wear. The paper sole is rigid, but upturned towards the toe to give a spring to the step. Being made from paper, the shoes were much lighter than wood, but just as sturdy.
The Chinese developed the techniques of papermaking during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), and the craft of making three-dimensional objects out of paper is almost as ancient. In this pair, the shoe uppers are made from peach-coloured satin, richly embroidered with a floral trail pattern couched in gold-wrapped threads, which glistened with green and crimson spangles.

CIRC.300-1922