Pair of black satin and leather boots, China, late 19th century

Pair of black satin boots for a civil Mandarin of the ninth rank. The uppers are black satin with multiple thin leather (or rubber) piping at the front, back and across the vamp, to reinforce their shape. They are edged with green chagrin (also known as shagreen) between the sole and the upper. The boots are lined with white cotton on which a Chinese character is painted.

The boots have slightly upturned toes, and 4-cm thick flat soles most likely made of layers of felted paper, with a bottom layer of leather. The soles are painted white around the edges. A triple leather braid runs up the front and back of the boots and around them below the ankle.

Given in memory of Edwin Darlington C.I.E., Father of the Donor

Part of an ensemble T.40 to J-1956 for a Mandarin of the ninth rank. A ninth rank Mandarin is an unplaced official.

These boots were given as part of the set “Costume of a Civil Mandarin of the 9th rank” that included, apart from this pair of boots, a dragon robe, mandarin hat, necklace, two belt flaps, collar and fan cases, on 26 July 1956.

On display in the V&A exhibition, Shoes: Pleasure and Pain between 13 June 2015 – 31 January 2016.

(From a Collector's Guide to Chinese Dress Accessories):
All styles of boots and shoes could fit either foot, with only a cursory attempt to follow the outline of the natural foot. The possession of boots was seen as a demonstration of wealth and superiority, and they could only be worn by officials and men with some position in society. A proverb of the day stated "A man in boots will not speak to a man in shoes".

Plain black satin knee-high boots were worn by the emperor for informal wear, and by princes, noblemen and Mandarins for general use. They have leather piping reinforcing the front and back seams, with 7cm-thick white soles. These inflexible soles originally allowed the Manchus to stand in the stirrups when riding horseback, and were made shorter than the vamp at the toe to make them easier to walk in, although the implication of wearing such boots was that the Mandarin never travelled anywhere on foot.

More flexible, shorter boots in black velvet or satin with thin leather or cotton soles were worn by lower ranks such as military troops, clerks and attendants. Boots were expensive: a pair of high white soles could cost as much as a servant's wages for the year.

T.40C&D-1956