Not currently on display at the V&A

Sandal

ca. 30BC-AD300 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

An incomplete black leather sandal, Egyptian, ca. 30BC-AD300 (probably). Decorated with openwork straps and medallion. Acquired from the Egypt Exploration Fund.

Coptic footwear was primarily made with leather, often using the turned technique, to produce a slipper or shoe with a straight sole. Slippers often included a rand at the vamp and a fibre padded sole sewn together with prominent stitching or insole tab. They show variation in the form and height of the instep. Shoes were generally slip-ons and also show variation in the form and height of the instep. Footwear was highly decorated in geometric and floral designs. Often a variety of techniques were used in combination, with the most popular being dyeing, gilding, openwork and appliqué.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Tanned leather with incising, openwork, applique, punchwork and dye.
Brief description
An incomplete black leather sandal, Egyptian, ca. 30BC-AD300 (probably). Decorated with openwork straps and medallion.
Physical description
A flat, black leather sandal. Pointed toe and round heel. Straight, worn as Left. Treadsole: Broken at seat. Repaired across tread with a roughly triangular leather piece. Can see stitch hole around perimeter. Insole: Pattern worn at big toe and heel; with bits of dirt and straw/grass imbedded. Curled tow. Remains of punched design of circles down sole’s centre. Circles are punched down with a raised central dot and many smaller dots surround the circle’s edge. Perimeter of sole has vertical lines of punchwork around it. At tread leather cord used to sew repaired piece can be seen. Straps: Lateral backstrap remains – 20mm wide at seat and 30mm wide at tread. Would have had two straps that crossed at centre of foot. Where they cross is a circular medallion of black leather. Damaged but has an applied, cutout pattern of serrated edge and four club shapes pointing into a central knop of leather. Main area of strap (seat to medallion) is serrated edge; criss-cross, incised hatching all along; between each hatch the triangle/diamonds are cutout. Top area of strap (medallion to forepart) has horizontal incised lines and a larger cutout area of geometric design. Small section medial backstrap, at seat, remains. This differs from other. It is thinner and a different cutout design. A separate piece of strap is included. This may be part of the medial backstrap. If so it is a different design (serrated edge and internal cutout geometric design including warped Xs) and is only 2cm wide all along. Suggests that the sandal was repaired not only at treadsole but that this strap was replaced with a similar patterned strip of leather.
Dimensions
  • Length: 280mm
  • Tread width: 65mm
  • Waist width: 45mm
  • Seat width: 60mm
  • Sole thickness: 5mm
Styles
Credit line
Given by the Egypt Exploration Fund
Object history
Discovered at Antinoe (modern Sheikh Abada), 1913-14 excavation season.
Summary
An incomplete black leather sandal, Egyptian, ca. 30BC-AD300 (probably). Decorated with openwork straps and medallion. Acquired from the Egypt Exploration Fund.

Coptic footwear was primarily made with leather, often using the turned technique, to produce a slipper or shoe with a straight sole. Slippers often included a rand at the vamp and a fibre padded sole sewn together with prominent stitching or insole tab. They show variation in the form and height of the instep. Shoes were generally slip-ons and also show variation in the form and height of the instep. Footwear was highly decorated in geometric and floral designs. Often a variety of techniques were used in combination, with the most popular being dyeing, gilding, openwork and appliqué.
Bibliographic references
  • E. O'Connell, "John de Monins Johnson 1913/14 Egypt Exploration Fund expedition to Antinoupolis (Antinoë), with appendix of objects", in R. Pintaudi (ed.), Antinoupolis II (Florence, 2014): 443 Figs 109-110
  • J. de M. Johnson, "Antinoë and Its Papyri: Excavation by the Graeco-Roman Branch, 1913-14", Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 1(3) (1914): 180.
Collection
Accession number
T.158-1914

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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