A dark leather shoe, Egyptian, ca. AD300-700 (probably). Decorated with a scraped design.

A dark, leather child's shoe. Round toe and round heel. Turned technique. Sole: Straight but wear suggests Left. Hole at seat. Cracking at waist. Deep cracks at big toe. Well worn. Wide running stitches along perimeter of sole. Was the shoe mended? These are roughly done and there are smaller, neater stitch holes around sole perimeter which at some places still hold. These smaller ones are the turned stitches. No insole. Upper: Once piece with backseam turned in and sewn with running stitch. No topband. Forepart of vamp well creased. Mid-vamp to instep decorated with scraped design. Mid-vamp there is one horizontal line; then a band of cross-hatching (14mm wide); then a band of thick, rounded Vs on their sides, separated by think lines; finished with another horizontal line. Vamp ends in high throat with a point over instep and a circular knop at the point. Quarters come up hight to ankle.

Given by the Egypt Exploration Fund

Discovered at Antinoe (modern Sheikh Abada), 1913-14 excavation season.

A dark leather shoe, Egyptian, ca. AD300-700 (probably). Decorated with a scraped design. 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.

T.159-1914