Pair of men's boots, silk, China, 19th century

Pair of men’s boots most likely worn by Han men or those of lower ranks due to its flat and thin sole, in black silk satin, with multiple thin leather/rubber piping at the front and back seams to reinforce the shape of the shoe. It has a green leather piping between the vamp and sole made of layers of felted paper and stitched leather at the bottom.

(From a Collector’s Guide to Chinese Dress Accessories, pp131-134):

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 shorted 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.

Condition: Worn and soiled. Sole is in bad condition.

FEC.LOST 99/N/L2.6:1, 2