Woman's shoe of embroidered silk satin in silks and gold thread, China, probably first half of 19th century

Shoe for a women with a bound foot in embroidered dark blue silk satin. Its upper is embroidered with the motif of a man and a woman, each on a boat, as well as other lucky symbolic motifs such as a bat ('fu', Chinese for luck), coins and peonies, in white and coloured silk floss and gold thread. It is a low-heel pump made of a two-piece cotton-covered flat sole, and with a heel band and a slightly upturned nose. Most likely Southern Anhui. Wood.

Given by A. Peters, Esq.

Original description at accession:

"Lady's shoe, the upper of dark blue embroidered with white and colored floss silks and gold thread; the sole of padded light blue silk.
Chinese: probably first half of 19th century
Length: 6.5 inches, width=2and quarter inches
Patterns of figures in boats, peonies, a bat ("fu" a homonym for happiness), cash, and a ju-i (lucky) sceptre.
Gift.
T.229-1917
Soiled and worn, embroidery slightly damaged.
A Peters Esq (see T.223-1917)"

According to Dorothy Ko, the Chinese used a variety of names to refer to shoes for bound feet - including arched shoes (gongxie), embroidered slippers (xiuxie), and gilded lilies (jinlian, which also refers to the bound feet in particular and to the customs associated with footbinding in general). In her book, she has adopted a modern English term, lotus shoes. Largely handmade at home (unless it requires metal, leather or wooden parts) the decorated motifs of these shoes often symbolised fertility, longevity, happiness, wealth and success. Shoes differed in types (indoor, outdoor, sleeping, or funerary), styles (Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Shanxi, Shandong, Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan), materials (cotton, silk, felt, bamboo, wood, etc.), artisanship and structure that could affect the body and gait of the wearer. Apart from embodying the material and bodily experiences of the makers and wearers, they are important representations of feminine beauty, sensuality, cultural identity, social status and character of the female user. They were largely worn by women of the upper class elite up till the 17th-18th century until they became truly widespread from the 19th century onwards.

Its simple construction, all-over embroidery on the upper, flat sole and upturned nose indicates its interior northwest and southwest style.

Soiled and slightly worn out with one of the heel bands missing.

T.229-1917