Author
Unknown
Publication Date
300
Publication Place
Egypt (made) Antinoe (made) -
Subject
Footwear Africa Archaeology Death
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
Length: 280mm, Tread width: 65mm, Waist width: 45mm, Seat width: 60mm, Sole thickness: 5mm
Library
Victoria and Albert Museum
Library Asset ID
T.158-1914
Record ID
T.158-1914
Library Location
Middle East Section
Date
300
Notes
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.
Malzemeler ve teknikler
Tanned leather with incising, openwork, applique, punchwork and dye. Leather Tanning Incising Openwork Applique Punchwork Dyeing
Fiziksel açıklama
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 soleâs centre. Circles are punched down with a raised central dot and many smaller dots surround the circleâs 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 â 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.
Üslup
Coptic Egypt, Roman Period
