Chinese Red Embroidered Shoes for Bound Feet

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Chinese Red Embroidered Shoes for Bound Feet

DateQing Dynasty, mid 19th century

Object NameShoes

Mediumsilk, cotton and wood

ClassificationsFashion and Dress

DimensionsMax Length: 5.5cm
Max Height: 7.2cm
Max Width: 2cm

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS082650

Keywords

About MeVery small Chinese red silk embroidered shoes for bound feet.

The main part of each shoe is made from red silk which has been embroidered with silk threads in floral motifs, possibly magnolias. The vamp has been edged with green silk and the back of the shoe features a cream cotton support. The heel appears to be shaped from wood and covered in a maroon silk. The sole is cotton.

In Chinese culture the magnolia symbolises feminine beauty.

Specially selected women, usually from wealthy families, began to bind their feet in China as an expression of beauty, sometime during the Song Dynasty 960-1279 A.D. The custom dictated that the women’s feet should be no longer than three inches. This had the effect of making the women sway when they walked, like a lotus flower in the breeze, giving them the name of ‘lotus foot’. Young girls, around the age of six years, would be carefully chosen and presented by their mothers to the village grandmother, who would start the foot binding process.

Women with bound feet were afforded a certain status in society as they symbolised gentility, wealth and power. This made them desirable for marriage, especially as many girls’ families could provide large dowries. They were well provided for with exquisite clothes and servants and even favoured by Emperors.
Shoes were made specifically to the measurements of each wearer and embroidered with animals and birds symbolic of feminine beauty. They were expected to be worn day and night, with specific designs and styles for every occasion.

By the 19th century the custom had spread to the eldest daughters of lower-class families, who would be brought up as a lady, with their siblings as bond servants. By the beginning of the 20th century foot binding had begun to die out.