Pair of Leather Sandals

This is a pair of leather sandal soles. Each sole consists of a single piece of cut leather. There are fine cracks and some areas of discoloration on the reddish-brown leather, but generally it is in a good state of preservation. The sandals appear to have been worn during life because there are signs of wear on the bottoms and there are molded impressions of the heal, toes and the ball of the foot on the upper surface. There is a round hole punched into each sole for the attachment of a thong between the first and second toes. Leather ankle straps secured the back of the sandal. Complete examples in the Museum of Fine Arts have a strap that completely encircles the ankle heel. On the right sole only an indentation on each side marks the location of the sandal strap. On the left sole a small section of the original strap remains on the right edge and this strap was part of the same piece of leather as the sole. On the left edge we have evidence of a repair, which is also an indication of daily life use. Two holes were punched into the edge of the sole and a new strap was fixed into place by leather thongs. Only a short length of this new strap remains in place. There is a rectangular area of discoloration on the upper surface of the left sole near the toe area.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.

Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Private collection; Walters Art Museum, 1960, by bequest.