Chinese Woman's Shoes (1 Pair)
date: label: Collection Date
content: 1830
name: label: Collector
content: Dr F. Wessels
label: Donor Name
content: Accession Number Unknown
notes: label: Notes
content: FROM CARD: "INVENTORIED JUN 1 1967."
label: Notes
content: As per Dr. David C. Ko's comments (Ko is a medical doctor and collector of Chinese footbinding shoes) these are authentic footbinding shoes that have been worn. Dr. Ko notes the golden thread and the sole. Based on the style, Ko believes the shoes could be from Southern China. The sole is unusual as it has a "high heel". Dr. Ko indicates that this "platform high heel" was popular in the 17th century during the Ming dynasty. It was used less in the 19th century. The style, however, remained popular in western China. The front part of the shoe is very unusual--could be from Anwei. Ko dates the shoes to approximately 1850.
label: Notes
content: This object was not collected by the U.S. Exploring Expedition. The catalogue card is in error. The Anthropology ledger book identifies the collector as "Dr. F. Wessels." See Anthropology ledger book for Catalogue No. E5740, which is also from Wessels, but where the ledger book entry also lists "National Institute." This may be part of either National Institute Accession No. 81 or 135. See also remarks for E2126.
label: Notes
content: On p. 21 of National Institute for the Promotion of Science, Washington, D.C. A Popular Catalogue of the Extraordinary Curiosities In the National Institute, Arranged In the Building Belonging to the Patent Office. Washington: A. Hunter, 1855, there is a description of an object which may be these shoes?: "Curious shoes taken from the feet of a Chinese lady at Macao, reduced by this horrid practice to the size of a three-year-old child."
label: Record Last Modified
content: 13 Aug 2019
label: Specimen Count
content: 2
place: label: Place
content: China, Asia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Chinese
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 000000
label: USNM Number
content: E3919-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Shoe