Description:

Near East/Western Asia, Turkey or Egypt, Ottoman Empire, 19th to early 20th century CE. An impressive pair of platform shoes! These wooden stilted clogs are inlaid with triangular bone pieces (likely bovine) and thin metal strips. These clogs are known as "qabqab" which is the Arabic word for the sound they make when striking the ground. Additional metal inlays create floral and foliate motifs across the sole, and a strap (now missing) would have been attached at the front to hold the woman's foot in place. These impressive pumps were used by upper class women when they visited the public baths to keep them above the wet and dirty floors. These were not particularly conventional, and an attendant was needed to assist the lady when walking, making these shoes status symbols. With modern plumbing and private baths in homes, these shoes fell out of use. An interesting piece of fashion history! Size: 8.75" L x 6.25" W x 5.75" H (22.2 cm x 15.9 cm x 14.6 cm)

Provenance: ex-Phoenicia Holyland Antiquities

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#162653

  • Condition: Stilts slightly loose on both. Losses to bone inlays and chips and nicks to peripheries. Missing straps. Old inactive insect holes. Nice patina on wood.

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March 4, 2021 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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