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Footwear

Footwear

There are eight forms of footwear in the Burmese collection at the RAMM. Little if any research has been undertaken on Burmese footwear, and it has been fascinating to document the diversity present in the collection at the RAMM. Having analysed photographs from the James Henry Green Centre, Royal Pavilions, Brighton, it becomes obvious that from his documentation shoes and sandals were not a relevant part of tribal life. The only prominent group that are renowned for wearing shoes are the Shan in East Burma, and even then it is a very specific shoe type. However the lack of documentation does not mean that the wearing of shoes by tribal people can be ruled out. Shoes and sandals were worn by aristocratic Burmese however it is questionable as to whether any in the collection were worn by them. Shoes are a good indicator of social status, lifestyle and fashion. Further research is certainly required in this area as shoes do appear randomly in collections, but tend to be overlooked.

  • Sandals, Accession numbers 9.1945.20 9.1945.26 106.2000.20  9.1945.24
  • Slippers, Accession number 9.1945.23
  • Boots, Accession number 9.1945.22
  • Shoe, Accession number 9.1945.27

Sandals

9.1945.20 – Sandals

 

These are a large pair of men’s sandals made of leather soles and straps. The underside of the sole has iron studs and iron heels. There is also a name ‘Blakey’ imprinted on the leather. On the upper side of each sandal is an imprint of an elephant. The donor is R. Waterfield, and a provenance already on the database documents an origin of Bassein (Puthein), and the Irrawaddy Division. A suggested date of late 19th20th Century would be appropriate. Footwear was more common amongst the higher Burmese classes than the tribal communities. However, the shoessandals worn by the Burmese would have been of a different type. The size of these sandals, the connection with the Irrawaddy Division and the association with the name ‘Blakey’ suggests that the sandals would have been made for a westerner living or serving out in Burma, possibly made for Waterfield himself

9.1945.26 – Sandals

 

These are a large pair of men’s sandals made of leather soles and straps. The underside of the sole has iron studs, and there is fine stitching throughout the leather. The provenance is unknown, but the donor is Waterfield. If the sandals have been made for a westerner living or serving out in Burma, or for Waterfield himself, then a suggested date of turn of the century and later 19th20th Century would be appropriate. Another similar type of sandal in the collection is 9.1945.25.

If these sandals were indeed made for the western market then further research into Burmese footwear would provide a more accurate insight into expatriate life during the turn of the century.

106.2000.20 – Sandals

 

These are a pair of women’s sandals made out of thick wooden blocks with a leather strap. The strap is hemmed with blue material. On both sides the sandals have been intricately carved with geometric designs and flower motifs. On the soles of the sandals, anchors have been carved into the wood.

As the object has been re-accessioned, the donor and provenance is unknown. However, a suggested date of 20th Century may be proposed. It is possible that these intricately carved sandals, with a slight novelty factor may have been made for the western market, however that is speculation.

9.1945.24 – Sandals

 

This pair of sandals is made of a wooden sole with a blue velvet covering and blue velvet straps. Each sandal has been intricately embroidered with motifs in red, yellow and white thread. Although exact provenance is unknown this type of sandal is typical of those worn by the Shan, in the Shan States, East Burma. A date of 19th20th Century is appropriate. There is little documentary evidence of tribal peoples wearing shoes, however the Shan did, and they were of this type. There was a common perception amongst the westerners that the Shan were more ‘civilised’ than other tribal groups because they wore shoesandals (Helen Mears, Pers. Comm. 2005).

Although there is no literature on footwear in Burma, evidence of these types of sandals are found amongst the Burmese collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, the James Henry Green Centre, Royal Pavilions, Brighton, and the Bankfield Museum in Halifax.

9.1945.23 – Slippers

 

This pair of slippers is woven out of an organic material such as straw. The insides of the slippers are covered in red fabric. The donor is Waterfield and the large size of the slipper would indicate that a man wore them. The provenance is unknown but a date of late 19th20th Century is appropriate.

9.1945.22 – Boots

 

These are a pair of small leather boots, which appear to have been made for a child. The laces are made of string. The boots have been subtly decorated with dyed patterning of horizontal red and black lines. The donor is Waterfield and a date of late 19th20th Century is appropriate, however who the boots were made for is unknown. Tribal groups would have rare occasion to wear boots such as these, and the higher classes of Burmese society would have worn boots of a superior quality. It is difficult to determine which echelon of “Burmese” society would have worn these boots.

9.1945.27 – Shoe

 

This shoe has been included in the report because of its unique design. Donated by Waterfield, a suggested date of late 19th Century is appropriate. The shoe is certainly made for a child or a woman because of its small size. It is made out of leather with a cover of disintegrating fabric. The shoe has been intricately stitched. The design of the shoe is extraordinary as there is no support for the heel, unless an original part of the shoe is missing. This shoe has been well made and intricately stitched, however the design of the shoe and who it was made for is baffling.

Conclusion

Shoes are frequently overlooked in collections. The range in the RAMM collection is significant of its time. The fact that a donor, Waterfield is responsible for most of the shoes, provides an added insight into the collection. There is much to be learnt about the colonial history of Burma, and it is an area that has received little attention. Shoes are a misfit in ethnography, often pushed to one side. However, as suggested they can reveal much about social status, lifestyle and fashion at the time. The V & A Museum have sandals from the Shan State, and Halifax has several pair of different sandals, though there is little information providing an insight into lifestyles of any kind. In contrast the eccentric collection at the RAMM, with knowledge of the donor will with future research open a new chapter in colonial dress in Burma during the turn of the century.