ANTIQUE Fine Rare Silk Lotus Shoes Bound Foot Feet China 19th Century EMBROIDERY

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ANTIQUE Fine Rare Silk Lotus Shoes Bound Foot Feet China 19th Century EMBROIDERY:
$2250.00

~ EXQUISITE RARE ANTIQUE LOTUS SHOES for BOUND FEET ~Hand Embroidered and Hand PaintedVibrant Magenta, Blues, Teals, Pinks, Reds, & BlackDetailed Fabric Bottoms Embroidered with Delicate LotusBottoms Stitch Tufted ~ Heels Puckered with Tiny Stitched Dot PatternAbove the Heel touching Silk Uppers lays a Rolled Edge, Lilac Near the Front, Green Aft1/2\" Heel ~ Shoe Base 4.75\" X Widest at Heel 1/75\"Toe Tapers to an Extreme PointUpper Shoes Deep Sea Blue Silk ~ Lower Shoes Deep Royal Magenta Purple SilkJoined by Teal Green Ribbon Embellished with DeepRed BrocadeThreads of Blue Run Horizontally Through thisMagnificent 3/4\" RibbonThe Ribbon is Finely Stitched at Far Rear of Shoes with No Break ShowingEven More Intriguing Scalloped Ribbon Dips to the Front in Hues of Pink, Green, & Deep RedThe Smaller 1/4\" Ribbon Frames Hand Embroidered Florals of Dark & Light Pink with GreeneryJust over the Florals .... MOST Captivating of All the Details .... A Tiny Inset Fabric WindowPerfectly Moon-Round, the Window must be Felt to be AppreciatedRoughly Woven Inset Fabric Surrounded by Intricate Embroidery BorderJet Black Silk at the Sharp Front Sets an Artistic Stage for the ShoesBraided Embroidery Stitches a Line From the Black to Toe\'s PointEither Side of the Braiding are Hand Painted FloralsLining Drapes from Inside, Folding Over the Upper Blue SilkThe Draping Material has Beautifully Preserved the Lower PortionsBlue Silk has Stained the Matelasse Inner Layer, More on One Shoe than the OtherUse the Zoom Enhancement Tool to See the Inner Fabric Lotus DesignOuter Layer of this Lining is a more coarse Fabric, Expertly Joined & CorneredShoes are Fully Lined including Inner Footbed .... Standing about 4.75\" Tall* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Great Grandmother\'s Twin Sister lived in Taming, China from about 1916Aunt Mabel, a surgical RN, taught Nursing at Bresee Hospital in Northern ChinaUncle Henry, Mabel\'s husband, was Orthopedic Surgeon at BreseePatients became Friends, Often Bringing Gifts, Which Aunt Mabel sent her Twin, my Great GrandmotherGrama mentioned \'these were very old when I got them\' whenever the shoes emerged the Cedar ChestThe Lotus Shoes have been a Family Delight for nearly 100 Years, Exact Age UnknownFor the last few Decades the Shoes have been on Display in a Glass Case away from Direct SunlightWe were encouraged not to handle them as Children, and if so, wearing GlovesMuch Care and Love Surround this Rare Pair of Chinese Shoes to be used after FootbindingCulturally, the practice was meant as a mark of Beauty, perhaps also Prerequisite for MarriageI\'m sure as a Surgeon, the very idea drove Uncle Henry crazy!* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Overall the Shoes are In Impressive Antique ConditionThey are Delicate, have Minor Fading, Very Minor Issues with Age Spots on the BottomsHand Painted Areas have lost some of the PigmentsStitches are Pristine ~ Silk is Delicate with NO Holes ~ Clean, Bright FabricsPlease Closely Inspect All 11 PhotosLovingly Stored Treasures from Old China~ Priority Insured USPS ~ PayPal ~