Pair of Gold Embroidered Afghan Shoes

Pair of gold embroidered Afghan shoes, late 20th century. Pair of gold embroidered Afghan shoes, late 20th century. Courtesy Textile Research Centre, Leiden, TRC 2008.0290a-b.

The Textile Research Centre (TRC), Leiden, has a pair of late twentieth century, leather, gold embroidered men's Oriental slippers (babouches; paizâr) from among the Pashtuns in Afghanistan (TRC 2008.0290a-b). They measure 27 x 11 cm. 

The pointed tips belong to the traditional style of footwear of the Middle East and the (northern) Indian continent. In medieval Europe such slippers were named after the Polish city of Krakow. The high beaks of these "Crakows" were called "Poulaines", after the French name for Poland.

See also the TRC online exhibition Afghan Dress (2017).

TRC online catalogue (retrieved 16 May 2021).

WV

 

 

Last modified on Sunday, 16 May 2021 10:06