A Shoe of the Manchurians

: With an oval receptacle, the belt ornament is carved with curling grass and intertwining lotus...

: This is a rare early example of what later became a well-known type usually associated either...

: Although it was in use in China before the advent of the Mongols, the paiza, an inscribed metal...

19th century
Silk, linen, wood, leather; L. 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm)

The Manchu peoples did not subscribe to the custom of footbinding practiced widely throughout China. Manchu footwear, for both men and women, had its own peculiarities, however. Although the foot itself was not reshaped, the soles were elevated on platforms two to four inches high. Women's shoes, like this one, were more elaborately decorated than men's, with bright embroidery on colored silk. The hooflike shape of the pedestal serves to stabilize the wearer.

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A Shoe of the Manchurians

Gilt-silver belt ornament inlaid with ruby, worn by the Qing emperor

Helmet

Mongol passport (paizi)

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