MAN'S SHOES (India)

(April 1998)

MAN'S SHOES (SALEEM-SHAHI). (72K) Leather, ornamented with embroidery. Old Delhi, North India, 1987.

DESCRIPTION

The hand-crafted shoes in tan leather are embroidered in curvilinear motifs with gold thread in an overall pattern. Red and green cotton threads ornament the top, instep, and heels of the shoes. The red leather interiors are machine-stitched and also hand-stitched in thick white cotton.

The shoes are a modern adaptation of royal Mogul shoes, today worn by the upper and middle classes on special occasions. The shoes are named after Shah Saleem Jahangir of the Moguls (1569-1627), a period of royal opulence. Shah Jahangir's son, Shah Jehan, built the famous Taj Mahal mausoleum in Agra for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

These shoes were a gift (1997) of Mr. and Mrs. Fuad Mishu.

TRADITIONAL CRAFTS OF INDIA

Crafts are a long tradition in India, reflecting various aspects of many culture groups.

India is a country of 1,274,137 square miles, and is a union of 22 states and nine centrally-administered union territories, with a population of some 891 million people. Although 83 percent of the people are Hindu, India is also the home of over 120 million Muslims and six other important religions.

This large and complex society has produced numerous creative artisans, who are skilled in a wide variety of crafts. The artistic ideas, styles, patterns, and techniques of these groups are reflected in an additional 25 loaned objects on display in this month's exhibit, which is formally titled OBJECTS FROM INDIA: Reflections of a Culture."

Additional information about India and its textile traditions and designs is available at our exhibition Website for TEMPLE AND VILLAGE: Patterns and Prints of India.

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