Side Covering Sandal from Meir

A quite unique sandal probably from the period of the Middle Kingdom, found in Meir and tentatively dated to the 12th dynasty (so +/- 1900 BC), now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
According to the current state of research, veg tanning was not yet known at that time, so the sandal is made entirely of fat/oil tanned leather. The are traces of red on various parts. Dyeing agents have not been analysed, but typically surface dyeing was employed with Pharaonic shoes. I used madder to stain the leather red.
The sandal is surprisingly large, the sole has a total length of ca. 30 cm, which makes it fit my European size 43 just nicely.

Literature

  • Veldmeijer, Andre J. Studies of Ancient Egyptian Footwear. Technological Aspects. Part  Part XIII. Side-Covering Leather Sandals. – Jaarberichten Ex Oriente Lux 44. 2013
  • Driel-Murray, van, C. ‘Leatherwork and Skin Products’. In Nicholson, P.T. and I. Shaw (eds), Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000, 299–319.