boots

[ΜΓ 55] Pair of man’s knee-high leather boots.   The lower part consists of two pieces. The front piece (promouttin) has a rounded toe box and extends to a tongue at the instep. It is joined at the sides to the back piece, covering the heel of the foot. A third piece forms the shaft, reaching below the knee. The different pieces have been joined with rows of machine stitches. Βrown leather lining, discerned on the inside, is also sewn with machine stitches. At the back of the shaft there is a backstay, namely an additional sewn-on vertical strip, joined to the protruding tongue of the back piece that covers the heel of the foot. On the inside of the backstay, the joint of the single piece that forms the shaft is discernible, made with a handmade seam of parallel thick-thread stitches. This joint is framed by double machine stitching, intended to secure the added backstay. At the upper part of the boots, around the edge, there is a small hem, sewn with machine stitches. Below the middle of the shaft there are two parallel horizonal decorative bands, also of machine stitches. Near the upper part of the boots two opposite-facing pull straps are made of wide black textile bands, with single brown stripes along their edges.   The sole, normally made of ox hide, is thick, comprising two layers of leather and slightly protruding all around. Machine stitches are visible along the welt. The low heel, 1.9 cm tall, is built with three superposed layers of leather and rests on a separate cap, secured with a double row of small nails (spondilia).   This is a pair of well-made Frankish boots (Frankopodines) crafted by a cordwainer (skarparis). Cordwainer boots were normally worn in the urban centres and the countryside on official and festive occasions.   Boot height: 41 cm. Sole length: 29 cm. Date of entry to the Collection: 14.9.1949 Provenance: Ktima, Pafos.