I loved finding this one, a "concealment shoe" discovered in the wall of a 1700s homestead in New Hampshire, which I purchased from a MA based dealer during New Hampshire Antiques week. With examples dating to as early as the 1300s in Europe, concealment shoes have been discovered in chimneys, under floors, above ceilings, around doors and windows, in roofs, etc, and are believed to have been placed as charms of sorts, either to protect the occupants of the building against evil spirits, or in some cases to have served as fertility charms; by the 19th c. were largely understood as good luck charms. Almost always the shoes were well worn, as this one very much is--with the shoe, more than any other item of clothing, being shaped through the wear of an individual person and thus physically imbued with their form and presence.
This is a child sized shoe (low boot), with wood sole and leather upper, and--making it especially great as a sculptural object--this fantastic tread of metal nails ("hobnobs" I believe they are called) and horseshoe type heel plate. My little bit of research reveals that treads like these were often found on military boots/brogan, but I've turned up a few related child sized examples out there. I'm not an expert, but based on what I've dug up, I'd guess later 19th century, presumably hidden in the wall then, perhaps during an addition to the house. Pretty cool!
7" long x 2 5/8" wide on sole; 4 1/2" wide from top (splaying leather) x 4 1/4" tall. The leather is well worn and has stiffened enough that it totally holds its form. With some tearing to the leather as evident, all to the good.
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