Shoe No. 021h&i from the Tomb of Tutankhamun

Reproduction of a toe-string sandal from the Tutankhamun tomb for the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, Canada. Rather different from find No 021k&l, the decoration relies a lot less on gold with fine cutwork being in the focus, although it still is enhanced with gold rivets. Again, we do not really know from the condition of the find what the color scheme was originally, but a combination of green and red seems likely. This, as all other details for both shoes where discussed and decided with Andre J. Veldmeijer, egyptologist, archaeologist and leading expert in ancient Egyptian leather research (and initator of the idea of reconstructing these).

Leather and dyestuff choice are as for No 021k&l, i.e. brain/fat tanned leather, dyed with copper verdigris (green) and madder (red). Both the front/toe and the back parts of the strap complex have a papyrus core covered by leather. Again we find the decorative chess pattern to frame the main decoration, achieved by weaving very thin strips of leather through vertical cuts in the covering material.

• Veldmeijer, Andre J. Tutankhamun's Footwear: Studies of Ancient Egyptian Footwear. 2010