Silver repoussé and gilding. China, style of Liao-Dynasty (907 - 1125)
Extraordinary example of two boots as seen in royal funerary furnishings. These boots were only made for the (most long-term possible) clothing of the deceased. As already stated in the previous example, there is a very lovely illustration showing a royal tomb with people buried wearing such boots. The boots are assembled of several parts and the artisanal execution is in repoussé. The motifs are partially gilded. Here very typical Chinese dragons are depicted.
HEIGHTS: 34 - 35 CM / 13.6 - 14"
From a Viennese collection
Lit.: In TREASURES ON GRASSLAND: Archaeological Finds from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (Shanghai 2000): There is a very similar pair depicted on page 204 (H 34.6, excavated in 1986 from the grave of the Princess Chen). SOTHEBY’S NEW YORK catalogue from March 27, 2003 boasts other slightly different examples of “Funerary Boots” (Gilded copper, Height: 30.5 cm) in Number 19 and 19A.