introduction
Shoes are an indispensable daily necessity in our daily life, shoes in ancient times there are many kinds of names, the most common name is "shoes", "foot clothing" and so on.
Ancient shoes have a strong cultural symbolism that belongs to that society, and have a strong aesthetic color. Studying ancient shoes, we can appreciate the class hierarchy of ancient society and the cultural connotations presented by society from ancient shoes.
Ancient straw shoes
First, the development of ancient shoes
In ancient times, the "shoe" that stepped on the feet of our ancestors was just a leaf, a piece of bark. Later, in order to protect the feet and not be injured during the movement, the ancestors made shoes from animal fur and tied them to the feet. During the Shang Dynasty, people's shoes were mainly made of materials such as grass or leather, and most people wore straw shoes on their feet.
The shoes of the Spring and Autumn And Warring States periods are called leather, which is a product of the background of the war, and the raw material of leather is mainly animal skins. Leather shoes are high to the ankles, which not only facilitate the movement of soldiers, but also have the function of keeping warm.
Ancient three-inch golden lotus shoes
By the Han Dynasty, the division of sole and upper was already very obvious, and the tip of the shoe in this period was upward. Shoes in the Wei and Jin dynasties, the raw material is more comfortable cloth and brocade, the shoes of this period also developed a pattern, in the appearance of more ornamental value.
During the Song Dynasty, the Central Plains were influenced by steppe nomads, and leather shoes were popular during this period. During the Song Dynasty, due to the promotion of the ideology and public opinion of some literati, women in this period were very obsessed with foot binding, believing that the three-inch golden lotus was one of the conditions for women's external beauty.
Ancient tiger head shoes
During the Qing Dynasty, women's shoes were mainly made of wood, and the shoes made of this kind of wood were called flag shoes, the sole was very high, and the shape was generally very wide, and the bottom was very narrow.
And the shoes of the ancient period can be said to have reached a symmetrical point, and there is no division between left and right. In the eyes of the ancients, different shoes have an ominous meaning in them, and this kind is only given to the lowly people.
Ancient leather shoes
Second, the cultural connotation of ancient shoes
In ancient times, different shoes were worn, which also represented the status symbols of different classes. Some upper-class society in ancient times had great contempt for merchants, and at that time, black and white shoes were worn only by these merchants.
The ancient patriarchal system is also reflected in the shape of shoes worn, in order to reflect the status of men and women in the hierarchy, the tip of the ancient man's shoe is square, and the tip of the woman's shoe is round. In the Book of Search for God, it is recorded that "the man's ass is square, and the woman's is round." Ancient mothers would make tiger shoes, cat shoes, etc. for their children, which acted as a kind of talisman to accompany their children through their childhood.
Ancient shoes also carry a bad side, due to the impact of the three-inch golden lotus incident, people in ancient times produced a deformed aesthetic, as far as they think, women's feet are small is a manifestation of women's beauty, so ancient times have always had the bad habit of foot binding.
Shoes of ancient emperors
In ancient times, yellow was a status symbol, so as the emperor of the ruling class, the shoes worn were generally ochre yellow. The shoes worn by the ministers in the palace are generally black, and the color of the shoes cannot be worn wrongly, otherwise they will be convicted of treason. Some shoes in ancient times, due to some decorations, became the popular shoe fashion items at that time.
For example, during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, there was a pattern of soles that was a lotus flower, which gave birth to a lotus in one step, so it was sought after by women at that time. The color of shoes in the Sui and Tang dynasties was no longer single, and colorful shoe colors were popular.
The shoes of ancient ethnic minorities are more diverse in shape and more bold in the use of color. The style and color use of ethnic minority shoes is an expression of their emotions, they tattoo the pattern of fish on the shoes, which means that there is more than one year, and the pattern of pomegranate is a praise for the reproduction of life. They pay attention not only to the aesthetic sense of shoe styling, but also to the comfort level that shoes bring, that is, practicality.
Qing Dynasty women's flag shoes
epilogue
Ancient shoes have both their own color aesthetic and visual value. There is also practicality. More importantly, the shoes of ancient times carry the sustenance of the ancient people for the beautiful vision of life and the future.
So a pair of shoes is not only our warmth, a tool to resist injury, but also a beautiful symbol. And most of the ancient shoes are handmade, so we can also appreciate the exquisite handmade of ancient shoes.
bibliography:
"Search for God"