Ankle Boot
16th century
Medium
Leather
Dimensions
22.5 × 7.5 × 9 cm (8 7/8 × 2 15/16 × 3 1/2 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
30931
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of 16th-century footwear with this charming leather ankle boot from the Art Institute of Chicago Textiles Department. Crafted in the Renaissance era, this petite piece measures just 22.5 × 7.5 × 9 cm, suggesting it fit a modest adult foot—perhaps a woman's or youth's. Its classification as a textile highlights leather's role in historical collections, where skilled tanning and shaping transformed animal hides into durable, everyday wear. Though the artist remains unknown, the boot exemplifies the meticulous craftsmanship of the period. Leather was a prized medium, softened...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...