Child's Shoe
16th century
Medium
Leather; remnants of a strap with buckle
Dimensions
15.5 × 7 × 2 cm (6 1/8 × 2 3/4 × 11/16 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
30980
Art Historical Context
Step into the everyday world of 16th childhood with this delicate *Child's Shoe*, a survivor from the Renaissance era. Crafted from leather with remnants of a strap and, it measures just 15.5 × 7 × 2 cm—small enough for a young child, perhaps a toddler. Preserved in the Art Institute of Chicago's Textiles, this humble artifact offers a tangible glimpse into the past, classified as a textile due to its worked leather construction. In the 16th century, shoes like this were handmade by skilled artisans using tanning processes to make hides supple and durable. The buckle and strap suggest a pract...
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...