Boots

Item number 737/5 a-b from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Light tan reindeer fur woman's boots made with pointed, upturned toes. Trimmed with red and yellow wool felt. Four sets of brass eyelets laced at the ankle with twisted red and yellow fibre cord. Laces trimmed on the ends with red and yellow wool pompoms. Flat soles sewn on. Lined with red wool fabric.

History Of Use

Shoes are normally made by women, and were worn without socks or any inner covering for the foot. Dried grass (carex vesicaria), which is harvested and prepared for the purpose, was put inside the boot, to cover the whole foot, in order to provide insulation and to keep the feet dry. An extra coil of grass would be carried to replace the grass if it became damp.

Narrative

The boots were collected by Wilhelm Helmer around 1981, when the owner, Mrs. Ellen Sims, was 60 years old. The boots were presumably worn by Mrs. Simms; it is unrecorded as to whether she also made them.

Item History

Made in Laanavara, Sweden before 1981
Collected during 1981
Owned by Wilhelm Helmer before October 22, 1981
Received from Wilhelm Helmer (Seller) and Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source) on October 22, 1981