Shoes in Miniature

The Lillian P. Wood Memorial Collection

Henriot Quimper Dutch Shoes #053

Quimper Dutch Shoes
A set of miniature pottery tin-glazed sabots (French term for Dutch shoes) with Breton man and woman; made by Henriot Quimper, France.
These shoes are produced in a factory near Quimper in Brittany, France. Since 1708, Quimper faience has been hand painted and production continues to this day The “Faienceries de Quimper were established in “Locmaria”, the historical faience quarter of the city of Quimper, near the center of the town.
The pottery’s design reflects a strong traditional Breton influence. One of the most famous designs which is now typical of Quimper faience is the “petit breton”, a native representation of Breton men and women in traditional garb. This style became popular around 1870.
Quimper Dutch Shoes
Each shoe is 2.5″ long and 1.25″ tall and has a small hole in the side so they could be strung together on a cord. These are small enough to have been used as a pair of salts. There are no chips, cracks or crazing.
Quimper Dutch Shoes
HENRIOT QUIMPER FRANCE 89 is marked on the shank of the shoe with the male figure; HENRIOT QUIMPER FRANCE 95 is marked on the shank with the woman. Purchased December, 2007. Purchase price for pair: $38.00 at auction.Estimated date of manufacture, 1930s.Estimated collectors’ price: $90.00/pair. (They are not a matched set.)

Information from Porcelain and Pottery Shoes by Anne Everset Wojtkowski, published by Schiffer Book for Collectors, Schiffer Books, Ltd. Atglen, PA. 2004 and a 2008 article in Wikipedia, Quimper Faience.

March 21, 2008 Posted by Bo | Dutch-Style Shoes, Lillian P. Wood Memorial Collection, Miniature Shoes, Miniature Shoes Collection, Vintage Miniature Shoes, art pottery, shoe collections | , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rosy Dutch Shoes #041

 

This pair of vintage ceramic Dutch-style clogs are in very good condition and have no cracks, chips or crazing. There is some glaze discoloration on the openings on each shoe.

Rosy Dutch Shoes

Each measures 1 3/8″ tall x 2 9/16″ long x 1 3/8″ wide.

Rosy Dutch Shoes

They are marked “HORTON SPECIALTY CO. Liverpool, O.” The O is an abbreviation for the state of Ohio. The Horton pottery was in existence from 1932 through 1938.

The shoes were purchased at auction for $12.00 in December of 2007. Collector’s estimated value is $20.00 to $24.00.

Information on the Ohio Potteries found at www.themuseumofceramics.org/pottery


December 25, 2007 Posted by Bo | Dutch-Style Shoes, Lillian P. Wood Memorial Collection, Miniature Shoes, Miniature Shoes Collection, Vintage Miniature Shoes, art pottery, collections, shoe collections | , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

Double Dutch Christmas Ornaments #019

Dutch shoes appear in any setting, including double hung from a red ribbon. Just throw it over an evergreen branch and you’re done decorating.
Double Dutch Shoe Christmas Ornaments

Solid wood toe, painted bright blue interior, varnished wood exterior. Shoes are slightly larger than the photo.

Double Dutch Shoe Christmas Ornaments

No extra decoration on the sides; MADE IN CHINA sticker in gold and black oval.

Double Dutch Shoe Christmas Ornaments

Rough hand-painted “Holland scene” though the trees with the gray lines are unusual. Who knows?

Christmas ornament is part of the Christmas Ornament Collection, a sub-set of the Lillian P Wood Memorial Collection. This was an original pair of shoes in the collection. Unknown date. Most likely in the early 1960s.

December 14, 2007 Posted by Bo | Christmas, Dutch-Style Shoes, Lillian P. Wood Memorial Collection, Made in China, Miniature Shoes, Miniature Shoes Collection, collections, shoe collections | , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Japanese Blue-Eye Dragonware Shoe #002

Gray Dutch-Style Shoe, Made in Japan

Dragonware is a type of Japanese pottery that has an embossed or raised Oriental dragon design on a background of multiple gradations of gray. The pottery’s embossed designs are made with moriage, a slip that gives a 3-D appearance. This is the approximate size of the shoe in the collection.

Gray Dutch-Style Shoe, Made in Japan 2

Dragonware pottery is a popular design in functional pieces such as dinnerware, tea-pots, vases, trays and incense burners, less commonly seen in purely decorative items such as miniature shoes. Interesting to note, this Japanese pottery shoe was designed in the shape of a typical Dutch shoe.

Dragon Face

The dragon’s detail shows the typical blue eyes and pink tongue which complement the grays, though the technique indicates a production date in the 1950s, as does the silver/black paper label reading MADE IN JAPAN. The style was introduced in the 1890s and the early specimens are more delicately crafted and have a red potter’s stamp for identification.

Gray Dutch-Style Shoe, Made in Japan 3

This shoe is from the original collection of Lillian P. Wood and was purchased by her. As was her custom, she wrote on the heel of the shoe ‘bus trip’ and on the sole she wrote in very light pencil  ‘St. Louis, June 8 1955.’  The original price is indicated on the bottom ~ $1.79.

Even the best quality of dragonware is quite inexpensive and this specimen is not ‘best quality’ though it is an interesting piece. Considering the china is an unusual shape (Dutch-Japanese?) without any chips, cracks or crazing and the paper label is affixed, it’s estimated value is $15.00 to $20.00.

Information from personal papers.

December 5, 2007 Posted by Bo | Dutch-Style Shoes, Lillian P. Wood Memorial Collection, Made in Japan, Miniature Shoes, Miniature Shoes Collection, Vintage Miniature Shoes, collections, macros | , , , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

Traditional Dutch Shoe with Rosemaling #001

 

Dutch Shoe, Traditional Wood, Rosemaling Decoration

A hand carved, traditional wooden shoe, it was made in Norway and hand painted in the Scandinavian folk art of rosemaling. This rosemal decorative painting is done in a traditional pattern using typical colors of reds and blues, with a flower as the focal point and S- and C-shapes to accent the flower. It is signed by the artist H. Halheim, as seen on the photograph. Shoe is the actual size as shown,  4″ long x 1 5/8″ wide x 1 5/8″  high.  A label on the sole says MADE IN NORWAY.

This shoe was a part of the original Lillian P. Wood Collection. It was purchased in 1978 from Scandinavian Designs, a gift shop in Fish Creek, Wisconsin located on the Door County Peninsula.  It was given to Lillian P Wood for a gift on her 77th birthday by BP and RM.

Although this is a new shoe, it is of interest due to the quality of the original folk painting and signature of artist. Purchased for $22.00, nearly 30 years ago, its estimated value is now $35.00 to $40.00.

December 5, 2007 Posted by Bo | Dutch-Style Shoes, Lillian P. Wood Memorial Collection, Miniature Shoes, Miniature Shoes Collection, collections, macros | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet