PART TWO: Customs and Curiosities
17 – Lotus Feet
Country: China
Period: 10th–20th century
Lotus feet were the result of an ancient Chinese practice of foot binding, performed from early childhood. All the toes, except the big one, were broken and folded under the sole. This led to the formation of extremely small feet known as “golden lotuses.” The ideal length was about seven centimeters.
Special embroidered shoes were made for such feet. Women kept them on even when undressing, as the sight of the deformed foot was considered unpleasant.
Interesting fact: Foot binding was mostly practiced by wealthy Chinese women, but poorer ones also adopted the custom, hoping to appear more affluent and noble.
Exhibit significance: Reflects complex social and gender norms associated with feminine beauty and social status.
Period: 10th–20th century
Lotus feet were the result of an ancient Chinese practice of foot binding, performed from early childhood. All the toes, except the big one, were broken and folded under the sole. This led to the formation of extremely small feet known as “golden lotuses.” The ideal length was about seven centimeters.
Special embroidered shoes were made for such feet. Women kept them on even when undressing, as the sight of the deformed foot was considered unpleasant.
Interesting fact: Foot binding was mostly practiced by wealthy Chinese women, but poorer ones also adopted the custom, hoping to appear more affluent and noble.
Exhibit significance: Reflects complex social and gender norms associated with feminine beauty and social status.
18 – Bast Shoes
Country: Russia
Period: 5th – mid-20th century
Bast shoes (lapti) are among the most recognizable symbols of ancient Rus’. These simple yet practical shoes were woven from tree bark. Peasants perfected this craft during the cold months, when the fields were covered with snow and they could pause from heavy agricultural work.
A distinctive feature of bast shoes was their extremely short lifespan — from four to ten days.
Interesting fact: In 1920, Vladimir Lenin issued a decree establishing CHEKVALAP, the Emergency Commission for Felt Boots and Bast Shoes. Its main goal was to supply the Red Army with essential footwear. For every hundred pairs of bast shoes handed in, contributors received a substantial food reward.
Exhibit significance: The bast shoes reflect the simplicity, resilience, and ingenuity of the Russian people in finding solutions under limited conditions.
Period: 5th – mid-20th century
Bast shoes (lapti) are among the most recognizable symbols of ancient Rus’. These simple yet practical shoes were woven from tree bark. Peasants perfected this craft during the cold months, when the fields were covered with snow and they could pause from heavy agricultural work.
A distinctive feature of bast shoes was their extremely short lifespan — from four to ten days.
Interesting fact: In 1920, Vladimir Lenin issued a decree establishing CHEKVALAP, the Emergency Commission for Felt Boots and Bast Shoes. Its main goal was to supply the Red Army with essential footwear. For every hundred pairs of bast shoes handed in, contributors received a substantial food reward.
Exhibit significance: The bast shoes reflect the simplicity, resilience, and ingenuity of the Russian people in finding solutions under limited conditions.
19 – Paduka Sandals
Country: India
Period: III century CE
Paduka — traditional Indian footwear used in religious ceremonies. When wearing them, one must recite mantras addressed to Mother Earth. Made from sandalwood, they not only protected the feet but also provided gentle stimulation of acupressure points.
Interesting fact: Some paduka designs were intended for ascetics from specific religious cults and were fitted with pointed spikes for self-mortification.
Exhibit significance: The paduka exemplifies the profound interconnection between the spiritual and the material in Indian culture, where even items of clothing hold sacred and symbolic meaning.
Period: III century CE
Paduka — traditional Indian footwear used in religious ceremonies. When wearing them, one must recite mantras addressed to Mother Earth. Made from sandalwood, they not only protected the feet but also provided gentle stimulation of acupressure points.
Interesting fact: Some paduka designs were intended for ascetics from specific religious cults and were fitted with pointed spikes for self-mortification.
Exhibit significance: The paduka exemplifies the profound interconnection between the spiritual and the material in Indian culture, where even items of clothing hold sacred and symbolic meaning.
20 – Geta (Japanese Wooden Sandals)
Country: Japan
Period: III – 20th century.
Zeta are traditional footwear worn by Japanese monks and peasants. They consist of three parts:
Dai (platform), Ha (vertical teeth on the sole), and Hanao (strap). The height of the Ha helped protect clothing from moisture and dirt. The tallest zeta were used during fruit harvesting from trees and collecting seaweed.
Interesting Fact: The sole of the zeta is the same shape for both feet, and the peak of production was in 1955, when 93 million pairs were made.
Exhibit Significance: They are an important part of Japan’s traditional culture and illustrate the combination of practicality and aesthetics in everyday life.
Period: III – 20th century.
Zeta are traditional footwear worn by Japanese monks and peasants. They consist of three parts:
Dai (platform), Ha (vertical teeth on the sole), and Hanao (strap). The height of the Ha helped protect clothing from moisture and dirt. The tallest zeta were used during fruit harvesting from trees and collecting seaweed.
Interesting Fact: The sole of the zeta is the same shape for both feet, and the peak of production was in 1955, when 93 million pairs were made.
Exhibit Significance: They are an important part of Japan’s traditional culture and illustrate the combination of practicality and aesthetics in everyday life.
21 – Klompen (Dutch Clogs)
Country: Netherlands
Period: Early 12th – mid-20th century.
Clogs are an integral part of Dutch culture, evoking the daily lives of workers, miners, and peasants in the early 20th century. Made from willow or poplar, they kept feet dry and warm in any weather, outperforming the rubber boots of that era.
Beyond their practical use, clogs held deep cultural significance. The first pair of wooden shoes for a child was made immediately after birth, symbolizing care for the infant and anticipation of their first steps.
Interesting Fact: In the Netherlands, giving clogs to a young woman was equivalent to a marriage proposal.
Exhibit Significance: They reflect the uniqueness of Dutch culture, combining practicality with tradition.
Period: Early 12th – mid-20th century.
Clogs are an integral part of Dutch culture, evoking the daily lives of workers, miners, and peasants in the early 20th century. Made from willow or poplar, they kept feet dry and warm in any weather, outperforming the rubber boots of that era.
Beyond their practical use, clogs held deep cultural significance. The first pair of wooden shoes for a child was made immediately after birth, symbolizing care for the infant and anticipation of their first steps.
Interesting Fact: In the Netherlands, giving clogs to a young woman was equivalent to a marriage proposal.
Exhibit Significance: They reflect the uniqueness of Dutch culture, combining practicality with tradition.
22 – Masks of shame
Masks of Shame
Instrument of Medieval Justice
Instrument of Medieval Justice
Mask 1 – For chatterboxes
Mask 2 – For troublemakers and drunkards
Mask 3 – For quarrelsome wives
Mask 2 – For troublemakers and drunkards
Mask 3 – For quarrelsome wives
Scotland, 16th century.
These masks were used as a means of enforcing social norms. Women were punished for gossiping and quarrelsomeness, while men were punished for drunkenness.
These masks were used as a means of enforcing social norms. Women were punished for gossiping and quarrelsomeness, while men were punished for drunkenness.
23 – Fantasy Coffins of Ghana
Art Reflecting Life
Location: West Africa, Ghana
Origin of the Tradition: In Ghana, there is a unique tradition of creating vibrant and imaginative coffins, symbolizing the celebration of the deceased’s passage to a better world. The tradition began in 1957 when Ghanaian carpenter Seth Kane Kwei crafted a ceremonial palanquin shaped like a cocoa pod, which was later adapted into a coffin.
When Kwei made a coffin in the shape of an airplane for his grandmother, he received numerous orders for whimsical coffins, including from international clients.
Exhibit Significance: These fantasy coffins have become a symbol of Ghanaian culture, demonstrating respect for the deceased and their life journey, while reflecting a distinctive perception of death and funeral rituals.
Origin of the Tradition: In Ghana, there is a unique tradition of creating vibrant and imaginative coffins, symbolizing the celebration of the deceased’s passage to a better world. The tradition began in 1957 when Ghanaian carpenter Seth Kane Kwei crafted a ceremonial palanquin shaped like a cocoa pod, which was later adapted into a coffin.
When Kwei made a coffin in the shape of an airplane for his grandmother, he received numerous orders for whimsical coffins, including from international clients.
Exhibit Significance: These fantasy coffins have become a symbol of Ghanaian culture, demonstrating respect for the deceased and their life journey, while reflecting a distinctive perception of death and funeral rituals.
24 – Tsantsa (Shrunken Head)
Terrifying Amulet of the Indigenous Peoples
Origin: Eastern forests of Ecuador
Historical Context: The Shuar (Jívaro) people, known as “headhunters,” believed that a person’s strength and soul resided in their head. After killing an enemy, they appropriated their abilities by creating an amulet called a tsantsa. The tsantsa symbolized the Shuar’s invincibility, promising the owner a long life, success in battle, and healthy offspring.
Creation Process: After removing the skin from the severed head, the Shuar boiled it down to the size of a fist, then filled it with hot sand and smoked it over a fire. The eyelids and lips were sewn shut so the spirit could not call on its kin for vengeance.
Interesting Fact: Blood revenge and the making of tsantsas were officially banned in the 1920s–1930s, yet European newspapers continued advertising these trophies for sale into the 1960s.
Exhibit Significance: Tsantsas have inspired many filmmakers and costume designers. Amulets made from human heads have appeared in films such as Beetlejuice, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and others.
Historical Context: The Shuar (Jívaro) people, known as “headhunters,” believed that a person’s strength and soul resided in their head. After killing an enemy, they appropriated their abilities by creating an amulet called a tsantsa. The tsantsa symbolized the Shuar’s invincibility, promising the owner a long life, success in battle, and healthy offspring.
Creation Process: After removing the skin from the severed head, the Shuar boiled it down to the size of a fist, then filled it with hot sand and smoked it over a fire. The eyelids and lips were sewn shut so the spirit could not call on its kin for vengeance.
Interesting Fact: Blood revenge and the making of tsantsas were officially banned in the 1920s–1930s, yet European newspapers continued advertising these trophies for sale into the 1960s.
Exhibit Significance: Tsantsas have inspired many filmmakers and costume designers. Amulets made from human heads have appeared in films such as Beetlejuice, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and others.
25 – Cohoba Ritual
Voice of the Spirit
Tribe: Taíno, Caribbean Islands
When the Taíno people faced difficult decisions, they placed a hallucinogenic powder mixed with tobacco onto a figurine representing the deity Cohoba and inhaled it through a special tube. This practice allowed them to “hear” the guidance and advice of the spirits.
Exhibit Significance: This artifact testifies to the important role of beliefs and rituals in the spiritual and political life of the Taíno people.
When the Taíno people faced difficult decisions, they placed a hallucinogenic powder mixed with tobacco onto a figurine representing the deity Cohoba and inhaled it through a special tube. This practice allowed them to “hear” the guidance and advice of the spirits.
Exhibit Significance: This artifact testifies to the important role of beliefs and rituals in the spiritual and political life of the Taíno people.
