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Miniature Pattens
1720-30s

These pattens may be English or Dutch, with the South African connection. Pattens and miniature shoes would have been made by the relevent maker and taken by a travelling salesman to obtain orders for pattens and shoes in a adult or child's size. From the collection of Vyvyan Myerson who was a well-known collector in Cape Town. They may also have been made for a large expensive doll.

Rebecca Shawcross in her excellent book tells us the first reference to patten makers is in 1216. The idea was for the shoe to be inserted into the patten, to raise the upper class wearer off the ground in inclement weather.* Pattens with iron rings have been in use since the early seventeenth century.

Cataloguing

The carved wooden sole with a slight ridge,forming a heel socket, pointed toes with metal toe caps, the sole caught down to a oval metal ring with two metal nails, a pair of velvet latchets edged in red leather, with holes, for laces at the top, attached each side with three studs.

The sole 4 1/2 in; 11 cm long

1 1/4 in; 3 cm high

Condition

The velvet has faded and is worn, although on one side you can see a spotted design. The other side of the same patten, the latchet is damaged, although still in tact. The other patten has three nails instead of studs to one side. These appear to be quite old. 

Comments

collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O74764/pair-of-pattens-unknown/

* Shoes. An Illustrated History . Rebecca Shawcross p 36 www. northamptonmuseums.com

**The Seductive Shoe. Jonathan Walford p 31

Shoes. Lucy Pratt & Linda Woolley p 42 for similar.

Schuhe.  Saskia Durian-Rees (Bayerischen Nationalmuseum Munchen) pub Hirmer 1991

p 71

Footwear. Alan & Vancessa Hopkins p

Miniature patten 8 cm long: www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/collectie/BK-NM-11228-A

collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O167541/pair-of-dolls-unknown/

Shoes.  Edited by Giorgio Riello & Peter McNeil p  107. Illustrated a pair in the Bata Shoe Museum p79.808 dated 1815.