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The
shoe is one of the single most commonly occurring themes
in treen. The following, taken from 'Treen and other Wooden
Bygones' by Edward H. Pinto, gives some idea as to the shoes
cultural significance.
"The
antiquity of the symbolism of the shoe or boot in connection
with luck and marriage, dates back to the bible, when the
plucking off of a shoe denoted the confirmation of a contract
redemption or change of ownership, which could include marriage….
The
connection between footwear, luck and marriage still persists
with the miniature silver shoe on the wedding cake, the
ancient Yorkshire custom of 'trashing'-throwing old footwear
after brides and bridegrooms as they leave the church, and
the tying of a boot or shoe to the back of the vehicle in
which the newly-weds commence their honeymoon. Even in childhood's
fairyland, Cinderella's crystal slipper is the symbol of
her luck and royal marriage."
The
most commonly occurring treen shoes are those that function
as snuff boxes, which were popular from the late C18 until
late Victorian times and were often produced by cobblers
apprentices as 'passing-out ' pieces. Representations of
shoes can be found almost anywhere, as adornments to items
such as love spoons, pipe tampers or knitting sheaths; or
as functional items such as match containers, ink stands,
pen wipers or pin cushions.
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