E1339B: Japanese Brown Lacquered Geta

Ethnographic

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Identifier:

E1339B

Classification Category:

3:Personal Artifacts ➞ Clothing ➞ Footwear

Marks/Labels:

1) Boston Children's Museum archival number: AB 761

2) Japanese Kanji

3) Luther College archival number: E1339A

Materials:

botanical ➔ wood
botanical ➔ straw
fabric ➔ cloth
fabric ➔ cordage ➔ twine
colorant ➔ paint ➔ lacquer
metal

Dimensions:

21 cm L
9 cm W
7.5 cm H

Provenance of Object:

The object was obtained in Japan, then donated to the Boston Children's Museum by Mrs. A.V. Phillips around 1938. The Boston Children's Museum gifted the object to the Luther College Ethnographic Collection in 2016.

Production Date:

Prior to 1938

Use/Function:

Geta are a form of traditional Japanese footwear that resembles both clogs and flip-flops. They are a kind of sandal with an elevated wooden base held onto the foot with a fabric strap to keep the foot well above the ground. They are worn with traditional Japanese clothing such as kimono or yukata, and also Western clothing during the summer. Sometimes geta are worn in rain or snow to keep the feet dry, due to their extra height compared to other shoes such as zori.

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