1 / 2001
Uganda * Incised and pigmented rawhide sandal with toe loop
After the skin is removed from a slaughtered animal and preserved by either salting or drying, it becomes rawhide and can be easier stored, transported and later tanned. The result however, due to the loss of water in the preservation process, is a limitation of the flexibility of the skin. The sandal shown here was made around the 19th century by the Acholi people of Uganda bordering Sudan and consists of two layers of rawhide. The top one is incised with fine lines and pigmented in red, white and black. The straps can be worn either both on the instep or one on the instep and the other at the back of the heel. Although there's no distinction in the shape of the sole, the toe loop determines left and right.
Research and text by : W.A.H.M. Habraken-Oosterhout-Holland
Illustration by : Colin Ball - Waalwijk - Holland