Shaman's footwear

Evenki

East Siberia, Trans-Baikal Oblast, Nerchinsk Okrug

late 19th - early 20th centuries

Fur, metal, cotton textile, reindeer hair under neck

height 84.5; wodth of sole 11.5

РЭМ 1923-26/2

Shaman's shoes with symbolic pendants. Sewn from reindeer hide, with the fur facing inward. The upper surface is dyed red. The seams are stitched with white reindeer hair. One shoe is longer than the other. The shoes are decorated with two transverse L-shaped and U-shaped strips of fabric with tanned suede fringe, positioned one below the other. A round plaque with holes in a circle—a symbol of the sun—is sewn onto the knees. Below are copper masks depicting ancestral spirits. An iron strip with antlers at the top and a hoof at the bottom is attached along the shoe, symbolizing the deer—the shaman's main spirit assistant for flights to the upper world. A copper mask is placed on the top of the toe, symbolizing the spirit of the shaman's ancestor. At the tip of the toe is an iron plate in the shape of a bear's paw, symbolizing the shaman's spirit for penetration into the lower world.

Costume