Pair of Sandals
1 of 2
Object Label
These sandals, carved entirely out of wood, have a remarkable incised geometric pattern covering their surfaces—an example of Swahili artists’ adaptation of Islamic design motifs circulating in East Africa along the Indian Ocean coast. A label on the underside of one sandal suggests that this pair may have once belonged to Fumo Omari, a sultan of the coastal state of Witu between 1890 and 1894.
Caption
Swahili. Pair of Sandals, late 19th century. Wood, A: 4 × 3 1/2 × 9 11/16 in. (10.2 × 8.9 × 24.6 cm) B: 3 3/4 × 3 1/2 × 9 11/16 in. (9.5 × 8.9 × 24.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum Collection, X1054a-b. Creative Commons-BY
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Pair of Sandals
Date
late 19th century
Geography
Place made: Witu, Kenya
Medium
Wood
Classification
Dimensions
A: 4 × 3 1/2 × 9 11/16 in. (10.2 × 8.9 × 24.6 cm) B: 3 3/4 × 3 1/2 × 9 11/16 in. (9.5 × 8.9 × 24.6 cm)
Inscriptions
On the underside of the left sandal, in black ink: "Sandals formerly the property of FUM OMARI the rebel Chief of WITU". A small octagonal paper label is adhered to the heel block with the words "African" written in pencil and "Swahili" written in blue ink.
Credit Line
Brooklyn Museum Collection
Accession Number
X1054a-b
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
A sandal? Looks uncomfortable!
My favorite part of that object is that the inscription survives as does all the dust in the cracks of the intricate carving!It's beautiful!I agree; they are one of the only objects we have in the collection from Witu in East Africa. "Fum Omari" (the name on the base) refers to Fumo Omari, a sultan of the state of Witu between 1890 and 1894.
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