A famille verte porcelain shoe with gilt mounts
鑲素三彩鞋

Kangxi period, 17th century, China. The gilt bronze mount Regence period French 18th century
康熙時期，17世紀，中國。法國18世紀攝政時期鑲嵌

Height: 4cm Length: 12.5cm
高：4釐米 寬：12.5 釐米

This porcelain miniature shoe is decorated in famille verte enamels of green, yellow, and brown. Both sides of the shoe depict a side view of a yellow carp with brown eyes. A carp is a traditional auspicious symbol in China, which symbolises happiness and abundance. The heel of the shoe is decorated with the green tail of the carp. The outline and the scales of the carp are incised. There is a green border running along the bottom which curls up at the toe, following the curved shape of the shoe. The underside of the shoe is glazed with a pale beige colour, and the texture of the sole is suggested with incised lines painted with black. The rim of the sole of the shoe, which curves up into a point at the toe, has been accentuated with a scalloped edged gilt bronze mount of the Regence period 1715-1723. The inner edge of the shoe has also been decorated with a delineated gilt mount of the same period falling away at the heal as a fish-tail decorated with fine stippling and a tassel finial.