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The Archibald Little Collection is an historically important collection of shoes for bound and unbound feet formed by Mrs. Archibald Little, a leading figure in the campaign to stop the binding of feet in China. The collection was used in her public lectures to raise funds for the campaign. Also included in the collection is a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings, reviews of several books written by her and articles written about the author, along with her passports and various title deeds.
Mrs. Archibald Little was born Alicia Bewicke on the island of Madeira in 1845. She married Archibald John Little in 1886. First arriving in China in 1859 as a tea taster, he became a successful entrepreneur. The two lived in China from 1887 until 1907, with the early years spent in Sichuan province. She was a keen observer of Chinese social life and customs, and published a diary of her life on a farm outside Chongqing from July 1893 to August 1894. She also kept a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings which date from October 1898 through August 1899. Many of these cuttings were reports by Mrs. Little on the failure of the '100 Days Reform' initiated by the Guangxu Emperor (r. 1875-1908), the coup d'etat by the Dowager Empress Cixi, speculation about the subsequent fate of the young Emperor, as well as strong views on the opium trade.
In 1885 Mrs. Little co-founded the Natural Foot Society with a group of Western diplomats, merchants and missionaries living in Shanghai. The aim was to establish an international pressure group to end the practice of foot binding. She gave public lectures during her visits to Europe which helped raise funds to support the campaign. She did find some support amongst reform-minded Chinese officials, including Duke Gong Huizhong. Initially, the movement did not have the acknowledged support of the Dowager Empress Cixi, who as a Manchu did not have bound feet, but through an American physician who treated several ladies of the imperial court, they learned she was sympathetic to the campaign. However, in 1902, following the unsuccessful Boxer Uprising, the Dowager Empress was forced to concede to calls for radical social and political reform, which included encouraging the educated classes to unite in their opposition to foot binding. After the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1911 strong measures were taken against the practice, but it did not end until well after the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949. Mrs. Little's last two passports indicate that she was still traveling in Europe in the 1920s.
This collection reflects the times, the concerns and the personality of Mrs. Archibald Little. The shoe collection illustrates her cause, each shoe individually selected to show clearly the true nature of foot binding.
THE MRS. ARCHIBALD LITTLE COLLECTION
19TH CENTURY
Details
THE MRS. ARCHIBALD LITTLE COLLECTION
19TH CENTURY
Comprised of different types of shoes, pairs and singles, for both bound and un-bound feet, as well as a pair of theatrical shoes, a pair of gentleman's shoes and a pair of riding boots; a false queue (pigtail) made from woven hair and tassels; a woven hair headdress; a black and gold lacquer case, possibly for a fan; a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings collected by Mrs. Little; two passports belonging to Mrs. Little; and miscellaneous papers and letters including mining agreements and correspondence with Chinese officials relating to mining proposals
Shoes for bound feet:
A rare pair of red-glazed cotton 'lotus' shoes with painted decoration.
A pair of small pale lavender and turquoise heeled shoes couched in silver thread.
A pair of black silk 'lotus' shoes with leather soles, probably made for an elderly lady.
A pair of unusual wedge-heeled embroidered olive-green silk with leather soles, probably made for a woman with partially bound feet.
A pair of unusual 'boat'-shaped embroidered black and ochre silk shoes with printed cotton fabric on area above small leather sole.
A single tiny embroidered pale blue silk 'lotus' shoe with wedge-shaped heel, filled with a wrapping-covered plaster 'foot' with stamped maker's seal on top - probably a shoe maker's sample, with attached paper label (Canton Model Foot).
A single green silk 'lotus' shoe embroidered in Peking knot, with high arched heel.
A single unusual embroidered red silk 'lotus' shoe with extremely high instep and painted wood heel. Filled with a cloth model of a foot bound with cotton bindings. With glazed cotton ankle cover.
Shoes for unbound feet:
A pair of Manchu lady's embroidered red silk shoes with cotton-covered central platform heels.
A pair of Manchu lady's embroidered satin shoes with black velvet applique, with central platform heels.
A pair of embroidered black satin theatrical shoes with red tassels, probably made for a provincial troupe of actors.
A pair of gentleman's shoes of blue silk damask and appliqued black satin.
A pair of men's black satin riding boots with layered cotton soles and pink cotton lining inscribed with maker's mark and size. This type of boot was regulation dress for all Chinese officials.
Various sizes (57)
19TH CENTURY
Comprised of different types of shoes, pairs and singles, for both bound and un-bound feet, as well as a pair of theatrical shoes, a pair of gentleman's shoes and a pair of riding boots; a false queue (pigtail) made from woven hair and tassels; a woven hair headdress; a black and gold lacquer case, possibly for a fan; a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings collected by Mrs. Little; two passports belonging to Mrs. Little; and miscellaneous papers and letters including mining agreements and correspondence with Chinese officials relating to mining proposals
Shoes for bound feet:
A rare pair of red-glazed cotton 'lotus' shoes with painted decoration.
A pair of small pale lavender and turquoise heeled shoes couched in silver thread.
A pair of black silk 'lotus' shoes with leather soles, probably made for an elderly lady.
A pair of unusual wedge-heeled embroidered olive-green silk with leather soles, probably made for a woman with partially bound feet.
A pair of unusual 'boat'-shaped embroidered black and ochre silk shoes with printed cotton fabric on area above small leather sole.
A single tiny embroidered pale blue silk 'lotus' shoe with wedge-shaped heel, filled with a wrapping-covered plaster 'foot' with stamped maker's seal on top - probably a shoe maker's sample, with attached paper label (Canton Model Foot).
A single green silk 'lotus' shoe embroidered in Peking knot, with high arched heel.
A single unusual embroidered red silk 'lotus' shoe with extremely high instep and painted wood heel. Filled with a cloth model of a foot bound with cotton bindings. With glazed cotton ankle cover.
Shoes for unbound feet:
A pair of Manchu lady's embroidered red silk shoes with cotton-covered central platform heels.
A pair of Manchu lady's embroidered satin shoes with black velvet applique, with central platform heels.
A pair of embroidered black satin theatrical shoes with red tassels, probably made for a provincial troupe of actors.
A pair of gentleman's shoes of blue silk damask and appliqued black satin.
A pair of men's black satin riding boots with layered cotton soles and pink cotton lining inscribed with maker's mark and size. This type of boot was regulation dress for all Chinese officials.
Various sizes (57)
Provenance
Nash Antiques, London, early 1980s.
Further details
See illustration of part