27825 shoes&pattens1

Shoemaking and cobbling been placed vertically at the narrow edges to fili the space morę evenly. As in the other examples, there is no indication of the use of guidelines. The shoes in Figs. 117a-b only have openwork decoration enhancing their low-cut vamp throats. Fig. 117a has two concentric rows of oval perfora-tions, whilst 117b has four pairs of long narrow slits.

The last example in this section (Fig. 116c) is also the finest, and is reminiscent of the fine openwork decoration on the shoes depicted in a paint-ing from St. Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster (Fig. 118). The pattem is both complicated and fragile. The surface of the vamp is divided into narrower and wider panels by the different motifs and com-binations of motifs. The widest rows are formed by serrated lozenges edged with plain triangular stamps. Beside these are narrow transverse rows of smali crosses, as well as wider panels of alter-nating triangles. The stamps have been carefully and closely spaced - 4 mm apart - but it is prob-able that the altemating narrow rows of smaller stamps help the wider panels retain their shape.

115 Openwork decoration. a: Vamp and ąuarters of side-laced shoe (early 13th-century; for reconstruction see Fig. 25). Flesh side (inside) shown. The insert to take the opposing lace holes is missing. There are diagonal edge/flesh butt seams on either side of the foot. b: Fragment of vamp (mid/late 14th-century). Grain side (outside). c: Quarters of buckie- or latchet-fastened shoe (late 14th-century). Grain side. Scalę 1:3.

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