Linkermuil, maat 35, met een drietal ingeperste lijnen over de wreefboog, fraai geprofileerde hak en natuurlijk verlopend voetbed c. 1590 - 1596

This leather clog, now in the Rijksmuseum, was made by an anonymous maker, likely sometime in the past few centuries. Leather is a material with inherent qualities of durability and pliability. To make this clog, the maker would have tanned the hide, then cut, shaped, and sewn it. The impressed lines and profiled heel suggest a degree of aesthetic refinement, even luxury. Footwear speaks volumes about labor and class. Consider the amount of work involved, from raising the animal to the skilled handwork of the shoemaker. Clogs like these were often worn by workers, so they represent both the labor of the wearer and the maker. The next time you see an object like this, consider how its materials and making processes connect to the wider world of social history. By looking at this object in detail, we begin to challenge distinctions between art, craft, and the everyday.