Curious. I don't know that I'd ever seen a pair of metal salesman sample shoes before, but I'm more or less certain that is what these are, given their quality and scale and specificity. (Or maybe a shoe company's gift for the loafer salesman of the year?!) They're quite substantial, beautifully crafted and quite striking, all the more so in hand, with their surface finish evincing carved stone (I keep thinking of catlinite) as much as anything--and they weigh as much as if they were! Nice detailing of the stitching and seams, and especially those tassels. Great and striking objects.
Each 5 1/16" l x 1 5/8" w x 1 1/2" t. Sold as a pair. Very good condition, with a small ding here or there. The dealer I purchased these from described them as bronze; I'm really not entirely sure. Second quarter 20th century I presume. Since finding these I've found a few other examples of metal saleman sample shoes out there, similarly finely crafted--but no loafers among them!
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