Object number
98/68/1-2
Exhibition
Creator
Description
A small pair of clogs with wooden soles, light brown leather uppers with white stitching, and leather laces. The soles have black rubber protectors on the heels and front parts. The clogs were made by Maria Elena Ferro Lomela and are example of traditional clog making from Galicia, Spain. They were made as part of an exhibition on Galician crafts at MERL in 1998 called 'Craft Lives'.
Physical description
1 pair of clogs: wood; leather; condition- as new
Label Text
<DIV STYLE="text-align:Justify;font-family:Georgia;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:16;color:#000000;"><P><SPAN><SPAN><P>Clogs // 1998, Galicia, Spain</P><P>Dancing is a worldwide activity and, like music, can cross language barriers allowing people from all over the world to enjoy it. These clogs are Spanish and were made using traditional techniques. // Miners from Northumbria and Durham would have worn clogs like these as they danced hornpipes on tops of tables. Different types of dances are often merged to created new ones. In America, British jigs and African percussive dances merged to create an early form of tap dancing. // Dancing has been proved to be good for mental health and traditional dance connects people with a sense of community. // MERL 98/68/1-2</P></SPAN></SPAN></P></DIV>
Archival history
MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Museum of English Rural Life) – 'Standard museum name: CLOGS // Accession number: 98/68/1–2 // … // Recorder: JMB // Date: 19.8.99 // Description: Small pair of clogs made from light brown leather with white stitching and leather laces. They have traditional wooden soles with additional black rubber protectors on the heels and front part of the sole. // Size 32 // Dimensions: Length: 23.0 cm Height: 15.0 cm // Associated information: These clogs were made by Maria Elena Ferro Lomela of Galicia, N. W. Spain. // She demonstrated clog making at the RHC/MERL during the exhibition on Galician Crafts “CRAFT LIVES” held at the Museum March to September 1998. // References: See catalogue of the exhibition [‘Craft Lives: An Exhibition from Galicia in Spain At the Rural History Centre University of Reading’ MERL PAMPH BOX 5630-CRA]’, ‘Craft Lives: An Exhibition from Galicia in Spain At the Rural History Centre University of Reading’, p. 8 – ‘Some young Galicians are determined to continue the traditions. Maria Ferro is one such person. At 23 she is the youngest clog maker in the region, having learned from her father who is also a clog maker (as was his father before him). She, her sister, Teresa and her whole family still make clogs and sell them in the local markets. // The clogs are as popular amongst students and traditional dance troupes as rural farmers and business is good. Maria herself, though still young, is an accomplished and skilled craftswoman whose achievements are now beginning to be recognised. // Thanks to a grant from the British Council she has been able to come to the Museum to give a demonstration on March 21st 1998 and you can see a pair of her clogs in the exhibition. // As Galician crafts become better known in the UK, through exhibitions like Craft Lives, and through articles and talks, some British craftspeople are getting the opportunity to visit their counterparts in Galicia. In time this could result in longer visits enabling the traditional Galician makers to pass their skills on. // The process of revitalising Galician craftwork is a slow one but it may still not be too late to reverse its fortunes.’
Production place
Whiteknights Campus [University of Reading]
Production date
1998-03 - 1998-03
Object name
Material
Associated subject
