Four pairs of children’s shoes depicting the symbol of the pig, 12th animal of the Chinese zodiac, among the most popular animal images for children’s clothing.
Clockwise from top:
Black figured cotton with appliques and embroidered facial features. Hebei province, early 20th century. L: 6” (15.2 cm).
Olive green cotton twill with synthetic plush and velvet,

plastic buttons. Changzhou, Hebei province,
1998-99. L: 5 1/4” (13.3 cm).
Embroidered black cotton twill shoes. Shanxi province,

early 20th century. L: 5” (12.7 cm).
Embroidered red cotton tabby shoes. Xian region,

Shanxi province, mid-20th century.
L: 6 1/4” (15.11 cm).
Courtesy of the Glenn and Judy Roberts Collection,

New York.