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Qabqabs (Bath Clogs)
Mid–19th century
- Medium
- Wood inlaid with mother of pearl
- Classification
- Textile
- Culture
- Algeria
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago, Textiles
- Credit line
- Gift of Mrs. J. Ogden Armour through the Antiquarian Society
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Little Ones profiles and older: it shows gentle subjects for the very young. How works are placed
View at the Art Institute of Chicago
About this work
Both men and women wore qabqabs (bath clogs) in hammams (public baths) throughout North Africa, the Mediterranean, and southwestern Asia. These raised wooden clogs elevated the wearer’s feet above the wet, soapy floors. The name "qabqab" derives from the clomping sound they make when walking on stone floors. Qabqabs for wealthy women were often elaborate, sometimes reaching stilt-like heights, three or four times as tall as this example. The use of materials like gold, silver, precious stones, mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, and embroidered straps reflected the owner’s wealth and social standing. The higher the clogs, the more likely the wearer would need assistance from attendants to walk, further emphasizing their elite status.
Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0
