L130xH50xW50mm, China
Traditionally, this is one of the Chinese New Year gift a child will receive from their parents as a blessing for the year. The story behind the tiger shoes goes like this; once upon a time in Yang Zhou, there is a kind heart boatman called Daai Yang, one day came an elderly traveller who appreciated Daai Yang’s attitude and gave him a painting. In the painting, there is a beautiful young lady stitching up a pair of tiger shoes. Daai Yang really like the painting and hanged it up immediately when he got home. That night, the lady in the painting came to Daai Yang, after a year of courting she bear a boy, for him. The head of the village heard about this miracle and snatched the painting from Daai Yang, hoping that the lady will do the same for him. The village head waited night after night but nothing happened. Daai Yang and the son was very sad but helpless against the villain village head. One day he met the old traveller again, she told Daai Yang to make a pair of tiger shoes for Xiao Hu and they will meet the wife again. When the son worn the shoes Daai Yang made for him, the shoes grew wings and delivered him to the village head, the shoes then turned into a pair of tigers and chased the villain away. The mother came down from the painting and the family lived happily ever after. Since then tiger shoes took on a name of being able to protect the child. RRrrrrrroarrrrR!
Mountain Folkcraft 