Explore Saffron Walden Museum

    Foot-binding was a traditional practice that originated in 10th century China, among court dancers and high society women. By the 12th century it was a widespread practice. In the early 19th century it was estimated that five to eight women out of every ten in China (taking into account regional variations) had bound feet. It eventually spread through all social classes and while it was outlawed in 1912, it continued in some rural areas for years afterwards. A census taken in 1928 in rural Shanxi found that 18% of women had bound feet, while in some remote rural areas such as the Yunnan Province, foot-binding continued to be practiced until the 1950s. In most parts of China, the practice had virtually disappeared by 1949. In 1999, the last lotus shoe-making closed.   The museum has around 14 pairs of Chinese lotus shoes associated with foot binding. They typically have wedge heels, pointed upturned toes which extend beyond the sole and stiffened ankles. The ...

Hipposandal – a Roman horse shoe Our Object of the Month for July has been chosen by Carolyn Wingfield, Curator How were hipposandals used? Iron hipposandals ( soleae ferreae ) were removable temporary horseshoes, which were used to protect the hooves of working horses.  They were first introduced in the Celtic-Roman area north of the Alps in the mid-1st century AD and were in use until around the 5 th century AD, when they were largely replaced by nailed on horseshoes. The iron soles of the hipposandals were marked with grooves, with an oval-shaped thick metal cup above that, which would have enclosed and protected the hoof. They were fastened to the horse using metallic clips and leather laces.  This particular example from our collections has the back wings and upper frontal loop missing.  Wearing Hipposandals gave working horses’ better traction and protected their hooves, particularly on rough ground and metalled tracks. Wearing them greatly improved the efficiency...

    Curator Carolyn Wingfield is giving a small display of Roman pottery a makeover, looking at where the pots were made or how they were used. This small bowl with a perforated base is a pottery strainer or colander, which has been partially reconstructed; it is quite rare for strainer bowls to be found complete. Domestic pottery like this was usually made locally, so it may well have been traded at a market in the Roman town of Great Chesterford, or the smaller centre at Great Dunmow. In this case, we do not have any information on where the strainer bowl was found. It was common in late Iron Age and Roman times to place food and drink offerings in the grave with the dead (usually cremated remains). We do not have detailed records of where every pot in the collections was found, but it is probable that most of the complete or reconstructed Roman pots in the collections probably come from burials.     Pottery strainer bowl or colander, probably made locally, c 170 –...

  Introducing our brand new Click & Collect Activity Packs   Bringing our usual holiday craft and learning activities to your home! Each pack contains all the materials you need plus exciting stories from our collections and is just £5. Simply follow the link to order yours https://saffron-walden-museum.arttickets.org.uk/   Week One: Brilliant Botanists Learn all about the botanist George Stacey Gibson. Make your own plant press and create your own herbarium. Become a plant hunter with the plant hunter trail. Grow your own bean plant and learn about what plants need to grow! Your pack will include: 1 x plant press kit 1 x Herbarium kit 1 x Glass jar and bean "seeds" 1 x A4 activity booklet, including instructions and plant hunter trail 5 x A5 Museum collections photographs to collect and keep Collecting your Activity Pack Once you have ordered your pack please email the Museum to arrange a collection slot. Do not come to the Museum without contacting us first. ...

          Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Dress This is a framed sample of the material used to make Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation dress. Elizabeth’s coronation took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London.   The sample was a gift from Norman Hartnell, the designer of the dress, to Miss Grizelle Fowler. Miss Fowler bequeathed it to the museum in 2016. The Coronation Dress                                                                               Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation dress was designed by Norman Hartnell, who also designed her wedding dress. Elizabe...

  Part 2 - The Shape of Women - Female Fashion Silhouette c. 1900 = Present Day Our Collections Officer (Human History), Jenny Oxley has a real passion for vintage fashion, check out part 2 of her latest blog, charting the changes in the female fashion silhouette between 1900 – Present Day - illustrated through the museum’s collections.        Follow this link for the PDF Version   or check it out on the Museum website        

  The Shape of Women c. 1790=1900 : Corsets & Crinolines Our Collections Officer (Human History), Jenny Oxley has a real passion for vintage fashion, check out her latest blog, charting the changes in the female silhouette between 1790 and 1900 – Corsets and Crinolines - illustrated through the museum’s collections.        Follow this link for the PDF version: https://saffronwaldenmuseum.swmuseumsoc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/The-Shape-of-Women-Pt-1_19th-century.pdf or check it out on the Museum website