Sandaled Foot from a Statue

This right foot was made as a separate element that was attached to the leg of a statue at the ankle. There are remnants of an iron dowel embedded in the top of the foot, which is finished flat and smooth. The foot is shod in an open-toed sandal that has a wide thong with three grooves between the ankle and the start of the toes. The soft sides of the sandal wrap around the heel with the top at ankle height. Straps cross underneath the thong and are tied in a bow at the ankle.The type of sandal that is depicted is one with a “lingual” or tongue, which hangs over the laces on top of the foot. It is a particular kind of hybrid sandal that is characteristic of Romanized versions of sandals in the Hellenistic world. The lingual sandal appears to be associated with monuments in the eastern Mediterranean. Right feet, often wearing this type of sandal, have been identified as votive offerings to the god Serapis.