SHOES Trade Sign
£350.00
A hand painted trade sign from a shoe makers or cobblers, dating from the early 20th century.
The lettering & shoe have been naively painted in oil on a pine backing, with a slightly impasto finish and put-together from forged iron nails. There is a charming large size shoe in the centre with the initials R.S painted in the heel. The date 1873 is painted from individual numbers in each corner and although the wood is certainly old enough, we believe the sign was painted later and the date could be when the business was established. There is some minor historic woodworm which is no longer live however we have professionally treated it to be safe. It is a little fragile but perfectly solid/stable, showing only minor cosmetic wear and displaying well both free standing or wall hung. A unique piece of folk art, perfect to display in both a home or retail setting.
19th & early twentieth century trade signs have a magical quality to them. The form and shape would often display the meaning of the sign itself, with no words required. Some of the earliest examples of signage stem from the humble pub. In Roman towns, taverns would display vine leaves outside to advertise themselves – a nod to Bacchus, the Greek God of wine. This idea was later brought to the Medieval towns of England where it became illegal to not display a sign outside a pub if you were to sell beer. Trade signs became popular with other professions, such as Barbers, Opticians, Iron Smiths and Cobblers.
Tracked nationwide delivery £20.
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Measurement’s 106cm Width 46cm Height 4cm Depth
