Pair of 'Mouse' shoes by Tokio Kumagai
Object No. 95/11/1
Shoes (pair), 'Mouse', womens, pony-skin / leather, designed by Tokio Kumagai, Paris, France, made in Italy, 1986-1987
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Summary
Physical Description
Pair of womens shoes with a low wedge heel and leather and pony-skin upper. The heel is covered with black patent leather. On the front of each shoe is a mouse face made up of leather nose, eyes and protruding ears. The face and remainder of the shoe is trimmed in black patent leather piping which extends from the heel into a short tail. The shoes have leather soles and innersoles.
DIMENSIONS
Height
100 mm
Width
90 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
The shoes were designed by Tokio Kumagai in Paris, France and made in Italy, 1986-1987. As a shoe designer coming out of Japan, Tokio Kumagai has led the way in combining an innovative mixture of traditional shapes and construction, with the witty use of designs representing anything from the work of artists such as Kandinsky, Pollock and Mondrian, to the characteristic features of a mouse. It is this ability to successfully extend the meaning of a pair of shoes, taking their design well beyond basic functional requirements, which has afforded Kumagai his fame and his shoes their status as collector's items.
HISTORY
Notes
The donor loves mice and collects objects which are in the form of or depict mice. She saw a pair of Kumagai's Mouse shoes on display at the National Gallery of Australia, which she enquired about purchasing. This was not possible as they were part of the collection. She then managed to purchase her own pair from Figgins and Company Melbourne, who delivered them to her in Sydney. This purchase was kept secret from her husband. The donor purchased the shoes from Figgins and Company in 1987.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Gift of Ms Lisa Simons, 1995
Acquisition Date
6 January 1995
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