Statues and statuettes of
Tutankhamun from the tomb
show him wearing golden
sandals. These sandals are
made of wood and overlaid with a marquetry veneer of
bark, green leather, and gold foil on a stucco base.
The outer soles are covered with white stucco. The
straps over the insteps are of bark ornamented with
a diaper pattern in gold foil. On the inner sole are
figures of Negro and Asiatic captives bound with
stems of
lotus and
papyrus. Above and below are
groups of four bows which together with the
captives, represent the nine traditional enemies of
Egypt whom the king symbolically trod underfoot when
wearing the sandals. The device had a long history
dating back more than a thousand years.