RISE OF THE SANDAL BEARER

Sandal makers and sandal bearers played an important role in Kemet and ancient Egypt. They were responsible for creating footwear for pharaohs, nobility, and commoners alike, especially when a person knew they would be traveling through dangerous or muddy terrain. Pharaoh Narmer, the first King of Kemet, was often depicted barefoot in keeping with other depictions of commoners, kings, and nobility. However, the Narmer palette, a slate green carving dating to 3200 B.C., represents Pharaoh Narmer barefoot and followed by a sandal bearer while Narmer himself uses one hand to hold his kneeling enemy and the other to raise his mace to smite him. Still more revealing of the importance of sandal bearers is the autobiography of Weni the Elder, a court official from the 6th Dynasty. Weni wrote that “When I was chamberlain of the palace and sandal-bearer, King Mernere, my lord who lives forever, made me Count and Governor ofUpper Egypt, from Yebu in the south to Medenyt in the north, because I was worthy in his majesty's heart, because I was rooted in his majesty's heart, because his majesty's heart was filled with me.” Even the 18th dynasty soles of a pair of sandals found in Pharaoh Tutankhamen’s tomb contained decorations of the Pharaoh’s enemies. Made from straw, leather and even gold, these people knew the importance of putting their best foot forward.

Photo credit: Metmuseum

For more info see: http://people.loyno.edu/~gerlich/161.weni.html and https://www.britishmuseum.org/pdf/Veldmeijer_a.pdf

Note: As an official of the 6th dynasty, “Upper Egypt” would not have been a term Weni knew or used as “Egypt” evolved from a Grecian term. The modern name Upper Egypt was actually Ta-Shemau in ancient times, a phrase meaning “The Land of Reeds.” Lower Egypt was called Ta-Mehu in ancient times, a phrase meaning “Land of Papyrus.”