The Opus of Robert Mindum- 1593 to 1613

The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 1 The Opus of Robert Mindum— 1593 to 1613 Robert Hendart Mindum is known for his work decorating a quantity of shoe horns and a small group of powder horn between 1593 and 1613. There is some conjecture about his work methods, with various authorities claiming carving (Cora Ginsberg, 2010, pp. 6-7), inscribing (Trease, 1975), engraving (Evans J. , 1944, p. 282), embossing and hot working. (Robinson, Mindum’s shoehorns — a study of method, 2013). This paper attempts to provide a description and where possible, short history of each of Mindum’s items. Readers interested in more information on Mindum’s works are directed to my catalogue (Robinson, A catalogue of shoehorns made by Robert Mindum, 1593-1613, 2014-). As the document will be updated when new finds are made, readers are advised to check the document history at the end to make sure they have the latest version. Previous attempts have been made to catalogue Mindum’s work and show a growing awareness among antiquaries and collectors. The first, published by John Evans lists two shoe horns by Mindum that were known in 1877 (The Society of Antiquaries, 1878, pp. 121-2), four plus the powder horn in 1892 (The Society of Antiquaries, 1893). Six are known to have been in the Drane collection, five of which Sir John purchased from the estate sale (Colour, 1916). There’s an earlier record of the 1600 Mindum powder horn being purchased by Sir John from Drane in 1890 (Grueber, 1890). Sir John’s daughter, Joan Evans was able to list eight examples along with the powder horn in 1944, although she didn’t have full details of the shoe horn from the Drane collection that had later been owned by Percival D Griffiths and dispersed soon before or at Griffiths’ death in 1938 (Evans J. , 1944). Study then languished until my own humble attempts since 2014 have pushed this number out to over 20 known examples. This is more testimony to the current availability of information than any particular effort or determination on the part of this author. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 2 Robinson ROBERT HENDART MINDUM While there is general agreement that he was working in England, there is some speculation about his origin and background. The British Archaeological Association suggested German or Dutch (The British Archaeological Association, 1868, p. 73) while, based mainly on the way the letters W and V are used in the inscriptions and his design pallet, I propose a Walloon or French Huguenot origin instead (Robinson, This is Francis Hinson’s Shoing Horne… 6 May, 2014 (accessed 16 June 2016), 2014). Schaverien concurs on a Low Countries origin (Schaverien, Horn: its history and uses, 2006) and also notes, One source suggested he had a shop at the Royal Exchange. Dr Ann Saunders checked her records without success; neither the Homers’, Cordwainers’ or the Stationers’ Company have any record of his name and no evidence has come to light to confirm what his occupation was. (Schaverien, The Horners' Company Collection of Horn, 1998, p. 83). The unnamed source making the shop claim appears to be Hardwick, notable also for conflating the method for making shoehorns and that for making lantern panes. From an error on one of the 1604 shoe horns and Mindum’s use of exclusively red and black colouring, a couple of authors think he may have been associated in some way with the printing trade (Cope, Object Study 6: A Shoehorn, 2016); there are parallels between his work and examples of contemporary intaglio printing (Robinson, Mindum’s shoehorns — a study of method, 2013). Prolific from 1593, there are no known examples later than 1613. NAMING CONVENTIONS The objects are listed by year, and within each year, alphabetically by owner's surname. Terminology is broadly consistent with Joan Evan's descriptions. (Evans J. , 1944) • • • • • • • Top – the widest end of the horn. It would once have been curved but often wear and chip to an approximately straight edge. Front – the part that was the outside of the original horn. This is the decorated surface. Back – the part that was once on the inside of the whole horn. Undecorated. Left – the left side when viewed from the front with the design the right way up. Right – the right side when viewed from the front with the design the right way up. Tip – the narrowest part of the shoe horn, originally at or near the tip of the cow horn. Hanging hole – a small hole near the tip allowing it to be hung either directly from a nail or by a cord or thong run through the hole. Text missing from horn inscriptions is indicated with an ellipsis (…). Interpolations within the inscription by the author are shown in square brackets ([ ]). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 3 1593 Iane Ayers A creamy coloured shoehorn with darkening at the squared-off tip, 180mm long, 48mm wide at the end and 9mm wide at the tip. An unknown amount of the top end of the horn has worn away, taking part of the inscription and at least the top half of the fleur-de-lis. The remaining part of the inscription reads THIS IS IANE AYERS SHOEIN H... OF ROBART MINDUM 1593. Beneath the inscription is a fleur-de-lis with a dagger in each of the lower spaces between the petals, below that stands the figure of an Elizabethan lady with floral designs either side of her head. The Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum suggest the figure may be Jane Ayers herself (The Salisbury Museum, 2010, 2014). The figure holds a balance in her right hand and has a rod or distaff to her left. While most of the decoration is in black, the figure's clothing features some lines in red. The lady wears a formal hat (Arnold, 1985, pp. 34, 94), ruff and a pinked dress, typical of an upper middle-class woman of the period. (Hart & North, pp. 174-5) The figure is standing above a landscape of a tree with a hill either side in the background, each surmounted with crosses. A band of large lozenges and a panel of scales completes the decoration. All the design is made from lines, it exhibits none of the small dots that Mindum would use on his later work. The shoe horn has broken across the full width near the base of the figure, and has been repaired with an iron strap on the back and ten metallic rivets. The hanging hole is small compared to that on some of Mindum's other shoe horns, appears to have been pecked rather than drilled and is slightly off centre to the left. The end is truncated and shows evidence of wear. Town & McShane suggest Jane Ayres lived in Witchford, Ely (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 326). The first appearance of this shoe horn in the modern written record is the 1921 Notes & Queries enquiry by Percival Davis Griffiths, FSA (d. 11 December, 1937) of Sandbridgebury, St Albans. The text of the inscription is: THIS IS JANE AYERS SHOEINE HORNE MADE BY THE HANDS OF ROBERT MINDVM 1595 (Notes & Queries, 1921, p. 168) Griffiths’ letter was published with two transcription errors, one “shoeine” and the other the date 1595, leading the author of this work and other researchers to believe that there were two Ayres shoe horns. Work by William DeGregorio (the Bard Graduate Center in New York and the Museum of the City of New York) on Griffiths’ collection has resolved the confusion about the Ayres shoehorn (personal communication, May 2018). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 4 Robinson Griffiths lent a shoehorn to exhibitions in London in 1931 and 1933. The full text from the inscription is given in the 1931 catalogue: No. 766, p. 97: An Elizabethan Shoehorn engraved with a conventional design and a lady who represents ‘Justice,’ inscribed ‘This is Jane Ayers Shoeing (horn made by the hands) of Robert Mindum 1593.’ [The shoe horn was exhibited by Percival D Griffiths, FSA] (VAM, 1931, p. 97) The 1933 catalogue only notes “no 450a Shoe-horn, inscribed and dated 1593”. (HMSO, 1933, p. 63) A photograph of this and the 1597 shoehorn feature in his photographic album/inventory of art objects, with an annotation that he had paid £8 for each of them. (Griffiths, 1930, p. 57) Griffiths’ collection was sold by Christie’s in London, on 10 May 1939, but there are no shoehorn listed in the catalogue of the estate sale (Daniel Jarmai, Archives Researcher Christie’s Archives, personal communication, 10 October 2017), nor in any of the other consignments by Griffiths in Christie’s sales on 3 June 1909, 2 April 1912, 17 March 1913, 19 June 1923, 20 June 1923 or 15 July 1925 (Jarmai, personal communication, 11 October 2017). Inspection of Sotheby’s catalogues for Griffiths’ various and sometimes anonymous sales also only show furniture and silver. Jussel and DeGregorio give a solid overview of the object in Griffith’s ownership and its subsequent ownership in their 2023 work (Jussel & DeGregorio, 2023, p. 268). The Salisbury Museum’s Museum Assistant Valerie Goodrich notes (Goodrich, personal communication, 18-25 September 2017), this shoehorn is item number 45/47 and was donated by Lieut. Col. Frederick George Glyn Bailey (d. 1951) of Lake in 1947. It is on display in the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum in the Costume Lace and Textiles gallery and a photograph was featured on the Museum’s website for a number of years. The ownership during the period between Griffiths and the donation by Bailey is unknown. Bailey had lived in London between the end of the war and his retirement in 1920, but maintained the address at 4 Audley Square, London W1 in addition to Lake House until at least 1924 (Kelly's Directories, 1945). It’s not impossible for Bailey to have met Griffiths or an intermediate owner at some time. Something the size of a shoe horn would be an easily portable item, and a cash sale to, or trade with another collector would be now untraceable. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 5 Hamlet Radesdale A pale section of cow horn, with a small dark area about the tip. It has developed a warm patina, but doesn’t show evidence of the heavy varnish some of Mindum’s shoehorns have acquired. Very light use has worn away a narrow band from the top, removing the outer border lines and a small part of the text, the lost area slopes slightly to the right and amounts to between 6 and 8mm missing from the top. The inscription remains legible: THIS IS HAMLET RADESDALE SETTESON THE COVPAR OF LONDAN ANNO DOMINI 1593 around the outside. SARVE GOD at a reduced height fills a space left after the main inscription. Inside the inscribed band is a circular medallion containing a trifolia and three goats' heads; it has an heraldic effect although the arms are not identifiable (Evans J. , 1944). I suspect it may be a logo or sign of his business, possibly a tavern similar to Three Goats Head that used to be at Lambeth in Surrey (Kevan, 2017). Below this are the initials HR, two geometrical medallions and spread across three lines, the maker's declaration: ROBART MINDVM MAD THIS Three triangles surmounted with crosses, a band of diagonal hatching and a checkerboard panel complete the decoration. Like the Ayres shoehorn of the same year, the decoration is exclusively lines. The hanging hole is large, occupying 50% of the width of the horn at that location. The tip is complete, turned back and appears to be the full thickness of the original horn. Town & McShane have been able to identify Radesdale, a cooper living and working in the parish of St Giles-without-Cripplegate from about 1575 to 1605 (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 326). Owned by George Roots, Esq., F.S.A. in 1855 and described as having been in his family for many years (The Society of Antiquaries, 1855, p. 179) (Urban, 1855, p. 507), it was acquired by Sir John Evans before or in 1892 (The Society of Antiquaries, 1893, p. 217) (Evans J. , Notes and Queries, 10th Series, 1907). On Sir John’s death in 1908 it passed to elder son, Sir Arthur Evans. On Arthur’s death in 1941, it passed to his half-sister, John’s youngest daughter, Joan (Evans J. , 1944) who in 1958 donated it to the Museum of London, where it remains. Item number is 58.38/1 (personal communication between Hazel Forsyth and Alexandra Chapman, 4 June 2014). This is possibly the most widely published of all Mindum’s shoehorns, probably due to having been on display in the Museum of London for most of the 1970s and possibly much longer. Apart from the already cited references, and another by Sir John Evans in 1907 seeking information on the Radesdales (Evans J. , Letter, 1907), it appeared in Country Life magazine in 1973 (Country Life, 1973), Geoffrey Trease’s 1975 work, London—A Concise History (Trease, 1975) and issue 780 of The Connoisseur magazine (The Connoisseur: an illustrated magazine for collectors, 1977, p. 143). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 6 1594 Rownyn Pale cow horn, 185mm in length. A border surrounding the entire decorated area consists of a diagonally hatched space enclosed between two pair of parallel lines. Minor wear to the end has resulted in the loss of the border and about half the height of the letters in the inscription for the full width of the end. A large fleur-di-lys sits below two scrolls and encircled stars are to either side of it at its base. A pair of borders and a band of dotted diamonds separate this from the next design field. Below that is a stylised sunflower, surrounded with four trifolia. The sunflower stem has two pair of straight leaves and two pair of downward curving leaves. Underneath them are a diamond and heart. Inside the diamond are hashed lines and four lozenges radiating from the central point. Surrounding the heart are four wheels. A band of diagonal lines sit above a chequerboard pattern, five squares high and four wide. A border finishes the design. Surrounding the design is the inscription, enclosed within another pair of the border pattern. The inscription reads: THIS IS WYLYAM ROWNYNS SHOEIN HORNE MADE BY THE HANDES OF ROBART MINDVM ANNO DOMINE 1594 The decoration is comprised solely of lines, all filled with black. The hanging hole is large, central and appears to have been drilled. The shoe horn has broken across the hanging hole, and the tip and part of the hole have been lost. Joan Evans talks about knowing this shoe horn, and others when they were in the Drane collection prior to the sale of that collection in 1916-22, and was able to record the inscription but provides no details about the decoration (Evans J. , 1944). This shoe horn is in the Museum of London collection, item number 58.38/2 (personal communication between Hazel Forsyth and Alexandra Chapman, 4 June 2014). The item number is contiguous with those in the Evans collection that were donated to the MoL in 1958, which indicates that it became part of the Evans collection. Apart from Evans, it is also published with a photograph in Sue Brandon’s Buttonhooks and Shoehorns (Brandon, 2008, p. 11). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 7 1595 Richard Crab This shoe horn shows no sign of wear and has the decoration complete. Within hatched borders, is the inscription, THIS IS RICHARD CRABS SHOEIN HORNE MADE BY THE HANDES OF ROBART MINDVM (Hardwick, 1981). The maker's name is in slightly smaller text, layout lines are clearly visible. There is a delaminated chip with loss of material above the D and E of ‘HANDES” and a crack running through the chip and across the border near the text. Overall length is 160mm. The crack is more apparent from the back. At the top, inside the inscription is a large fleur-de-lis, with a peahen standing on each of the two outside petals. Each portal has a line of rubricated dots running down the centre. Beside the device to the left is the year, 1595 and to the right the word GOD. Below this is a line of small triangles, each topped with a cross. A hatched line and a band of facing triangles (or diamonds in the voids, if you prefer) separate the design areas. The facing triangles in the divider between the top sections on the left are a different size to those on the right of the centre. A thirteen-pointed star with each point terminated in a cross, sitting above three large triangles each surmounted with a small cross. Below this is another band of facing triangles, this time interlocking, and another hatched line. The design is completed with a scale pattern, seven scales high. The lines and letters are in black, with small dots rubricated. Light curved scratches appear between the hanging hole and design, and may have been construction lines for boring the hole or laying out the bottom edge of the decoration. The hanging hole is circular and one third of the width of the horn. The tip has been bent forwards to form a hook and is complete. Town & McShane say they can place a Richard Crab in the period at Little Thetford, Cambridgeshire (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 326). This shoe horn is in the collection of the Museum of London, item number 74.38/3 (personal communication between Hazel Forsyth and Alexandra Chapman, 4 June 2014). Joan Evans knew about this shoe horn when it was in the Drane Collection (Evans J. , 1944) but when writing in 1944, she appears to have been unaware of its location. Like the Rownyn shoe horn, the MoL item number forms a contiguous series with those donated as part of the Evans Collection. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 8 Robart Go To Bed This is one of very few extant shoe horns decorated by Mindum that have figures as main the decoration. The parallels are obvious with Jane Ayre’s shoe-horn from two years earlier, and his own the following year. A pale cream horn with a dark tip. There is very light wear to the end, and a small chip from the left side just below the top corner. There are four basic design fields, but unlike his later designs, there are no formal divisions between them. Two s-hilt daggers or short swords at the top, to either side of the tip of a large fleur-de-lys with two balls beside its base. The outer leaves have a line of rubricated dots running down the centre. Below that, a guilloche, one of his most highly decorated. The third virtual field is populated by a standing male figure wearing a fine pinked suit, a ruff and hat. Above his right shoulder is a large knife and a tool that looks like a thatcher’s legget. By his right hip is a serrated tool that’s used to secure the rushes until the spar is inserted. Near his left shoulder is a hand axe and hay hook and by his left side is a reeding pin ("Hangstraw", 2016), almost identical to the one circa 1607 recovered in the dig at Jamestown in Virginia. In the fourth location is a tree, with two small tringles surmounted with crosses. Closing the decoration fields is a diagonally hatched band and at the bottom is a 5x5 checkerboard pattern. A hole is small and in the centre line, and the tip is bent back to form a hook. Below the figure is a tree, with two small cross-surmounted triangles standing underneath. Closing the decoration is a diagonally stippled band and at the bottom is a 5x5 checkerboard pattern. A small hanging hole is neatly in the centre line, and the tip is bent back to form a hook. Like the 1593 Radesdale horn, the tip appears to be the full thickness of the tip of the horn. The inscription THIS IS ROBART GO TO BEDS SHOENHORN MADE BY THE HANDS OF ROBART MINDVM ANNO DOMINE 1595 is within similar bounds to Richard Crab’s of the same year. Town & McShane have located a Robert Gotobed in the period at Landbech (now Landbeach), Cambridgeshire and Streatham, Greater London (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 326). The book, All About Shoes: Footwear Through the Ages, pictures this shoe-horn, the caption on p57 incorrectly describes the shoehorn as being made of ivory, and interposes the middle name “Hendart” in the inscription, despite it not being used on this shoehorn (Bata Limited, 1994). Whoever wrote the caption must have been aware of the 1596 Mindum shoehorn. Currently in Bata Shoe Museum Collection, Toronto, Canada. The item card has no details about the acquisition or who wrote the caption for the book (personal communication, Suzanne Petersen Bata Shoe Museum, September 2016). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 9 1596 Robart Mindum The usual creamy coloured cow horn, the darker portion unusually extends into the lower part of the decorated area. 140mm in length. Possibly the top third of this shoe horn is missing. The inscription begins on the left, THIS IS ROBART HEND… and completes on the right, …ART MINDVM. I suspect that the legend originally was a variation of ‘This is Robart Hendart Mindum's shoing horn made by the hands of Robart Mindum’ and a fleur-de-lis or crowned Tudor Rose is missing. At the top of the currently extant portion is the year 1596, although there does appear to be the remains of a line of text above that. The date is noticeably darker than the surrounding hatched bands or the adjacent quatrefoil. Below the date is an Elizabethan lady, her hands behind her, with a quatrefoil either side of her head. Below her is a wave decoration with a small cross on each wave. A scale pattern seven scales high completes the design. The upper edge of the sales, and the lady’s petticoats feature rubrication. The hanging hole is about one third of the width of the horn, and the tip shows multiple layers from the tip of the original cow horn. It is bent forward to form a hook. There is very slight delamination at the top of the hook. In the author’s opinion, this is obviously Mindum’s own shoehorn. It doesn’t look like it has been finished, there’s space after the inscription where the year would normally go, but the year is on the band above the lady. The lady on your 1596 shoe horn looks very similar to the lady on the 1593 Jane Ayers shoe horn in the Salisbury Museum and appears to be wearing the same, not particularly fashionable for the period, hat. Town and McShane suggest instead that the picture was a portrait of the owner, and the original owner was a woman. Town & McShane suggest that Robart Mindum may have been Robert Mendum (d. 1615) of Littleport, Cambridgeshire. (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 326). Robart Mindum's shoehorn. Photograph provided by Matthew Barton Limited, London, and used with permission. Unknown to collectors prior to the sale by Sotheby's, London, 21 April 1978, lot 87 (Sotheby’s, 1978); it was sold by Mathew Barton Limited, 24 November 2015, lot 0134 (Matthew Barton Ltd, 2015). That sale was published in local newspapers at the time. (Cooper, 2015). The Barton catalogue entry text (Robinson, A catalogue of shoehorns made by Robert Mindum, 1593-1613, 2014-) was largely reproduced in Miller’s Antique Handbook & Price Guide 2018-2019 (Miller J. , 20 Sep 2017, p. 247) with a price estimate of £3500-4000. It found its way to the collection of Stuart Kirby (d. 2019), Long Valley, New Jersey USA; bought by John Bryan III of Nashville, Tennessee from Adam Ambros in New York on July 22, 2019. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 10 Robinson It was published in the catalogue of the Marking Time – Objects, people and their lives; 15001800 exhibition at the Yale Centre for British Art in 2020 (Town & McShane, 2020, pp. 326328). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 11 1597 ... This shoe horn features a chequer pattern and leaves as well as the usual medallions. The owner's name has been deliberately scratched away (Evans J. , 1944). Dame Joan states this is from the Drane Collection, but she was unaware of the location in 1944. Unlike the others from the Drane collection purchased by Sir John Evans, this one is next known to have come into Percival Griffiths’ collection sometime between 1921 when he was reporting ownership of only the 1593 Ayres shoehorn in Notes and Queries (White, 1921) and 1926 when he displayed it. It may have briefly passed through the hands of another collector after Drane, as only five of the six Mindum shoehorns in the Drane estate auction (Colour, 1916) were in Dame Joan Evans’ collection when donated to the Museum of London. Jussell & DeGregorio draw attention to another object, “a pauncet box carved from a nut”, which Griffiths acquired directly from the Drane estate sales (Jussel & DeGregorio, 2023, p. 269). Griffiths lent it to the Burlington Fine Art Club’s exhibition of late Elizabethan art celebrating the tercentenary of Francis Bacon in 1926. The catalogue of the exhibition gives the inscription: “SHOE-HORN. Inscribed, ‘THIS (words obliterated, probably the name of the owner) SHOING HORNE ||| MADE BY THE HANDES OF ||| ROBART ||| MINDUM ||| FINIS. ANNO DOMINE 1597’. Many other shoe-horns by this maker are in existence.” (Burlington Fine Arts Club, 1926, p. 94) Griffiths encountered financial hardship in 1928/29 and sold a number of assets (personal communication with William DeGregorio, May 2018). This shoe horn may have been among them as he did not exhibit it again, however, both shoehorns are pictured in his photographic album of art objects at Sandridgebury, circa 1930 (Griffiths, 1930, p. 53). It is likely to be somewhere in a private collection. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 12 Will'yam S... Creamy cow horn with a mid-brown tip, the extant portion 135mm in length. At least one third of the design area of this shoe horn is missing, most likely worn away, with some chipping evident at the top end. The last vestiges of a fleur-de-lis can be seen at what is now the top of the shoe horn. The inscription reads: THIS IS WILL’YAM S… … OF ROBART MINDVM. Mark up lines are clearly visible. Two lines of small facing triangles, a line of hatching, a band of scrollwork and another pair of small facing triangles separate the damaged area from the next design area. This contains two trifolia above an encrowned Tudor rose. On either side above the rose is a small star within a circle, the central rib of each star arm is in red. Below the rose are two small hills with crosses on top. A band of red dots, two lines of facing triangles in black and another band of red dots creates the next divider. Below this is a field of scales, five high. The top row of scales are triangular rather than arched in shape. A hatched line, two lines of facing small triangles and another hatched line complete the design. Between this terminal band and the hanging hole is the year 1597, inverted when compared to Mindum's usual practice. The mark-up lines are evident and extend some distance to either side. The hanging hole is in the centre line and is large, about one third of the width of the horn at that point, the tip is the full thickness of the tip of the cow horn and is bent forward to form a hook. It was published in the catalogue of the Marking Time – Objects, people and their lives; 15001800 exhibition at the Yale Centre for British Art in 2020 (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 328). Sold by Christies on 12 July, 2005 (Christies Limited, 2005), lot 104; bought by John H Bryant (1936-2018) of Lake Bluff, Illinois, USA from Tobias Jellinek Antiques, London on August 5, 2005 (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 328). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 13 Iohn Gybson Significant loss on the top and top left corner, apparently from wear. Pale cow horn, except the extreme parts of the turned back tip are dark. The tip is full thickness of the tip of the horn. The inscription is in the usual location around the outside and reads: THIS IS IHON GYBSONS SHO… HANDES OF ROBART MINDVM 1597. If it follows the usual formula, the inscription will be; "This is John Gibsons shoeing horn made by the hands of Robert Mindum". The decoration consists of a fleur-de-lis with trifolia at the top, a line of small crosses, a band of scrollwork and a line of small open arches, each terminating in a small cross. The effect is not unlike the frieze across the top of a rood screen or canopy in a church. In the middle is an encrowned medallion of simple floral form above open lozenges and a field of scales five scale high. Scales, scroll work and fleur-de-lis are all rubricated. 1 Tomb of Edmund Stafford, Bishop of Exeter 1395-1419 Exeter Cathedral. Photograph by the author. John Gibson’s shoe horn from Evans (1944) The hanging hole is tiny and well off centre, with two inverted letters E F embossed between the hanging hole and tip. The tip is bent forward to form a hook. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 14 Robinson Town & McShane have located a John Gibson in Soham, Ely in 1597 (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 326). Evans collection, acquired after 1893 as it isn’t mentioned as belonging to Sir John in the earlier list (The Society of Antiquaries, 1893). It appears in Evan’s Burlington article in 1944 as being part of her collection. It was donated to the Museum of London in 1958, item number 58.38/4 (personal communication between Hazel Forsyth and Alexandra Chapman, 4 June 2014). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 15 1598 ... Severe damage to the left and top, apparently from use. Some staining to the top quarter, abrasion around the hanging hole and tip. The inscription is broken up in an unusual way, with THIS IS … … ROBART MINDVM around the outside. There is a band of scrollwork at what is now the top of the horn, possibly indicating that an entire decorative panel has been lost as Mindum usually only uses these as dividers between design areas. A line of dots and the centre points is rubricated. A line of small open arches, each terminating in a small cross form a border (similar to those on the Iohn Gybson shoe horn) with more red dots filling above. A crescent shape occupies the middle area, with a trifolium on both sides, and the inscription appearing inside it: SARVE GOD Below that, triangles with crosses sit above a line of facing small black triangles border. The cross on the right triangle only has three arms. The next part of the inscription is inverted: ANNO DO MINI 1598 The design is finished with a panel of scales, six scales high with the top row pointed rather than arched. The small dots within the crescent and scales have been rubricated. The hanging hole is large and high, intruding on the lower part of the pattern. The tip has been cut or broken and rounded. Previously in the Drane and then Evans collections, this horn was donated to Museum of London by Joan Evans, item number 58.38/4 (personal communication between Hazel Forsyth and Alexandra Chapman, 4 June 2014). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 16 Robinson Ambres Buckell Around the outside is the inscription, THIS IS AMBRES BVCKELLS SHOING HORNE MADE BY ROBART MINDVM ANNO DOMINI 1598. At the top is a fleur-de-lis above an encrowned Tudor rose and a field of scales (Poppy, 2013), divided by a double scroll. A minor space above is filled in with scale work, and just beneath the hooked tip are the initials AP (The Society of Antiquaries, 1893). The Marking Time exhibition catalogue has an Ambrose Buckle in Ely in 1598 (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 326). In 1892, it was owned by Rev. Hugh Nelson Ward of Radstock in Somerset, and exhibited by Mr Albert Hartshorne on 24 November (The Society of Antiquaries, 1893). It was also published in The Antiquary (Cox, 1893, p. 41) and The Anthanaeum (MacColl, 1892, p. 882). Evans mentions it and the exhibition, and is aware that it was still owned by Horatio’s son, the Reverend Hugh Nelson Ward in 1944 (Evans J. , 1944). Donated by Ward in 1949 to the Holburne Museum in Bath (museum number F197) (personal correspondence, C. Jones, Holburne Museum 22 September 2017) it was exhibited in the Painted Pomp: Art and Fashion in Shakespeare’s England exhibition at the museum 26 January – 6 May 2013. The collections of the Wards provide possible clues for earlier provenances, Hugh’s collection primarily being ‘Nelsonalia’, much of which was handed down from Horatia Nelson (d. 1881) (Milton Keynes Heritage Association, 2021) while Horatio’s collection was almost exclusively items he associated with his mother and grandparents. (Radstock Museum, 2021) Horatia spent her childhood in London, lived in Norfolk from 1822, then from 1831 until at least 1836 at Tenterden, Kent. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 Robinson 17 Rose Fales Rich cream cow horn with no dark areas. Lightly used with the loss of just a tiny bit of the hatching in the border around the top, the inscription ROBART MINDVM MADE THIS SHOING HORNE FOR ROSE FALES ANNO DOMINI 1598 encloses panels. A carving error is evident between the right side of the H and lower left part of the O in the word HORNE. Mindum appears to have slipped while coming up the left side of the O. Four tiny circles sit within the hatched border below the word HORNE and the F of FOR, and appear to be mark up to establish spacing of the various border lines. This approach would indicate the use of a tool like a marking gauge for marking the lines parallel to the outer edge of the horn. Other layout lines are unusually prominent on this shoehorn. At the top is an encrowned Tudor rose with trifolia, the petals feature small spots in red. The top leaf of the rose and the crown appear superimposed. A band of knotwork separates the rose from a tree with two small hills surmounted with crosses. A panel of cross hatching and lozenges finishes the patterned area. The hanging hole is small and in the centre line, it appears to have been burnt through, leaving some discolouration to the surrounding area. The end of the horn terminates in a straight cut, the cut edge showing evidence of heating. It is not clear if a hooked tip was originally present and is now missing, or if the leather thong now attached in at the time of the 2007 sale was an original element (Sotheby's, 2007). It was published in the catalogue of the Marking Time – Objects, people and their lives; 15001800 exhibition at the Yale Centre for British Art in 2020 (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 328). A sale is recorded to an H Phillips for £2 in 1897 (Grant, 1897). Sold by Sotheby’s on 4 April 2007 for US$20,400, it was in the collection of Stuart Kirby (1952-2019) of Long Valley, New Jersey, USA; finally, being bought by John Bryant III of Nashville, Tennessee from Adam Ambros of New York on July 22, 2019. (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 328) Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 18 1599 Margyt Marswell Warm cream cow horn, the tip has been bent forward to form a hook, a short piece of the tip has broken off, showing both layers of the original cow horn are present. Significant wear to the top has resulted in the loss of the outer border and the full height of the inscription. There's also wear to the face at the top, reducing the depth of the carving in that area. The inscription reads THIS IS MARGYT MARSWELLS SHOEING HORN ...Y THE HANDES OF ROBART MINDVM 1599. Decoration starts with a fleur-de-lis with accompanying trifolium, above a pair of circular medallions within an "S"-shaped scroll. The next panel down features two large trifolia, a crowned medallion and small circled stars and small triangles. The design finishes with a block of scales, six scales high. The fleur-de-lis, scroll and scales all feature stippled lines of red. The hanging hole is off centre, and appears to have been burnt through with a heated tool. There’s a dark spot that is on the centre line that appears to indicate where the hanging hole should have been but was missed. The shoehorn is on display in the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro (Royal Cornwall Museum, 2014). The placard states “Carved horn made as a love token…”, which may be true in many instances, but I’d dispute that claim in Mindum’s specific case. Enquiries to the RCM asking for provenance have gone unanswered. (Personal correspondence with Rebecca Davies, May/June 2016) Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 19 Anthonie Violet Pale cow horn, apart from a small dark portion on the left side near the tip. The top of the horn has been worn away with some loss of the inscription. The remaining portion reads THIS IS ANTHONIE VIOLETS SHO… HANDES OF ROBART MINDVM 1599. The decoration appears to be substantially similar to Iohn Gybson's shoe horn of 1597. At the top is a fleur-delis, flanked by trifolia. Below that a band of scrollwork, then an encrowned medallion with more trifolia, then a tree. A band of four encircled stars separates the main design area from a panel of scales, seven scales high with the top row of pointed rather than rounded scales. The hanging hole is large, in the centre line and just brushes the lower edge of the inked decoration. The tip has broken off and shows multiples layers from the original horn tip. The shoe horn is 200mm long. Town & McShane have place Anthony Violet in Foudlen, Norfolk in 1599 (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 326). In the collection of Sir Charles Clore Patrick Crawley until 1986, it was sold to a private collector in the UK by Christie, Mason & Woods for £800 (Christie, Mason & Woods Pty Ltd, 1986). I’m yet to see this one in colour, but I expect extensive rubrication of the decorative devices. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 20 Robinson 1600 Mark Baron Pale cow horn across the entire surface, 140mm in length, it looks like there is a good 25-30mm worn away from the end, the bottom halves of two encircled starbursts can still be seen. The design would have originally had a crown above the rose and possibly some scrolls at the top between the crown and the borders and inscription. If it follows the usual formula for the period, the inscription would have read: THIS IS MARKE BARONS SHOIN[ HORNE MADE BY THE HANDS OF ROB]ART MINDUM ANNO DOMINI 1600. The Tudor rose of the more usual five-petal design is rubricated, two trifolia separate it from a fleur-de-lys, above a tree, identified by Holder as an olive (Matthew Holder, European Works Of Art, 2017). The date is inverted. The diamond pattern on the lower panel is similar to Rose Fales 1598 shoehorns, they do also feature as a narrow band near the top of the 1601 Morris powder horn. Having been in an antique dealer’s personal collection for a number of years, it traded three times rapidly in late 2016 and early 2017, sold by Cheffins Sale F301116, Lot 516 on 30 November 2016 to Myers, then by RN Myers & Son Antiques, December 2016 to Matthew Holder, and finally by Holder to a private collector on 23 January 2017. Photograph supplied by and used with the kind permission of Simon Myers. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 Robinson 21 Francis Hinson Pale cream cow horn with a dark tip, the darker portion extending into the decorated arear just along the midline. The inscription reads THIS IS FRANCIS HINSONS SHOING HORNE GYVEN BY MARGAREAT …H AND ELSABEATH SMITH AND MADE BY ROBART MINDVM. The curved wide end of the shoe horn has worn away, removing a portion of the inscription, including the surname of the first donor. A terminal “H” remains. From this and the size of the missing portion matching that occupied by Elsabeath Smith’s surname, the surname of Margreat has been inferred to also be Smith. Sophie Cope suggests the inscription may celebrate a birthday or anniversary (Cope, Marking Design Part 2: Objects in the Sea of Time. (accessed 6 March 2014), 2014). The top field contains a fleur-de-lis with arabesques filling the spaces; the second a chain work scroll. The chain surrounds a label displaying the year 1600, the lower middle link supports a medallion bearing a flower. Above the flower are the initials E and R (Elizabeth Regina). The bottom field is the full width between the outer borders, and contains a series of overlapping scales, four scales high. Extensive rubrication can be seen throughout the entire design. Hinson shoe horn. Photograph by the author. Version 0.8 The tip has been turned forwards to form a hook. There may be damage to the tip: at some point it has been spiral bound in a fine fabric strip, the fabric/glue has darkened with age. A suspension hole 3.5mm in diameter has been bored approximately 30mm from the tip in the centre line, there is a semi-circular chip on the right side level with the hole, and a diagonally polished line 3mm wide leading from the hole back towards the tip on the left side. This may be evidence of the use of a ribbon or cord for suspension. The hole has the edges rounded on the inside, but the edges on the outside remains unrounded. Tuesday, 30 January 2024 22 Robinson There is a large chip to left edge with a crack and delamination running into the design, the delamination has been skilfully repaired with two tinned iron rivets of some age. Some wear to end with minor loss of lettering. The rivet heads are on the inside of the horn, the peened ends are on the outside. The length of the extant portion is approximately 200mm (Robinson, This is Francis Hinson’s Shoing Horne… 6 May, 2014 (accessed 16 June 2016), 2014). Reverse of Hinson shoe horn, showing rivet heads and EG brand. Photograph by the author. On the back of the shoe horn, the initials of a later owner E G are branded near the top. Due to the internal curve of the horn, the initials are burnt 1.5 mm more deeply at the base of the letters than at the top. The letter E is 12mm high by 8.3mm wide, the G fits a 12mm x 12mm square area. Contemporary parallels are found in Edward Gwynn’s library, where the backs of his books have the initials E G hot-stamped in gold. Gwynn is an interesting diversion, and may prove to be particularly relevant. A barrister-atlaw at Furnivals Inn, admitted to the Middle Temple on 23 Nov. 1610, and called to the Bar 24 June 1631 (Gilt name of Edward Gwynn (d. ca. 1645), 2014), Gwynn left a nuncupative will proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 12 February 1649/50. He left all his possessions to compatriot Alexander Chorley (Pearson, 2007). Chorley appears to have broken up and sold the estate sometime between 1650 and 1684, when some of Gwynn’s books were bequeathed to St Paul’s Cambridge by their new owner, Peter Gunning (1614-1684) (Peter Gunning (1614-1684), 2014). There is evidence of a Richard Hinson (1580-1638) at Barnard’s Inn Hall contemporary with Gwynn being at the Inns of Court. Hinson was instrumental in setting up legal instruments of the Virginia Colony. There’s a baptism record for An Hinsone (b c.1610) that states the mother’s name as Francis Hinson (St Ann Blackfriars, c1610), so it may be Francis’ married surname on the shoehorn. At the moment, the evidence is weak, but circumstantially, there is a possible vector for Francis Hinson’s shoe horn to end up in Edward Gwynn’s collection. Alternately, the Marking Time exhibition catalogue has found a Francis Hinson in Fordham, Cambridgeshire in 1598 (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 326). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 Robinson 23 The delamination and split. Photograph by the author. After a few years in obscurity, the shoe horn turns up in the ownership of Robert Chapman, assistant to Michael Faraday and John Tyndall, who possessed the necessary skills and access to the materials to affect the repair seen today. Some of Faraday’s equipment in the Science Museum in London features similar rivets. It then passed to Frederick Chapman (1864-1943), who brought it to Australia in 1902 (Crespin, 1979), and it remained in the family until the first quarter of 2016 when it was sold by Richard Gardner Antiques in the UK for £3,800. Its next appearance was being published in the collection of Emma Hawkins in Edinburgh (Jorge & Bingham, 2022, p. 23). I’m indebted to Sotheby’s for pointing out that reference, the chapter is a profile of the collector and the shoehorn is just barely visible in the photo on p23, side on behind a closed cabinet door. If you didn’t know it was in the photo, you wouldn’t see it. It also shows a display stand that uses the original hanging hole to support the show horn. It was sold for £5,040 on 18 January 2023 as lot 20 in Sotheby’s Emma Hawkins: A Natural World auction (Sotheby’s, 2023). Matthew Holder, European Works Of Art listed it for sale simultaneously on their website (Matthew Holder Works of Art, 2023), Instagram and Facebook on 25 January 2023 for £9,500. The sale includes the bespoke metal and ebonised wood display stand. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 24 Matthew Westfelde Pale cowhorn, with a medium brown extending up from the tip into the design area. It displays evidence of heavy varnishing, similar to the 1601 Morris powder horn. By far the largest of Mindum's shoe horns, Westfelde's is also a significant departure from Mindum's usual design layout (Evans J. , 1944). Exhibiting almost his entire design palate and without the expected sectional dividers, a single field contains a crowned Tudor rose, a white marigold, a large fleurde-lis and a tree with the usual assortment of trifolia, crosses and triangles. The Tudor rose has six petals, less common than the five-petal version, but was not unknown in the Tudor period. A band of scrollwork separates the main design field from a block of scales, seven scales high. The design is completed by a band of lozenges. Extensive use of rubrication on all the design elements can just be made out through the brown varnish. Around the outside is the inscription, THIS IS MATTHEW WESTFELDES SHOOING HORNE MAD BY TH… …ES OF ROBART MINDVM ANNO DOMINI 1600. Most of the inscription has been worn away at the end, and two holes have been asymmetrically and unsympathetically bored at this end. The hanging hole is mid-sized and neatly in the middle of the long axis. The tip has been broken off and rounded. Length: 280mm, width: 58mm, weight: 62.19g. Experiments by the author with a pair of reproduction 17th century bucket-top boots has found a large shoehorn very helpful put them on… one around 280-300mm long would be ideal. It would need to curve backwards slightly too. Owning boots in London says something about Mr Westfeldes’ social standing, too. Boots were often used to indicate status, woodcuts of members of the Gentlemen of the Artillery Garden (later the Honourable Artillery Company) such as those in Neade’s Double Armed Man (London, 1623) use the image of cavalry boots to indicate a link to the classical Roman Equestrian class. Other explanations are also valid, maybe Mindum’s supplier only had 300mm horns that day, or maybe there were many made by him in that size and we only have one survivor. It should also be noted that the author’s mother used a 320mm long shoe horn so she didn’t have to bend to put on her shoes. Acquired by Sir John Evans before 1877 (Evans J. , Meeting held on 25 January 1877, 1877), published in The Anthenaeum in February of that year (The Anthenaeum, 1877) and exhibited by Sir John in 1890 (Grueber, 1890), it passed through the family to his daughter Joan (Evans J. , 1944). Donated by Joan Evans to the Museum of London in 1958, it was on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2013 for their Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts and the Russian Tsars exhibition (VAM, 2013). Due to an error at the MoL, the catalogue incorrectly cited Mindum working until 1623. MoL item number 58.38/5; the item card had also incorrectly recorded the date in the inscription as 1609, the date was corrected to 1600 in October 2015 (personal correspondence with Hazel Forsyth FSA, 15 October 2015). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 25 1601 William Morris’ Powder Horn This one of only a couple known powder horns of Mindum's manufacture is dated 1601 (Evans J. , 1944). Made from a complete cow horn, with a wooden base pegged in and a leather collar, the decoration is similar to that of his contemporary shoe horns. Starting with the base, a border with groups of diagonal lines, the base pegs sitting centrally in the space between the lines; then a band of scrollwork containing flowers separated by his usual lines and triangles border sit above a row of encircled stars. A double band of border separates the star-wheels from a row of arcading with more encircled stars. On the front, the inscription within a substantial guilloche forms a label, upright when the base of the horn is at the top: ROBART MINDVM MADE THIS POVDER HORNE FOR WYLLYAM MORRIS 1601 To the lower left of the label are the initials ER. On the back is a large flower within a circle, in the centre is a quatrefoil, with four trefoils around it. The one to the top left has a cross. Between two more borders is a row of the diamond pattern. The mouth is leather wrapped and a thong, possibly for a plug, is still in place. The band of diamonds is considerably cleaner than the rest of the horn, probably a band of leather, now lost, protected it from dirt or varnish. It appears to have been varnished at some point prior to the application of the E. Dono label. 1601 Powder horn made for William Morris by Robert Mindum Photograph by the author, 2006 Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 26 Robinson Base of William Morris' 1601 powder horn Photograph by the author, 2006 The wooden base is circled and cross-hatched, with initials EB are burnt into the base. In the collection of Rev W F Creeney in Norwich until 23 July 1888, acquired by Drane (Evans J. , 1944, p. 284), then sold to and exhibited by Sir John Evans in 1890 (Grueber, 1890), it passed to his son Arthur (d. 1941), then to Sir John’s daughter Joan. Donated by Joan Evans to the Museum of London in 1958. The paper E Dono label affixed to the base of the horn appears to be Drane’s. The MoL item number 58.38/6 (personal communication between Hazel Forsyth and Alexandra Chapman, 4 June 2014) shows it to have been one of the collection donated by Evans at the same time. It was exhibited by the Museum of London as part of their Great Fire of London Exhibition in 2006. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 Robinson 27 1603 Benjamyn Gibson Creamy coloured cow horn, 228mm long and 64mm wide at the top. There is very minor wear to the end, only the outer edge of border outside the inscription has been worn away. The inscription is "ROBART MINDVM MADE THIS SHOING HORN FOR BENIAMYN GIBSON ANNO DOMINI 1603 SARVE GOD". At the top is a pair of scrolls above a marigold medallion and an encrowned Tudor rose. A band of scrollwork separates it from a tree with crossed hills and another band of scrollwork from a field of arched scales, six scales high. There is extensive use of red in most of the design elements. A further band of ovoid decoration encloses the hanging hole, with two small holes with tear-outs and delamination are evident at the flat rounded tip. The hanging hole is to the left of the midline and may be a later repair than original work. There is damage to the tip and to the lower right corner. This horn is currently in a private collection in the UK, having been sold through Merchant House Antiques, 19 High Street Honiton Devon EX14 1PR United Kingdom (Giltsoff, 2016). The owner to 2017 purchased it in around 2006 from a woman in the south west of England, it had been in her family for generations (personal correspondence with Christian Giltsoff, 2016, June 28). Above: Benjamin Gibson's shoehorn, 1603 Left: detail of the tip and hanging hole Photographs by Merchant House Antiques 2016, used with kind permission of Christian Giltsoff Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 28 Robinson 1604 Hve Barvel Just under 190mm long. The most complete description comes from minutes of the British Archaeological Association meeting in 1868 when Mr Kettle brought it along for show-andtell. Among other devices appears a large rose and crown, bringing to mind the like figures on the little copper farthings of Charles I. There is also a bold fleur-de-lis, and beneath a knot, the date 1604. Upon the margin is inscribed — THIS IS HVE BARVELS SHOOING HORNE MADE BY THE HANDES OF ROBART MINDVM. (The British Archaeological Association, 1868) The farthing mentioned is the Charles I Rose patent farthing, authorised 1 March 1636, struck until about the end of 1644 (Royal (or State) Farthings of James I, Charles I, and the Commonwealth - Charles I (27 March 1625 - 30 January 1649), 2007-2020). The coin displays a lobed king’s crown, Mindum continued to use the pointed queen’s crown following Elizabeth I’s death in 1603. Owned by Thomas D Scott, Esq and exhibited by him at Gloucester in 1860 (Gloucester and Gloucestershire Antiquities, 1860, pp. 45-6), by Mr Kettle in 1868, acquired by Sir John Evans before January 1877 when he exhibited it to the Royal Society (Evans J. , Meeting held on 25 January 1877, 1877) it was apparently inherited by Joan Evans (Evans J. , 1944) but not illustrated by her. The current location is unknown, I suspect it was one of the shoe horns donated by Joan Evans to the MoL and it’s sitting in a box on a shelf waiting to be found again. Gloucester council have confirmed that it isn’t in any of their museums’ collections (Personal correspondence with Mark Holding, Visitor Experience Assistant, 2 June 2018). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 Robinson 29 ...s Gamlet Warm cream coloured horn, with symmetrical dark markings coming up from the tip on both sides and along the midline. Significant wear has removed part of the inscription, the extant portion reads ROBART MINDVM MADE THIS SHOOING … …S GAMLET ANNO DOMINI 1604. At the top is a large fleur-de-lis with a figure-8 scroll either side above a band of scrollwork. An arched frame sits above a tree, with a 5-scale high pattern below. A band of three leaf-shaped lozenges sits at the bottom. Two closed splits intrude into the design from the top, and a chip has removed some of the decoration near the tip. The hanging hole is small and just to the left of the centre line. The tip is rounded. Length 184mm x width 54mm. Gamlet shoehorn, 1604 Image Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, used under the fair use conditions of their terms of use. The number 4 in the year has been carved in a mirror image of the way it should have been. A couple of authorities have used this as evidence that Mindum worked in the printing trade, possible carving plates for illustrations (Robinson, Mindum’s shoehorns — a study of method, 2013), (Cope, Object Study 6: A Shoehorn, 2016). The known provenance goes back to the 1960s when it was purchased by Barbara Munves' husband in an English antiques shop. It was gifted to the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, Washington DC, USA in 2011. Accession Number 2011-31-1; Object ID 18768397. It was displayed as a part of the exhibition Making Design December 12, 2014 to September 01, 2016. (Smithsonian Institution, 2016). Detail of the error in the date Image Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, used under fair use conditions of their terms of use. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 30 Robinson 1605 Bridget Dearsley Incorrectly identified on the Saffron Waldon website’s Social and Local History page as being made from bone (Saffron Walden Museum, 2016), the material was corrected in the slightly later Delving into the Collections blog post by Leigh Mellors (Mellors, 2016). The shoehorn is made from a warm cream cow horn with a slightly reddish stain at the top. Forming an arch around the outside is the inscription ROBART MINDVM MADE THIS SHOOING-HORN FOR BRIDGET DEARSLEY 1605. There is minor wear to the end, removing the top third of the text in that area. One of the smaller horns, the decoration consists of a crowned Tudor rose, a band of scrollwork, a small tree with seven leaves, another band of scrollwork and field of scales five scales high and five scales wide. There is extensive rubrication. The hanging hole is large, the tip is flat, rounded and has a groove in the middle. Town & McShane have located Bridget Dearsley in Soham, Cambridgeshire in 1605 (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 326). This shoe horn is in the Saffron Walden Museum and has been since at least 1877 (Evans J. , Meeting held on 25 January 1877, 1877), accession number 1892.93. The subject of a letter by Guy Maynard of Saffron Waldon (Maynard, 1912, p. 8), the shoehorn has also featured on the museum’s blog (Mellors, 2016). Heillerry Forby Slightly darker cow horn than most of the other shoe horns, 198 mm x 49 mm. The dark tip extends nearly one third of the total length. There is some wear to the end, the upper border and at least half of the text is lost for the full width of the horn. The tip is rounded, a small hole appears to have been bored and sits just to the right of the centre line. Scrolls and an encrowned Tudor rose at the top, a white marigold and a tree are the main design elements. A full-width band of knotwork, a 3x4 checker pattern and a band of open lozenges complete the decoration. Some rubrication. Around the outside, the inscription reads: ROBART MINDUM MADE THIS SHOOING HORN FOR HEILLERRY FORBY ANNODOMINI 1605 Town & McShane have place Hillary Forby in Saham Toney, Norfolk in 1605 (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 326). Now in the Horniman Museum, it was purchased from J Corbet Anderson in 1898 (The Horniman, 2016). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 31 1610 Mistress Tyson Appearing on the market in July 2023, this is a curious example of Mindum’s work, if it is indeed done by him. Mindum scholars are divided on whether this is an original piece or lowquality imitation (Personal correspondence with Rebecca Davies, 7 January 2024). The 210mm long horn is reduced in width on both sides to form a parallel sided handle for about half its length and has a further narrowing to a small waist before it flares to the full width of the shoehorn. The result is hairbrush-shaped. The entirety of the engraving has been done freehand with a single narrow tool, approximately the same size as the fine line work outlining the borders on the Hinson 1600 shoehorn. I’m fairly confident the lettering is by Mindum’s hand, and the design elements all come from his usual, if outdated palette (Robinson, Mindum’s shoehorns — a study of method, 2013). I think it looks like a sketch or draft for approval as part of a commission. If this is the case, this shoehorn provides an important insight into Mindum’s work method as no other examples of his early design process have yet come to light. The outer border consists of tiny circles between two lines, outside the text, 'ROBERT MINDUM MADE THIS SHOOEING HORN FOR MISTRESS TYSON ANNO DOMINI 1610. The outer band terminates in a small cross at the centre of the handle. The inner border is tiny diagonal lines between two lines giving a rope effect. The main elements in the upper field are an encrowned Tudor rose (identified as a York rose by Brettells (Brettells Auctioneers, 2023), an unlikely association by the late 16th century), with a pair of quatrefoils and two pair of curls. The divider band is a line of dot-circles between two narrow bands of alternate black/white triangles with the lower decorative field of scales. Each scale is edged in a border of tiny circles. The reverse features a flower on the reverse, also contained within a band of alternate black/white triangles. There is also another roped band. It’s unclear whether this is an alternative device replacing the encrowned Tudor rose on the final work, or if it’s to take its position on the front of the final work, giving a design almost identical to Mistress Blake’s 1612 shoehorn, ...umer’s of the same year and Jane Mindum’s of 1613. Offered by Brettells as lot 86 of their Antique, Oriental and Collectors Sale on 11th Jul 2023. I’ve reached out to Brettell’s for information about the provenance and sale, but am yet to get a response. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 32 Robinson 1612 Mistris Blake Pale cowhorn with a darker tip. Minor chipping to the right side of the end is the only damage in evidence. At the top is a large crowned Tudor rose supported by scrolls sitting above a white marigold and a stylised tree, small figure-eight scrolls, and quatrefoil motifs. Three bands of patterning encircled stars, imbricated scales and scrollwork appear below. Red stippling throughout. (Cora Ginsberg, 2010) The legend around the outside is: ROBART MINDVM MADE THIS SHOOING HORNE FOR MISTRIS BLAKE ANNO DOMINI 1612. Medium sized hanging hole to the left of the centre line. Tip is rounded, with a vestigial bend forward, total length is 225mm. This shoe horn is mentioned in an inventory of furniture in the Rushbrook Parish Registers 1567 to 1850 (Hervey, 1903, p. 416). Sold by Rowley's Fine Art Auctions on 22 July 2010 as lot 38 to a non-UK resident private collector (Rowley's Fine Art Auctions, 2010). The sale was reported in Eely People (Ely People, 2012) and Antiques Trade Gazette (ATG Reporter, 2010). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 33 Ricard Gibon Very light wear has removed just a couple of millimetres of edge border at the end. The inscription ROBART MINDVM MADE THIS SHOOING HORNE FOR RICARD GIBON ANNO DOMINI 1612 is complete. The main design frame is without separating bands and consists of an encrowned Tudor rose above a white marigold medallion and a tree with seven leaves. A block of scales, seven scales high sits between two bands of scrollwork. The use of the crowned Tudor rose so long after the death of Elizabeth in 1603 is curious. The hanging hole is medium sized and just to the right of the centre line, the tip is squared off, length 216 mm, width 30 mm. Owned by the Worshipful Company of Horners (The Society, 1993), it is currently held in the Museum of Design in Plastics, Bournemouth and can be seen in the museum's online collection (MoDiP, 2010). This shoehorn was exhibited between July 10 and September 5, 2012 at the joint exhibition of the Plastics Historical Society and the Worshipful Company of Horners at the Frederick Parker Gallery, London Metropolitan University. It featured on the cover of the Plastics Historical Society, plastiquarian in December 2012. (Oxley, 2012) Adele Schaverien plots a probable provenance using Company documents in her article in Folk Life (Schaverien, The Horners' Company Collection of Horn, 1998). An ‘old shoe horn’ was offered to the Company by a Miss Elvin via a Mr T Hall in 1916. The Court were unenthusiastic, but the chaplain, Rev H G Rosedale purchased the shoe horn and gave it to the Horners. It is presumed that the shoe horn referred to is that belonging to Ricard Gibon made in 1612, as all other shoe horns in the company’s collection clearly date to 1920 or later. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 34 Robinson ...umer Extensive wear to the end and damage and delamination occurring from the tip intrude into the design. The remaining inscription is: ROBART MINDVM MADE THIS S… …VMER ANNO DOMINI 1612. Joan Evans notes "it seems to have ended in VMER and may well have been Plumer." (Evans J. , 1944) The decoration has fewer divisions than on his other horns, and features a Tudor rose at the top above a white marigold medallion and a tree with seven leaves. The lower edge of a crown can be seen at the very top of the remaining decoration. A field of scales is between two bands of scrollwork. The tip is squared off and there is no evidence of a hanging hole. It was added to the Evans collection sometime between 1892 and 1944 and donated to the Museum of London in 1958, item number 58.38/7 (personal communication between Hazel Forsyth and Alexandra Chapman, 4 June 2014). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 Robinson 35 Thomas Draper’s Powder Horn “The powder horn, made for Thomas Draper in 1612 was converted into a drinking cup in the eighteenth century. It doesn’t stand up, which presumably encouraged the drinker to consume the contents before putting the cup down.” (edward.town Instagram post, November 6, 2019) I think the powder horn is missing one or two bands of decoration from the wide end, as well as being cut down at the tip. It would originally have had a horn or wooden cap at the wide end, held in with wooden pegs. It was probably trimmed to remove the peg holes and provide a sound surface for the silver band. This powder horn displays the same dark patination as the 1601 Morris powder horn. Town & McShane have located Thomas Draper in Cambridgeshire in 1612 (Town & McShane, 2020, p. 326). In the collection of Stuart Kirby (d. 2019) of Long Valley, New Jersey USA; bought by John Bryan III of Nashville, Tennessee from Adam Ambros, New York on July 22, 2019. This powder horn and four Mindum shoehorns were exhibited as part of the Making Time exhibition at the Yale Center for British Art in 2020, and feature in the catalogue. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 36 1613 Iane Mindum Significant wear has resulted in the loss of a significant portion of the end, including the text of the inscription for the full width. The extant inscription is ROBART MINDVM MADE THIS SHOOING HORNE FOR … JANE HIS WIFE ANNO DOMINI 1613. Schaverien states that Jane Mindum is the same person as the earlier Jane Ayers of 1593, but doesn’t present evidence to support the claim (Schaverien, Horn: its history and uses, 2006). I would like it to be true, but remain unconvinced. At the end of the shoe horn is a Tudor rose surmounted by a crown. Beneath the Tudor rose is a white marigold inside a circular band containing diamond shapes with tiny centralized dots. A band of the same diamond decorated motif separates the lower half showing a stylized tree with large symmetrical leaves. Another diamond band crosses beneath this tree. The narrow portion contains scrollwork patterns and scales. There is extensive rubrication throughout. The hanging hole is small, well to the right of centre and sits entirely within the lower scrollwork band. The tip has been squared off. The shoe horn is currently in Agecroft Hall, Richmond, VA, USA. Item number is AH1985.0007 (Howlett, 2014). Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 37 Willyam Wheatee Very light wear has removed just a couple of millimetres of edge border at the end. The inscription ROBERT MINDUM MADE THIS SHOOING HORNE FOR WILLYAM WHEATEE GENTLEMAN 1613 is complete. The inscription appears to have been shorter than planned with a square space at the end filled with a single s-scroll. The main design frame is without separating bands and consists of an encrowned Tudor rose above a white marigold medallion. A block of scales, six scales high sits between two bands of scrollwork. The hanging hole is medium sized and just to the right of the centre line, the tip is squared off, length 216 mm, width 30 mm. Photograph supplied by Bishop & Miller Auctioneers Ltd, used with the kind permission of Oliver Miller. Unknown to collectors prior to November 2020, this shoe horn was one of the effects of an estate of a family who used to deal in antiques a couple of generations ago (personal correspondence with Oliver Miller, 14 November 2020). This shoe horn was the subject of a news item in the East Anglian Daily Times prior to the sale by Bishop & Miller (Amos, 2021). Sold by Bishop & Miller Auctioneers at Stowmarket, Suffolk on 14 October 2021, as lot 504 in The Collector: to include Period Oak and Folk-Art sale, estimate £2000-£3000 (Bishop & Miller Auctioneers Ltd, 2021). Hammer price was £7400 to an undisclosed buyer in the room. Now private collection. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 38 REFERENCES "Hangstraw". (2016). Thatching Tools & Equipment. Retrieved February 13, 2023, from Thatching Info.com: https://thatchinginfo.com/thatching-tools-equipment/ (1877, February 3). The Anthenaeum, p. 166. (1977). The Connoisseur: an illustrated magazine for collectors, 194(780), p. 143. Amos, J. (2021, October 5). Rare shoe horn expected to sell for more than £3,000 in Suffolk auction. Retrieved February 13, 2023, from East Anglian Daily Times: https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21271664.rare-shoe-horn-expected-sell-3-000-suffolkauction/ Arnold, J. (1985). Patterns of Fashion - The cut and construction of clothes for men and women c1560-1620. London: Macmillian. ATG Reporter. (2010, August 9). Brought to heel for £8800. Retrieved from Antiques Trade Gazette: https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/news/2010/brought-to-heel-for-8800/ Bata Limited. (1994). All About Shoes: Footwear Through the Ages. Toronto: Bata Limited. Bishop & Miller Auctioneers Ltd. (2021, 10 15). Lot 540. 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Objects of Artistic and Antiquarian Interest (exclusive of Books) (Vols. 2, Parts 1-3, p. 9). Griffiths, P. D. (1930). Percival D. Griffiths photograph album of art objects at Sandridgebury. St Albans, England, United Kingdom: Deloitte, Plender, Griffiths & Co. Grueber, H. A. (1890). Exhibition of the Royal House of Tudor. Regent Street, London: The New Gallery. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/exhibitionroyal00englgoog Hardwick, P. (1981). Discovering Horn. Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom: Lutterworth Press. Hart, A., & North, S. (1998, 2000, 2002). Historical Fashion in Detail - The 17th anf 18th Centuries. London: V&A Publications. Hervey, S. H. (1903). Rushbrook Parish Registers 1567 to 1850. Rushbrook, England. HMSO. (1933). A Loan Exhibition Depicting the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, held January 26March 1933 at 22-23 Grosvenor Place (by kind permission of His Grace the Duke of Westminster). London: Battley Brothers. Retrieved from https://books.google.com.au/books?id=PP9ttQEACAAJ Howlett, L. (2014, November). Object of the Month, November 2014 Shoe Horn by Robert Mindum, England, 1613. Retrieved June 16, 2016, from Agecroft Hall: http://www.agecrofthall.com/View.aspx?page=visit/collections/objectofthemonth/obj ectofthemonth102014 Jorge, L., & Bingham, C. (2022). The New Naturalists: Inside the Homes of Creative Collectors. London, United Kingdom: Thames & Hudson. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 Robinson 41 Jussel, C., & DeGregorio, W. (2023). English Furniture 1680 - 1760; English Needlework 1600 - 1740: The Percival D. Griffiths Collection (Vol. 1). New Haven, Connecticut, USA: Yale University Press. Kelly's Directories. (1945). Kelly's handbook to the titled, landed and official classes, 1945 . London: Kelly's Directories. Kevan. (2017, October 15). Three Goats Head, 40 Wandsworth Road, Lambeth, London. Retrieved from A London street directory and UK Pub history research: https://pubshistory.com/LondonPubs/Lambeth/ThreeGoatsHead.shtml MacColl, N. (1892). The Athenaeum, Issues 3375-3401, 882. Matthew Barton Ltd. (2015, November 24). Salename MB241115 Lot Number 0134. Retrieved May 2, 2016, from Matthew Barton Ltd Auctioneer of Decorative Works of Art: http://www.matthewbartonltd.com/catalogues/mb241115/lot0134.html Matthew Holder Works of Art. (2023, January 25). Elizabethan engraved shoehorn by Robart Mindum, dated 1600. Retrieved February 4, 2023, from Matthew Holder European Works of Art & Sculpture: https://www.matthewholder.com/productpage/elizabethan-engraved-shoehorn-by-robart-mindum-dated-1600 Matthew Holder, European Works Of Art. (2017, January). An extremely rare Elizabethan shoe horn, made by Robart Mindum, dated 1600. Retrieved from Matthew Holder, European Works Of Art, Portobello Road London: http://mh-works-of-art.com/ Maynard, G. (1912, January 6). Decorated Shoe-horns by Mindum. Notes and Queries 11th Series, V January-June 1912(6), 8. Mellors, L. (2016, August 26). Delving into the collections. Retrieved December 2, 2016, from Saffron Walden Museum: http://saffronwaldenmuseum.swmuseumsoc.org.uk/delving-into-the-collections/ Miller, B. (2020). Curious Objects: “The Most Awesome Cup of All Time” . . . and 500 Other Objects. Retrieved August 6, 2021, from The Magazine Antiques: https://www.themagazineantiques.com/article/curious-objects-marking-time/ Miller, J. (20 Sep 2017). Miller’s Antiques Handbook & Price Guide 2018-2019. London, UK: Hachette UK. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from https://books.google.com.au/books?id=l1U_DQAAQBAJ&lpg=PA247&ots=HUmS1 98BVw&dq=robert%20mindum&pg=PA247#v=onepage&q&f=false Milton Keynes Heritage Association. (2021, 10 18). Wicken: The Reverend Hugh NelsonWard. Retrieved from Milton Keynes Heritage Association: https://www.mkheritage.org.uk/archive/jt/tw/docs/136.html Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 42 Robinson MoDiP. (2010). Engraved shoe horn Object Number WCHL : 8 , accessed 17 July 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2014, from Museum of Design in Plastics: http://www.modip.ac.uk/artefact/wchl-8 Oxley, D. (2012, December). Horn, an Everyday Plastic. plastiquarian(48), 8-10. Retrieved 06 21, 2020, from https://plastiquarian.com/?page_id=14359 Pearson, D. (2007). English book owners in the seventeenth century. Retrieved May 5, 2017, from THE BIBLIOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY: http://www.bibsoc.org.uk/sites/bibsoc.org.uk/files/English%20book%20owners%20in %20the%20seventeenth%20century_masterlist_2016_05.pdf Peter Gunning (1614-1684). (2014). Retrieved May 5, 2017, from St John's College, Cambridge » Library » Special collections » Provenance and bindings: http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/library/special_collections/early_books/pix/provenance/gun ning/gunning.htm Poppy, P. (2013, April 28). Shoehorns by Robert Mindum (active 1593-1612). Retrieved June 16, 2016, from Costume Historian: http://costumehistorian.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/shoehorns-by-robert-mindumactive-1593.html Radstock Museum. (2021, 10 18). Revd. Horatio Nelson Ward: Nelson and the Radstock Connection. Retrieved from Somerset Coalfield Life at Radstock Museum: https://radstockmuseum.co.uk/nelson-and-the-radstock-connection/ Robinson, W. (2013, August 29). Mindum’s shoehorns — a study of method. Retrieved from The Reverend's Big Blog of Leather: https://leatherworkingreverend.wordpress.com/2013/08/29/mindums-shoehorns-astudy-of-method/ Robinson, W. (2014-). A catalogue of shoehorns made by Robert Mindum, 1593-1613. Retrieved April 30, 2017, from Academia.com: https://www.academia.edu/20393370/A_catalogue_of_shoehorns_made_by_Robert_ Mindum_1593-1613 Robinson, W. (2014, May 6). This is Francis Hinson’s Shoing Horne… 6 May, 2014 (accessed 16 June 2016). Retrieved June 16, 2016, from https://leatherworkingreverend.wordpress.com/2014/05/06/this-is-francis-hinsonsshoing-horne/ Rowley's Fine Art Auctions. (2010, July 22). Sale 22 July 2010 lot 38. Retrieved June 16, 2016, from Rowley's Fine Art Auctions: http://www.cataloguehost.co.uk/rowley/newmarket/2010-07-22/lot_38 Royal (or State) Farthings of James I, Charles I, and the Commonwealth - Charles I (27 March 1625 - 30 January 1649). (2007-2020). Retrieved from British Farthings: http://www.britishfarthings.com/Royal/2/Charles_I_Rose.html Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 Robinson 43 Royal Cornwall Museum. (2014). Shoehorn from 1599. Retrieved April 30, 2016, from Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro: http://www.royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk/ourcollection/decorative-art Saffron Walden Museum. (2016). Social and Local History. Retrieved from Saffron Walden Museum: http://saffronwaldenmuseum.swmuseumsoc.org.uk/discover/local-history/ Schaverien, A. (1998). The Horners' Company Collection of Horn. Folk Life, 36(1), 72-83. Schaverien, A. (2006). Horn: its history and uses. Wahroonga, NSW, Australia: Privately published. Smithsonian Institution. (2016, June 18). Shoe Horn (England), 1604. Retrieved June 18, 2016, from Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum: https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18768397/ Sotheby’s. (1978). Lot 87 Elizabethan Shoehorn. In Sotheby’s, Catalogue of English Furniture, Works of Art, and Oriental Rugs and Carpets - 21 April 1978 (p. 17). London, United Kingdom. Sotheby’s. (2023, January 19). Emma Hawkins: A Natural World, Lot 20: An Elizabethan engraved presentation shoehorn by Robert Mindum, dated 1600. Retrieved February 4, 2023, from Online catalogue: https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/emma-hawkins-a-natural-world/anelizabethan-engraved-presentation-shoehorn-by Sotheby's. (2007). A Rare Elizabethan Engraved Horn Shoe Horn by Robart Mindam, Dated 1598 - lot 126. In C. o. Porcelain. New York, New York, USA. Retrieved from http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2007/a-celebration-of-the-englishcountry-house-including-silver-chinese-export-porcelain-n08301/lot.126.html St Ann Blackfriars. (c1610). Baptism Register. London, United Kingdom. The British Archaeological Association. (1868). Minutes of Meeting, 12 February, 1868. Journal of the British Archaeological Association, XXIV, 73-74. doi:10.1017/S0950797300004236 The Horniman. (2016, September 23). Object 1848. Retrieved from THE HORNIMAN PUBLIC MUSEUM AND PUBLIC PARK TRUST: http://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/1848 The Salisbury Museum. (2010, 2014). Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum costume collection - Shoehorn. Retrieved June 12, 2016, from The Salisbury Museum: http://www.salisburymuseum.org.uk/collections/costumes/shoehorn The Society. (1993). Royal Society of Arts Journal (Vol. 141). London: The Society. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 44 Robinson The Society of Antiquaries. (1855, April 19). Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, First Series, 3, 179. The Society of Antiquaries. (1878). Meeting, Thursday, January 25th, 1877. In L. The Society of Antiquaries, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, Second Series (Vol. 7, pp. 119–132). London. doi:10.1017/S0950797300010982 The Society of Antiquaries. (1893, November 24). Thursday, November 24th, 1892. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, Second Series, XIV, 209-224. doi:10.1017/S0950797300004236 Town, E. (2019, 11 06). instagram. Retrieved 06 21, 2020, from edward.town: https://www.instagram.com/p/B4gAWGOHcRJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Town, E., & McShane, A. (2020). Marking Time: objects, people and their lives, 1500-1800. New Haven , Connecticut, USA: Yale Center for British Art. Trease, G. (1975). London – A Concise History. London: Thames and Hudson. Urban, S. (1855, January to June inclusive). Antiquarian Researches. Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Review, 43(May), pp. 500-514. Retrieved from https://books.google.com.au/books?id=Nxw4AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&sou rce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false VAM. (1931). No 766. In V. a. Museum, A loan exhibition of works of art being held in aid of the East London hospital for children at Dorchester Hotel in London organised by the V&A Museum from May 28 to June 18, 1931 (p. 97). London: VAM. VAM. (2013, March - July). Shoehorn | Robert Mindum. Retrieved from Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts and the Russian Tsars, VAM Exhibition, 9 March – 14 July 2013: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1261149/shoehorn-robert-mindum/ White, W. (1921, February 26). Queries. Notes and Queries: A Medium of Intercommunication for Literary Men, General Readers, etc. - Twelfth Series, VIII(150), p. 168. William Dawson and sons. (1916). Colour. Colour, 5. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 45 DOCUMENT HISTORY The text is in late draft, it is hoped to add schematics, drawings and photographs of each shoe horn as permission is gained from the current owners. The author extends thanks to Hugh McDonald, Rebecca Davies and Alex Chapman for their assistance with access to various Mindum objects. Version Date Notes 0.1 27 March 2019 Initial draft 0.2 1 April 2019 Replace references to the Catalogue with reference to the original communication with the shoehorn owners. 0.3 15 June 2020 Expand text from hasty note format to something approximating prose. Added Thomas Draper’s Powder Horn, Picture Credits and Licensing information. 0.4 18 June 2020 Additional information on the shoehorns in Griffith’s collection. 0.5 14 November 2020 Earlier versions of this work implied direct inheritance from Sir John Evans to Joan Evans. This has now been expanded to show the inheritance through her elder halfbrother, Arthur. Added William Wheatee’s 1613 shoehorn. 0.6 14 October 2021 New reference, Town & McShane (2020) with accompanying provenance updates to multiple entries. Change to 1597 … provenance, as Sir John Evans (d. 1908) predeceased Robert Drane (d. 1914). Sale of William Wheatee’s 1613 shoehorn on 14 October 2021. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 46 0.7 Robinson 13 February 2023 New reference for Hinson 1600: Jorge & Bingham (2022) with updated provenance; Sotheby’s (19 January 2023); Matthew Holder Works of Art Facebook post (25 January 2023) and; Matthew Holder Works of Art website (25 January 2023). New reference for Wheatee 1613: Johnny Amos’ article in the East Anglian Daily Times of 5 October, 2021. Update reference for Thatching Info.com. Sale of Hinson 1600 on 19 January 2023 by Sotheby’s. Listing of Hinson 1600 on 25 January by Matthew Holder, European Works Of Art. 0.8 Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024 The Opus of Robert Mindum—1593 to 1613 47 PICTURE CREDITS 1596 Mindum – Photograph by Matthew Barton Limited, London. 1600 Baron – Photograph by Simon Myers, RN Myers & Son Antiques. 1603 Gibson – Photographs by Christian Giltsoff, Merchant House Antiques. 1604 Gamlet – Photographs have been entered in the Public Domain by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and are used here under fair use conditions of their terms of use. 1613 Wheetey – Photograph supplied by Bishop & Miller Auctioneers Ltd, Stowmarket, Suffolk. Photographs and illustrations, where not otherwise attributed are by the author. LICENSING Works by the author are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialShareAlike 4.0 International License. Others retain their rights for their works included in this document. Version 0.8 Tuesday, 30 January 2024