A sandal-bearer is a person who bears the sandals of his superior. The role existed in various cultures and epochs.
History
Bronze Age The role of sandal-bearer was earliest documented in the Early Dynastic Period of ancient Egypt. A sandal-bearer is depicted on the Narmer Macehead, as well as on both sides of the Narmer Palette, in which he is identified in the hieroglyphs with a rosette and a club as the servant of the king.Ancient Egypt Online: Narmer Palette Based on interpretations of these depictions, the sandal-bearer was possibly a high-ranking official, accompanying the pharaoh on important occasions.The Narmer PaletteAnalysis of royal sandals in ancient Egypt, Part 1 In addition to carrying the sandals, the sandal-bearer would also perform the ancient practice of washing the king's feet.Douglas J. Brewer; The Archaeology of Ancient Egypt: Beyond Pharaohs, p. 86
Muromachi Japan Sandal-bearers also existed in Feudal Japan, being a position of relatively high status. A prominent person known to take on this role was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, during the Sengoku period. Being of an Ashigaru-peasant origin, he joined the Oda clan around 1557, serving Oda Nobunaga as his personal servant.Samurai Archives: Toyotomi Hideyoshi He became one of Nobunaga's sandal-bearers and was present at the Battle of Okehazama in 1560 when Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto to become one of the most powerful daimyos in the Sengoku period. After the death of Nobunaga, he secured a succession of high imperial court titles including, in 1585, the prestigious position of kanpaku (regent).Berry, Mary Elizabeth. (1982). Hideyoshi. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, pp. 168–181
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