Children's millinery is a folk art tradition in China, where babies were given tiger hats and shoes during their first year in the hopes of warding off evil spirits. Each hat is carefully hand-embroidered and is rich with symbols of good luck and longevity. Even in modern China, children wear tiger-headed caps and shoes embroidered with tiger heads to ward off evil spirits and sleep on tiger-shaped pillows to make them robust. This tiger hat from the early 20th century features intricate leather detailing on the eyes and brows..Tiger shoes are commonly found on babies' feet in the countryside of China even today. The shoes are entirely made of cloth and their toe-caps are made into tiger's head.
