Evening slippers

Hook, Knowles & Co.

ca. 1897 · leather, silk · Costume Institute

Hook, Knowles & Company was an upscale London firm whose clientele included the British royal family. On this pair of slippers, the novel beadwork design, the meticulously trimmed bow, and the topstitching of the heel are noteworthy indicators of the high quality. The use of beadwork on the vamp and the tiered bow form are characteristic features of the period. Bronze kidskin, produced by dyeing the leather with cochineal, came in and out of fashion for dressy women's shoes throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Artist

Hook, Knowles & Co.

Date

ca. 1897

Medium

leather, silk

Culture

British

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of the Princess Viggo in accordance with the wishes of the Misses Hewitt, 1931