Slippers

Unknown

1855–65 · leather · Costume Institute

Although fancier to modern eyes than the plain satin slippers worn for evening, ornate leather shoes of this type were worn as a daytime at-home style in the 1850s and 1860s. This pair of beautifully preserved shoes features a fine example of the delicate chain stitch vamp decoration frequently seen in shoes from the time. The ornate bow softens the throatline and adds interesting texture.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1855–65

Medium

leather

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. G. Brinton Roberts, 1946