Evening slippers

Unknown

1805–15 · silk · Costume Institute

Simple but elegant slippers typify the styles around 1810, as this pair in cream silk demonstrates. The extremely short vamp and rounded toe are particularly notable characteristics of this date. The heel was becoming vestigial in the first quarter of the century, and although low by modern standards, the variety seen here was one of the higher types produced at the time. With the simplicity of the design, one can especially appreciate the thoughtful use of three widths of matching ribbon - used as binding, edge ruffle, and bow - to trim the shoes.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1805–15

Medium

silk

Culture

European

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Herman Delman, 1954