Josephine Baker
Pair of Shoes
1988 (made)
1988 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
These witty shoes personify Josephine Baker (1906-75), the celebrated international singer and dancer. Known as the 'Black Goddess' of cabaret, she was famed for spectacular revues including her 1926 debut at the Folies Bergère in Paris.
The highlight of the show featured an enormous flowered ball which gradually descended from the rafters and opened to reveal Josephine standing on a giant mirror. She was naked except for three gold bracelets on her upper arm and a girdle of rhinestone-studded bananas around her hips. The bananas pointed comically towards the ceiling and as she danced the Charleston they accentuated the forward and backward motion of her hips.
The critics found the performance 'ravishing' but it was the banana waistband that caused most comment on the opening night and for years to come. It became so popular that a film clip of Josephine's banana dance ran in movie houses throughout the United States.
The highlight of the show featured an enormous flowered ball which gradually descended from the rafters and opened to reveal Josephine standing on a giant mirror. She was naked except for three gold bracelets on her upper arm and a girdle of rhinestone-studded bananas around her hips. The bananas pointed comically towards the ceiling and as she danced the Charleston they accentuated the forward and backward motion of her hips.
The critics found the performance 'ravishing' but it was the banana waistband that caused most comment on the opening night and for years to come. It became so popular that a film clip of Josephine's banana dance ran in movie houses throughout the United States.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Title | Josephine Baker (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Embroidered velvet |
| Brief description | Pair of woman's shoes 'Josephine Baker', designed by Emma Hope, Great Britain, 1988. |
| Physical description | Pair of woman's shoes with embroidered black velvet. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'EMMA / HOPE'S / SHOES / Regalia / for feet' (Label inside each shoe, within an oval) |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by the designer |
| Object history | Registered File number 1990/312. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | These witty shoes personify Josephine Baker (1906-75), the celebrated international singer and dancer. Known as the 'Black Goddess' of cabaret, she was famed for spectacular revues including her 1926 debut at the Folies Bergère in Paris. The highlight of the show featured an enormous flowered ball which gradually descended from the rafters and opened to reveal Josephine standing on a giant mirror. She was naked except for three gold bracelets on her upper arm and a girdle of rhinestone-studded bananas around her hips. The bananas pointed comically towards the ceiling and as she danced the Charleston they accentuated the forward and backward motion of her hips. The critics found the performance 'ravishing' but it was the banana waistband that caused most comment on the opening night and for years to come. It became so popular that a film clip of Josephine's banana dance ran in movie houses throughout the United States. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.157&A-1990 |
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| Record created | January 8, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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