Shoe
ca. 1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The elegant flat satin lady's slipper first became popular in England and France during the last decade of the eighteenth century. Its plain design was part of the movement in fashion away from what were considered by some to be the extravagant excesses of the late eighteenth century. The move was towards a simpler, purer style of dress and footwear that was influenced by designs from classical antiquity.
Slippers, or 'sandal shoes', continued to be worn well into the mid-century although by the 1850s they were used mainly for formal wear in black or white. This pair of shoes is a typical example of that style although they were more commonly made of less robust materials such as silk or satin rather than leather. The thin leather sole and delicately hand-stitched uppers were relatively simple and cheap to produce. Sometimes, the shoes would then be customised either by the retailer or the owner with a rosette or bow and ribbon ankle ties.
Slippers, or 'sandal shoes', continued to be worn well into the mid-century although by the 1850s they were used mainly for formal wear in black or white. This pair of shoes is a typical example of that style although they were more commonly made of less robust materials such as silk or satin rather than leather. The thin leather sole and delicately hand-stitched uppers were relatively simple and cheap to produce. Sometimes, the shoes would then be customised either by the retailer or the owner with a rosette or bow and ribbon ankle ties.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Leather, linen and silk stitched with cotton thread with cotton drawstrings and ankle tie loop |
| Brief description | Black leather heeless ladies slipper; French, about 1850 |
| Physical description | Heelless leather ladies slipper; square toe and throat, black leather upper edged with black silk; pair of forward-slanting side seams, black cotton drawstrings at throat, black string loop attached at either end just behind side seams; cream leather insole, cream leather quarter lining, cream linen vamp lining; brown leather sole. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by Messrs Harrods Ltd. |
| Summary | The elegant flat satin lady's slipper first became popular in England and France during the last decade of the eighteenth century. Its plain design was part of the movement in fashion away from what were considered by some to be the extravagant excesses of the late eighteenth century. The move was towards a simpler, purer style of dress and footwear that was influenced by designs from classical antiquity. Slippers, or 'sandal shoes', continued to be worn well into the mid-century although by the 1850s they were used mainly for formal wear in black or white. This pair of shoes is a typical example of that style although they were more commonly made of less robust materials such as silk or satin rather than leather. The thin leather sole and delicately hand-stitched uppers were relatively simple and cheap to produce. Sometimes, the shoes would then be customised either by the retailer or the owner with a rosette or bow and ribbon ankle ties. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.504-1913 |
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| Record created | November 5, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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