Shoe thumbnail 1
Not on display

Shoe

1800-1849 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Woman's shoe, cloth embroidered with laid and couched metal thread, silk and chenille thread with two layers of plain weave cotton backing, one coarser than the other, and lined with silk satin and faced with plain weave silk. The sole, which seems to be a replacement, is plain weave silk.
The ground fabric is not visible, being totally covered with embroidery. The shoe is made from two pieces: the top/sides and the heel.
The top/side panel is embroidered in a chevron pattern with silver thread alternating with silver-gilt thread. Over this is a design with a pair of long-tailed birds either side of a stylized tulip stem with leafy stems travelling out to the sides. The outline of these motifs is emphasised by a twisted cord of 3 or 4 couched silver threads, while the motifs have details worked in chenille thread is two shades of green, yellow, blue, pink and white.
The heel panel has a chevron ground worked in silver thread with a simple leaf and blossom motif in chenille thread in pink, coral red, grey, white and light green.
The side seams were originally emphasised with a black silk and silver cord either side of a couched silver thread interlaced with purple or turquoise threads to create a 'jewel' stud effect.
The opening is trimmed with a braid [edged with black and silver cord] of silver-gilt strip over white silk with some chenille spots and, possibly, paint to create the effect of jewels.
The lining is crimson silk and the facing is yellow silk. The sole is dark red silk.

Metal thread: [1] silver strip close S-wound on a white silk core; [2] silver-gilt strip close S-wound on a yellow silk core.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
cotton yarn, silk thread, weaving, metal thread, embroidering, sewing.
Brief description
Shoe, embroidered; Iran, 1800 to 1849
Physical description
Woman's shoe, cloth embroidered with laid and couched metal thread, silk and chenille thread with two layers of plain weave cotton backing, one coarser than the other, and lined with silk satin and faced with plain weave silk. The sole, which seems to be a replacement, is plain weave silk.
The ground fabric is not visible, being totally covered with embroidery. The shoe is made from two pieces: the top/sides and the heel.
The top/side panel is embroidered in a chevron pattern with silver thread alternating with silver-gilt thread. Over this is a design with a pair of long-tailed birds either side of a stylized tulip stem with leafy stems travelling out to the sides. The outline of these motifs is emphasised by a twisted cord of 3 or 4 couched silver threads, while the motifs have details worked in chenille thread is two shades of green, yellow, blue, pink and white.
The heel panel has a chevron ground worked in silver thread with a simple leaf and blossom motif in chenille thread in pink, coral red, grey, white and light green.
The side seams were originally emphasised with a black silk and silver cord either side of a couched silver thread interlaced with purple or turquoise threads to create a 'jewel' stud effect.
The opening is trimmed with a braid [edged with black and silver cord] of silver-gilt strip over white silk with some chenille spots and, possibly, paint to create the effect of jewels.
The lining is crimson silk and the facing is yellow silk. The sole is dark red silk.

Metal thread: [1] silver strip close S-wound on a white silk core; [2] silver-gilt strip close S-wound on a yellow silk core.
Dimensions
  • Length: 21cm
  • Width: 7cm
Collection
Accession number
830-1889

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Record createdFebruary 10, 2009
Record URL
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