House Shoes
Accessories
Inventory number
2026.4.30.1ab.AC.SH.C1900.US
Description
Red floral house shoes crafted in the Berlin wool work style, with leather lining and wooden soles. Their silhouette features a softly rounded vamp and slip-on construction. Red and white floral motifs are placed on top of a dark red ground, wrapping the entire exterior of the shoes in a dense, floral pattern. Beadwork emphasizes elements of the design, appearing most prominently on the white flowers, while black beads define the texture of other leaves and petals throughout. The interior is lined in black leather and includes quilted leather insoles. The shoes feature plain light wooden soles and a small heel.
The exterior design reflects the Berlin wool work craft tradition, a form of needlepoint popular across Europe and America in the nineteenth century, known for producing geometric patterns in wool yarn with vivid colours and beaded embellishments. The silhouette of the slippers resembles a smoking slipper, indicating that these shoes were intended for indoor use.
Materials
Wool
Bead
leather
Origin
circa 1900
United States, New York
Dimensions
Width : 8 cm
Length : 12 cm
Height : 30 cm