Slippers

anonymous, anonymous, c. 1700 - c. 1800

These ladies’ slippers are decorated with finely embroidered flowers and birds. The shape differs from 18th-century footwear in China. This pair might have been worn by Peranakans, descendants of the Southern Chinese settlers to the Indonesian islands from the 15th century onwards. The detailed embroidery was probably done by the owner herself, following ancient Chinese custom.