This is pair of open toe “Kasut Manek”, the literal meaning being “beaded shoes”. The slipper face is covered with bead embroidery or threading. This is a technique where coloured seed beads are stitched onto a base fabric using needle and thread. More specifically, the technique of petit point beadwork is used here, in which the needle worker uses the coloured beads to stitch out patterns drawn onto square paper. Such bead embroidery was usually done on velvet or plain weave cotton and required the use of a frame or ‘pidangan’. The decorative motifs on the slipper face include the cartoon character Mickey Mouse and roses, a rather unusual pairing. Repeated rose motifs were popular after the war when designs were simplified. These women slippers were traditionally worn with the “sarong kebaya” (blouse and skirt cloth) or the “baju panjang” (long tunic).
