This is a pair of unsewn beaded slippers or “Kasut Manek”. The decorative motifs include a spray of purple and orange flowers complete with stem and leaves. These are set against a bright background of geometric patterns consisting of white squares outlined with green and yellow beads. These motifs are created using colourful glass seed or Rocaille beads, also referred to by the Peranakans as “Manek Kacha”. Such beads could have been imported from Europe and were sold locally to households by the travelling haberdasher known to Nonyas as the “klengtong man”. The beads are stitched onto the base cotton fabric using bead embroidery or threading, which is a technique where coloured seed beads are stitched onto a base fabric using needle and thread. “Kasut Manek” were worn together with the traditional clothes of the Nonya such as the “Sarong Kebaya” and the “Baju Panjang”.
