“Kasut Manek” (beaded shoes or slippers) were traditionally worn with the “sarong kebaya” (blouse and skirt cloth) or the “baju panjang” (long tunic). 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. The seed beads used were usually Rocaille beads imported from Europe. These were made of glass and faceted. Such bead embroidery was usually done on velvet or plain weave cotton and required the use of a frame or ‘pidangan’. Bright yellow beads form a background for the decorative motifs on the slipper face. This include a parrot decked in bright coloured feathers of red, orange, blue, green and pink, similar to that of a Scarlet Macaw. The parrot motif hints strongly at the European influence in Peranakan culture at the turn of the 20th century. Diamond shaped blue and white geometric patterns also cover the slipper face.
