Although the term “kasut manek” generally refers to beaded slippers worn by Nonyas with the sarong kebaya, it is also loosely used to refer to embroidered slippers such as this one. The decorative motifs are “M shaped” geometrical patterns in various bright colours of green, yellow, red and pink. These are embroidered onto a velvet base using coloured silk threads raised in high relief. To create the relief effects, thin strips of cardboard are pasted on the parts of the outline to be highlighted. The motifs are then embroidered using the silk threads to create the slipper faces. These were then sent to the shoemakers to be made into the final product. Embroidered “kasut manek” were more common before the arrival of the beaded version sometime in the 1920s. Such slippers were originally part of the wedding items purchased or sewn by the bride’s family for use in her wedding, but these were later worn on other occasions as well.
