Title
Pair of slipper faces
Year/Period
20th century
Region
Singapore
Object Type
Dimension
Pls refer to individual parts for measurement
Accession No.
2024-00036
Collection of
A pair of birds with elaborate tail feathers were depicted on each slipper face. Beads and other needlework supplies could be purchased from the itinerant haberdasher, the "jarong man", who travelled from house to house hawking his wares, or from specialised shops. Slipper faces were often sewn at home before they were sent to the shoemakers to be made up into slippers. This pair belonged to Alice Choo (1926-2019) and might have been made by her. Choo was taught to bead and embroider at home. Known as "kasot manek" in Baba Malay, beaded slippers grew in popularity in the 1920s, replacing earlier embroidered slippers.
