This is pair of slippers or “Kasut Manek”, although it literally means ‘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, petit point beadwork is used here. The needle worker uses 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 seed beads used here could be “Rocaille beads” or beads made of coloured glass. These are usually compressed at the sides or spheroidal in shape. The background on this piece consists of a patchwork of different coloured fabric separated clearly using white seed beads. On each colour of fabric is sewn a decorative motif made from colourful “Rocaille beads”. The motifs range from crabs to butterflies among others. Crabs symbolise prosperity and status while butterflies represent joy, beauty and romance and can be associated with weddings.
