Title
Pair of slipper faces
Year/Period
20th century
Region
Singapore
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: 33.3 x 21.1 cm
Accession No.
2024-00034
Collection of
A peacock is shown perched atop a flowering branch on each vamp. Glass seed beads were produced in Europe, possibly Venice, Lyons or Bohemia. Together with other needlework supplies, they could be purchased from the itinerant haberdasher, the "jarong man", who travelled from house to house hawking his wares. Slipper faces were often sewn at home before they were sent to the shoemakers to be made up into slippers. According to her son, Alice Choo (1926-2019) beaded this pair of slipper faces, intending to make a pair of slippers for her husband, John Lim Eng Teck (1896-1990). Like most nyonyas, Choo was taught to bead and embroider at home.
