Slippers

Department Store E.D. Burt & Co. Fine Shoes

1865–85

Not on view

Special occasion clothing is the most commonly preserved, so while wedding and evening shoes are usually well represented in historical collections, surviving loungewear, such as this pair of boudoir slippers, is less common. This appealing and nicely detailed example highlights the prevailing taste for a deep and rich color scheme. The bright purple color was made possible by the discovery and development of synthetic dyes beginning in the late 1850s.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Title: Slippers
Department Store: E.D. Burt & Co. Fine Shoes
Date: 1865–85
Culture: American
Medium: silk, metal
Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Beulah Stevenson, 1958
Object Number: 2009.300.1517a, b
Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

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