Curious Objects : Decorated slippers

Curious Objects

<p style='text-align: justify;'>This type of slipper or <i>jutti</i> is common in India. The design, with the sharp extended tip or <i>nokh</i> curving upwards, derives from the Mughal era. The sequins sewn on the front are made from the wings of beetles (<i>Stenocera aequisignata</i>), which have been used in India for this purpose for centuries. The pair has leather soles with a very slight heel, and the uppers have a braided edge and are lined and decorated with felt. This finely decorated footwear belongs to the cabinet of ‘Oriental’ manuscripts and curiosities presented in 1726 by George Lewis. Lewis served as Chaplain to the East India Company in Madras and the slippers may have been given to him as a gift. However, they are not listed in the catalogue of his collection, printed <i>ca</i> 1727, so may be later additions to the cabinet.</p>