Man's Berlin Wool Work Slippers
Artist/maker unknown, American
Geography:
Made in United States, North and Central America
Date:
c. 1850-75Medium:
Linen plain weave with wool embroidery in cross stitch (Berlin wool work) and glass and metal beads; leatherDimensions:
10 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches (26 x 8.9 cm)Curatorial Department:
Costume and TextilesObject Location:
1978-110-42a,bCredit Line:
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley W. Root, Jr., 1978
Made in United States, North and Central America
Date:
c. 1850-75Medium:
Linen plain weave with wool embroidery in cross stitch (Berlin wool work) and glass and metal beads; leatherDimensions:
10 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches (26 x 8.9 cm)Curatorial Department:
Costume and TextilesObject Location:
Currently not on view
Accession Number:1978-110-42a,bCredit Line:
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley W. Root, Jr., 1978
Explore the Collections
In the privacy of his home, a man might indulge in brilliantly colored and wildly patterned accessories that would have been unsuitable in the public sphere. These slippers are in Berlin wool work, the most popular form of needlework in both America and Europe during the mid-nineteenth century, made by stitching brightly colored wool imported from Germany through canvas. Accented by shiny beads, the work was probably crafted from a published pattern by a loving family member, who then had the slippers professionally made.
