c. 1850-1875

Man's Berlin Wool Work Slippers

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.