This piece of unsewn slipper is made with a plush velvet base of fabric. The main decorative motifs are plants and what are possibly squirrels. Squirrels and other forms of rodents are fertility symbols and were found in Peranakan wedding ornaments. The decorative motifs here are created using the technique of metallic thread couching. Silver thread is laid onto the surface of the fabric, often over a needle that was later removed or over cardboard forms. The metallic threads are then over stitched with silk threads that are passed through the fabric. This technique is also known as ‘Tekad timbol’ by the Peranakans.
