This pair of unsewn women’s slippers is made with a velvet base of fabric. The decorative motifs used here are largely floral patterns done in a bouquet design. The motifs are created using the technique of metallic thread couching and pattern 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. This bouquet design is typical of patterns from the 1920s-40s. Such designs can be found on the footwear of Malays and Peranakan Chinese. This type of raised metallic thread embroidery was carried out by the Malay community in Western peninsula Malaysia and by Peranakan Chinese.
