Sewing was an essential skill that all Peranakan Chinese ‘nyonyas’ had to master. Thus, it was not surprising that most of the beadwork were done by the ‘nyonyas’ themselves. The decorative portion of the slippers would be sewn by the ‘nyonyas’ using rocaille beads also known as ‘manek potong’ (cut beads). It was then sent to a shoemaker to be made up into slippers. In some cases, the beadwork would be commissioned from skilled ‘nyonyas’ who could produce more elaborate and complex designs.
