Slippers

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

As the countries of Europe spread their empires across the globe, accounts of the mysterious and exotic peoples of foreign lands captivated the audience at home. Along with the other indigenous peoples of the world, Native Americans were romanticized by white society as noble savages, particularly in Europe, far from any actual contact and conflict of the frontier. Demonstrating this interest, these British slippers are an unusual close imitation of Native American footwear. Despite their faithful resemblance to actual moccasins of the Great Lakes region, the shoes are made entirely with Western construction techniques: satin and flannel replace the native buckskin, quillwork ornamentation has been reproduced in thread embroidery, and Western turn shoe construction with a hard sole has replaced the authentic moccasin construction.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.

Metropolitan Museum of Art