Shoes

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

These elegant slippers are essentially a miniaturized version of an adult style, but include an integral ankle-strap, thus rendering them suitable for a child. The tiny bow, fine leather piping, and metallic painted button are pleasing elements which show the attention to detail. Bronze kid was used widely throughout the second half of the 19th century for women's shoes. The distinctive purplish brown tone with a metallic or iridescent sheen was produced by dyeing the leather with cochineal, a red dye produced by crushing the dried bodies of the insect Dactylopius coccusa.

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