Shoe

Silk fabrics were often used to make shoes in the eighteenth century. The textiles could match a dress or prove a thrifty way to use up small pieces of expensive, valuable material. The ivory silk taffeta on this pair shows similarity to designs produced by influential textile designer Anna Maria Garthwaite in 1740-42. The metal threads in the highly stylised floral pattern have tarnished and turned black. When the shoes were made the surface would have caught the light, reflecting and sparkling. An inscription on the inside seems to read 'Miss Lowther', perhaps the name of the original owner.