"The slipper dates to the late 17th century and is made from fine-grained leather in a deep red color and gold silk brocade. The leather lines the inner sole and the broad block heels. The silk upper is decorated with a floral pattern woven in a blue-green thread. The colors have faded over the centuries, and would originally have been bright yellow and green. It was stitched to the sole with white thread."
"Research suggests the slipper may have been left as a royal gift during King James II's stay in Coventry. During his visit, he was honoured with a banquet at the Guildhall and lodged nearby in what later became Palace Yard, a site destroyed during the Coventry Blitz. It was customary for royal guests to leave gifts, often embroidered gloves. In this case, a pair of silk slippers may have been given. Only one has surfaced to date."
A late 17th-century open-backed slipper combines fine-grained deep red leather and gold silk brocade, with a leather-lined inner sole, broad block heels and a floral silk upper woven in blue-green thread. Original bright yellow and green colors have faded and the slipper was stitched to the sole with white thread. Research suggests the slipper may have been left as a royal gift during King James II's stay in Coventry, though incontrovertible evidence of royal provenance is lacking. The slipper came from costume collector Paulise de Bush's bequest to the National Trust and appears in Killerton's History off the Hanger exhibition and the book 100 Things to Wear.
Read at www.thehistoryblog.com
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