Evening slippers 1825 - 1835

These Evening Slippers, made by Borsley, offer us a curious glimpse into domestic life. Shoes, throughout history, often symbolize journeys, status, and even intimate moments. The delicate ribbons adorning these slippers, knotted with care, remind us of similar motifs in Renaissance paintings, where knots signified betrothal, commitment, and the binding together of lives. Think of Botticelli's "Venus and Mars," where symbolic knots reinforce the themes of love and union. Yet, here, in these slippers, the knot takes on a softer, more personal tone. They are less about formal unions and more about the quiet, private moments of tying and untying, perhaps after an evening of social engagements. Such a mundane object holds subconscious reverberations. The cyclical nature of fashion ensures that motifs like these ribbons reappear, each time subtly altered by the zeitgeist, thus embodying a continuous dialogue between past and present.