• Slipper
Slipper
Slipper

Object ID
2010.30.24.A
Object Name
Slipper
Date Created
1960s
Material
Leather; Wood
Object Entities
Salimbene, Suzanne (owned by)
Salimbene, Suzanne (is related to)
Object Description
Pair of woven wool slipper with applied leather soles. Cream with burgandy, yellow, orange, green, teal and pink geometric pattern. Horizontal stripes at top, diamond pattern at bottom.

The tip of the sock is black with a gold line that runs through it. The base of the sock is a diamond pattern. One verticle row of diamonds are outlined in cream colored wool with cream color lines coming from the center of each side. The diamond is filled with maroon colored wool. The other verticle row of diamonds is alternating colors. One diamond is outlined in green then orange with purple in the center. A small line of maroon seprates the colors. The other diamond is outlined in purple then yellow then bright pink with a line of maroon seperating the colors.

The top of the sock is patterns in verticle lines. The first line is repeating hills in maroon wool on top of the maroon is cream wool. Then there is alternating cream and maroon hooks. The next verticle row is verticle yellow lines with a partical green triangle coming off from the center of each line. There is a yellow diamond between each green trangle. A thin line of black wool run on the top and bottom of each line. The background is maroon. Then there is an alternating cream and maroon hook pattern and on top there is a cream hill pattern with maroon on top. The next horizontal row is orange and blue triangles. The triangles are made up of large connected dots. There is a black line that runs on top and below the triangles. The background is maroon yarn. On top that horizontal line there is a row of maroon hills. Then cream wool that turns into cream and maroon hooks. The next horizontal line is yellow line, green triangle pattern. Then there are maroon and cream hooks with cream wool on top. The next horizontal pattern is maroon like snowflakes with alternating green and bright pink in the center. On top of that pattern is cream wool. The very top of the are two rows of cream wool going horizontially and then a maroon row and on top two more rows of cream wool. The very top is a row of black wool.

The heel of the slipper is black. Then there is a triangle line pattern in which each line is a different color. The first line orange, purple, yellow, pink, green. There is a small line of maroon between them. On the side of the triangle pattern there are two upwards angled lines one in green and the other in orange. On top of the colored lines are alternating cream and maroon lines that come down to form a large triangle pattern. There are two small maroon triangles at the top.

The bottom of the slipper is a patch of leather that covers the bottom. The leather is worn and has some scratch marks at the top of the show. The leather is dark brown except at the edges at the bottom half, the leather is light brown.

The foot of the slipper lays completely flat and the top the slipper folds over the foot. The sock is in the Sarakatsani style.
Origin
The donor lived in Greece from 1965-1982 and wore and owned the Sarakatsani costume.

This style of slipper came from the Sarakatsani people. Sarakatsani are indigenous people from Greek. They are nomatic people who live half the year in the mountains. Their art (song, pottery, dance, clothing design) resembles the geometric art of pre-classical Greece. Furthermore, Sarakatsani still practice traditional folk medicine. They are Greek Orthodox Christians and associate with Church of Greece. They begin their migration up the mountains on Saint George Day in April and return to the low plains on Saint Demetrius in October. Sarakatsanies have lived in countries surrounding Greece (Bulgaria, Albania, Republic of Macedonia). However, now there are only measurable numbers of people in Greece and Bulgaria. For women's outfits there are thirteen parts. Most items are made from hand-wooven wool. Traditionally, The slipper was two seperate parts, to foot part was one and the leg part was another. The foot section is called Kaltsounia and the leg section is the gabis.

There have been significant decreases in the population of Sarakatsani due to urbanization. Many have willing left; however, others have left because there is not enough open land to support their lifestyle.
Rights and Reproduction
The content on this site is made available for research and education purposes only. The use of these materials may be restricted by law or the donor.

Any other use, such as exhibition, publication, or commercial use, is not allowed except by written permission in accordance with the NHM Image Rights and Reproduction Policy.

For questions on image rights and reproduction, please contact nhmcollections@hellenicmuseum.org
Citation
Slipper, 1960s, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/8464. Accessed 04/19/24.