Title: Columbidae - 1900
Collection: 300 years of Shoes
Garment: The lost left shoe of a Victorian woman
Materials: FSC accredited paper tablecloth, tissue paper, cartridge paper, Japanese rice paper Mizuhiki rice paper chord, embroidery thread, card, aqua bronze powder, pencil
 
The imagery on this shoe was inspired by the collective nature of doves in a cote and an illustration of a pair of doves, by the artist Martinet, François Nicolas, 1731-1800 published in 'Histoire des oiseaux peints dans tous leurs aspects apparents et sensibles‘. 
 
This piece is inspired by the perceived beauty and purity of the appearance of the dove but it is interesting to note that the pigeon, perceived of so differently in Britain, is also part of the Columbidae family; the differentiation in their names attributed by the English languages does not exist in French and most other languages. 
 
The shape and style of this shoe is inspired by a collection of embroidered shoes created for New York socialite Rita de Acosta Lydig (1880-1929) by Pietro Yantorny (Italian, 1874–1936) in silk satin, silk velvet, Venetian gros-point lace, metallic sequins and glass beads. 
 
This piece is beautifully presented in an acrylic dislay case H 20cms L 39cms W 25cms. The  Background is Flora Lace Paper and card. The accompanying blossom has been created by Gilly Burton.