{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O74850"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O74850/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AL4989/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AL4989/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AL4989","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HD3648","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HJ2013","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HD3650","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HD3652","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HD3651","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AW2041","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AV9932","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AW2040","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O74850/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O74850","accessionNumber":"T.472&A-1913","objectType":"Pair of shoes","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Young men of the period would often undertake a leisurely journey through Europe known as the Grand Tour. One effect of this was to introduce Continental styles of dress into England, most noticeably in men's wear but more subtly into women's dress. \r\n\r\nThese women's shoes have a slender 'Italian' heel, with a wedge-like extension under the instep, a style that gained in favour in the late 1760s. The pale colour contrasts with the figured silk upper and is repeated in the latchets, which have small silver-gilt buckle fastenings. Embroidery in silver-gilt thread and spangles, as seen on the vamps of these shoes, was also popular.","physicalDescription":"Pair of women's shoes of figured silk with a small  'Italian' heel and buckles","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Leather","id":"AAT11845"},{"text":"silk (textile)","id":"AAT243428"},{"text":"Silver-gilt thread","id":"x30492"}],"techniques":[{"text":"Embroidered","id":"AAT53653"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Leather sole and heel, and uppers of figured silk embroidered with silver-gilt thread and spangles","categories":[{"text":"Accessories","id":"THES48998"},{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"Footwear","id":"THES48951"},{"text":"Europeana Fashion Project","id":"THES265804"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2006AL4989","2014HD3648","2014HJ2013","2014HD3650","2014HD3652","2014HD3651","2006AW2041","2006AV9932","2006AW2040"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES308738"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES308738"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES308738"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES308738"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Shoe","id":""}],[{"text":"Shoe","id":""}],[{"text":"Buckle","id":""}],[{"text":"Buckle","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1770-1785","earliest":"1770-01-01","latest":"1785-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"MA/1/H926","id":"ARC163180"},"association":"Archive record"}],"creditLine":"Given by Messrs Harrods Ltd.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"10","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"7.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"23.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"These were part of a very large collection of items of dress and accessories which was given to the Museum by Harrods, the department store, in 1913. The collection had been formed by the artist Talbot Hughes, who wrote a book on the history of dress, illustrated with photographs of models wearing items from his collection. A large firm in America had offered to buy the collection and present it to the Metropolitan Museum, New York, but Hughes did not want it to go abroad. At the suggestion of Cecil Harcourt Smith of the V&A, Harrods bought it for £2,500 and gave it to the Museum for the 'public good'. Harrods displayed the collection for three weeks in December 1913.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Pair of shoes and buckles, embroidered silk and gilt metal, 1770s, English","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"15. Shoes with ‘Italian’ heels\r\n1770–85\r\nEngland\r\nSilk, silk and metal thread embroidery, leather\r\nGiven by Messrs Harrods Ltd\r\nV&A: T.472&A, B, C-1913\r\n\r\nThe Perfect Heel (Object No. 15)\r\nOver the centuries, shoemakers have devised different solutions to elevating footwear. In the 18th century, a long wedged ‘Italian’ heel extended to the middle of the sole in an attempt to support the wearer’s weight. In the mid 19th century, ballerina-style shoes were equipped with simple square heels, sometimes just glued on. In the 1920s, the metal shank was invented and later the metal spike. These innovations could take more weight and meant that designers like Vivier could experiment with shapes, such as the Virgule (‘Comma’) heel.","date":{"text":"2015","earliest":"2015-01-01","latest":"2015-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["T.472-1913","T.472A-1913","T.472B-1913","T.472C-1913"],"accessionNumberNum":"472","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1913,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Shoe [1]","Shoe [2]","Buckle [1]","Buckle [2]"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-13","recordCreationDate":"2003-02-21","availableToBook":false}}