I have found four pairs of shoes that Marie Antoinette owned and one fabulous pair she didn't own!
These shoes were auctioned off in 2012, said to be a pair belonging to Marie Antoinette. To further the provenance, the shoes come with the story that Alexandre-Bernard Ju-Des-Rets gave the shoes to Marie Anotinette as a gift when she was twenty years old.
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| Marie Antoinette's shoes in green and pink with bows. NY Daily News. |
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Marie Antoinette's shoes at the auction house. Photo by luxury.net
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These pink and green slippers were sold by Paris Drouot auction house which had estimated they would fetch between $8,000 and $13,000. The shoes sold for $65,600.
In 2010 these tricolor-ribbon slippers, also said to have belonged to Marie Antoinette sold for $57,000.
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| Tricolor Ribbon shoes said to belong to Marie Antoinette. Photo from Styleit.com |
Here is another pair of slippers, said to be worn by Marie Antoinette. (below)
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Slippers that belonged to Marie Antoinette, Musee Carnavalet. Photograph by Sandrine.
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These slippers below were gifted to the museum by a serious collector, Mrs. Clarence R. Hyde. The slippers include a paper label that states
"Worn by Maria Antonietta, late Queen of France at the time She was taken at Paris" and an adhesive label "Marie Antoinette's Slippers"
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| Slipper. 1790–95, Silk. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. |
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| Slippers. 1790–95, Silk. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. |
And just for fun...The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a pair of shoes in their collection that was used in the film Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola. The shoes were designed by Manolo Blahnik (among several other pairs) for the film. The designer gifted the shoes to the museum in 2006.
Aren't they wonderful?
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| Manolo Blahnik, Shoes made for the film, Marie Antoinette. 2005-6, silk, leather. Gift of MB 2006. Metropolitan Museum of Art. |
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| Manolo Blahnik, Shoes made for the film, Marie Antoinette. 2005-6, silk, leather. Gift of MB 2006. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Detail via TheHistorialist |
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| Image of the shoes from the film Marie Antoinette, 2006. |
Fascinating! Any idea what size they are?
ReplyDeleteI've read that she was a US size 6!
DeleteMarie Antoinette was royalty. The shoes were almost certainly custom made to fit her. Shoe size as we know it likely didn't exist back then. Did the maker measure both feet separately? I have read that right and left shoes didn't become common until much later. Studying the pictures (not the Blahnik copies), they do look symmetrical, not right and left.
DeleteFashion has a history.
I believe she was U.K. 4 I have seen the ones in Carnavalet and that seems right- they are very petite ❤️
DeleteIf only I had an extra $65,000 lying around...
ReplyDeleteI just adore a pretty slipper
ReplyDeleteSOOOO freaking neat!! I want those Manolo Blahnik shoes!! SOOOO gorgeous. Just followed you via bloglovin. :)
ReplyDeleteRegina
Margarita Bloom | Modern Vintage Beauty & Fashion
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Thanks! :) I followed you on BL too!
DeleteI was born on her birthday 7:22pm
ReplyDeleteWhen I get rich enough I will buy some of her things and keep a personal collection of her belongings.
ReplyDelete