Ceremonial Slippers from Nigeria in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, January 2026

Title: Ceremonial Slippers

Artist: Yoruba or Nupe artist

Date: mid-20th century

Geography: Nigeria

Culture: Yoruba peoples

Medium: Leather, silk, metal, dye

Dimensions: Each shoe: 3 x 11 in. (7.6 x 27.9 cm)

Classification: Textiles-Costumes-Accessories

Credit Line: Gift of Duro Olowu, 2014

Object Number: 2014.751.2a, b

Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing


These richly embroidered slippers were created for Ọba Martin Olowu Akinsọrọju, the Lapoki (ruler) of Aye in Ondo State, to wear with an agbádá robe (2014.751.1) during public ceremonies. Each slipper combines a sturdy leather sole with a velvet upper stitched in metallic thread, a fusion of traditional Yoruba craftsmanship and imported luxury materials that became common in royal regalia during the 20th century.

Yoruba kings historically observed strict ritual seclusion and rarely appeared in public. Protocol discouraged them from wearing visible footwear. However, by the mid-20th century, increased royal visibility and evolving ceremonial standards led to the adoption of opulent slippers like these for state functions. Their form and materials highlight both the ọba’s sacred status and his cosmopolitan reach, signaling both ancestral authority and engagement with the wider world. Today, such slippers are essential elements of royal dress at coronations, festivals, and other major gatherings.

Sandro Capo Chichi, 2025
Research Associate, Arts of Africa


Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/650313