1876-1896 Gorham Sterling Silver Shoe Pincushion

Measures:  3” long

This very fancy shoe has its original red silk pincushion!  There are no tears in the material, there are a few areas of wear, but this is to be expected.  Pin holes are visible, but they are pin holes only, nothing larger.  The shoe itself is in wonderful condition, there is some evidence of silver polish around the ribbon, but it has been many years since the last polish!  The current patina could be left in place or polished away, a decision I will leave to the buyer!  There is a small indentation on the back of the shoe, I believe this was part of the manufacturing process.  This was made by Gorham Manufacturing of Providence, RI.  There are hallmarks on the heel of the shoe to indicate this.  The right facing lion in combination with the anchor and the gothic “G” appear above the word “Sterling” and the number 275.  All of this together dates the shoe to the period between 1876-1896.  This piece really put my research skills to the test as it is a rather rare piece!