OPPERMANN Antique Lilac Leather Evening Shoes, Berlin, ca. 1867-1870

These extraordinary lilac silk shoes, dating to around 1867–1870, come with an exceptional and fully traceable royal and collector’s provenance. Their history begins with William Frederick Charles of Orange‑Nassau (1797–1881), Prince of the Netherlands, and his wife Luise Auguste of Hohenzollern (1808–1870), Princess of Prussia. Their daughter, Wilhelmine Frederica Alexandrine Anna Louise Marie of Orange‑Nassau (1841–1910), married Wilhelm Adolph Maximilian Carl zu Wied, the 5th Prince of Wied.

Among their descendants was Wilhelmine Friederike Auguste Alexandrine Marie Elisabeth Luise zu Wied (1880–1965). Two years after her death, these shoes were auctioned at Christie’s together with other garments and accessories from her estate. They were purchased on 11 July 1967 by the renowned collector Doris Langley Moore (1902–1989) - one of the most influential private collectors of historic dress and the founder of the Fashion Museum in Bath (est. 1963).

From Langley Moore’s collection, the shoes later entered the celebrated archive of Helen Larson, the California‑based collector, historian, and costume expert whose holdings have been featured in major exhibitions worldwide. Parts of the Larson Collection were auctioned on 1 April 2018, which is how these exquisite shoes resurfaced.

The shoes themselves are a rare and refined example of mid‑Victorian luxury footwear. Made of exceptional lilac silk, they feature an open instep, two matching silk bows, and a light‑colored leather lining. The original maker’s label reads: “Oppermann & Co. * 60 Unter den Linden 60 * Berlin”, the full name being “Shoe and Boot Factory for Men and Women”. Unfortunately, as with many 19th‑century ateliers, no further documentation of Oppermann & Co. has survived.

The shoes are in excellent condition, with only one small defect on the side—remarkable for their age and delicate material. Their provenance suggests they may have been worn either by Luise Auguste, Princess of Prussia, or by Louise Marie of Orange‑Nassau, making them an object of both historical and aristocratic significance.

A rare opportunity to acquire museum‑quality footwear with documented royal lineage and a distinguished chain of ownership through three of the most important collectors of historic dress.