The origins of Chinese “foot binding,” as well as the traditions of Chinese culture in general, go back to hoary antiquity, to the 10th century. In old China, girls began to have their feet bandaged at the age of 4-5 ( infants they could not yet endure the torment of the tight bandages that crippled their feet). As a result of this torment, around the age of 10, girls developed an approximately 10-centimeter “lotus leg.” After this, they began to learn the correct “adult” gait. And after another two or three years they were already ready-made girls of marriageable age. Because of this, making love in China was called “walking among the golden lotuses.”
Sizes of lotus leg steel an important condition when concluding marriages. Brides with big feet were subjected to ridicule and humiliation, since they looked like women from the common people who worked in the fields and could not afford the luxury of foot binding.
1. The institution of foot binding was regarded as necessary and wonderful, and has been practiced for ten centuries. True, rare attempts to “free” the foot were still made, but those who opposed the ritual were black sheep.
2. Foot binding has become part of general psychology and popular culture. When preparing the marriage, the groom's parents first asked about the bride's feet, and only then about her face.
3. The foot was considered her main human quality.
During the bandaging process, mothers consoled their daughters by depicting for them the dazzling prospects of a marriage that depended on the beauty of the bandaged leg.
4. Later, one essayist, apparently a great connoisseur of this custom, described 58 varieties of legs of the “lotus woman,” rating each on a 9-point scale. Eg:
Types: lotus petal, new moon, slender arch, bamboo shoot, Chinese chestnut.
Special characteristics: plumpness, softness, grace.
Classifications:
Divine (A-1): in highest degree plump, soft and graceful.
Marvelous (A-2): weak and refined...
Incorrect: monkey-like large heel, allowing for climbing.
5. Even the owner of the “Golden Lotus” (A-1) could not rest on her laurels: she had to constantly and scrupulously follow the etiquette that imposed whole line taboos and restrictions:
1) do not walk with your fingertips raised;
2) do not walk with at least temporarily weakened heels;
3) do not move your skirt while sitting;
4) do not move your legs while resting.
6. The same essayist concludes his treatise with the most reasonable (naturally, for men) advice: “Do not remove the bandages to look at a woman’s naked legs, be satisfied appearance. Your aesthetic sense will be offended if you break this rule.”
7. Although it is difficult for Europeans to imagine, the “lotus leg” was not only the pride of women, but also the object of the highest aesthetic and sexual desires of Chinese men. It is known that even a fleeting sight of a lotus leg could cause a severe attack in men sexual arousal.
8. “Undressing” such a leg was the height of sexual fantasies of ancient Chinese men. Judging by the literary canons, ideal lotus feet were certainly small, thin, pointed, curved, soft, symmetrical and... fragrant.
9. Binding your feet also disrupted your natural contours. female body. This process led to constant stress on the hips and buttocks - they swelled and became plump (and were called “voluptuous” by men).
10. Chinese women paid a lot for beauty and sex appeal. at a high price.
11. Owners of perfect legs were doomed to a lifetime of physical suffering and inconvenience.
12. The miniature size of the foot was achieved due to its severe injury.
13. Some fashionistas who wanted to reduce the size of their legs as much as possible went so far as to break bones in their efforts. As a result, they lost the ability to walk and stand normally.
14. The emergence of a unique custom of bandaging female legs belongs to the Chinese Middle Ages, although the exact time of its origin is unknown.
15. According to legend, one court lady surname Yu was famous for her great grace and was an excellent dancer. One day she made herself shoes in the shape of golden lotus flowers, only a couple of inches in size.
16. To fit into these shoes, Yu bandaged her feet with pieces of silk fabric and danced. Her small steps and swaying became legendary and marked the beginning centuries-old tradition.
17. A creature with a fragile build, thin long fingers and soft palms, delicate skin and pale face with a high forehead, small ears, thin eyebrows and a small round mouth - this is a portrait of a classic Chinese beauty.
18. Ladies from good families they shaved off some of the hair on the forehead to lengthen the oval of the face, and achieved the ideal contour of the lips by applying lipstick in a circle.
19. Custom dictated that female figure“Shined with the harmony of straight lines,” and for this, already at the age of 10-14 years, the girl’s chest was tightened with a canvas bandage, a special bodice or a special vest. Development mammary glands was suspended, mobility was sharply limited chest and supplying the body with oxygen.
20. Usually this had a detrimental effect on the woman’s health, but she looked “graceful.” Thin waist and small legs were considered a sign of a girl’s grace, and this ensured her the attention of suitors.
21. Sometimes the wives and daughters of wealthy Chinese had their legs so deformed that they could hardly walk on their own. They said about such women: “They are like reeds that sway in the wind.”
22. Women with such legs were carried on carts, carried in palanquins, or strong maids carried them on their shoulders, like small children. If they tried to move on their own, they were supported on both sides.
23. In 1934, an elderly Chinese woman recalled her childhood experiences:
24. “I was born into a conservative family in Ping Xi and had to deal with the pain of foot binding at the age of seven. I was an active and cheerful child then, I loved to jump, but after that everything disappeared.
25. Elder sister endured this entire process from the age of 6 to 8 (which means it took two years for her foot size to become less than 8 cm). It was the first moon month my seventh year of life, when my ears were pierced and gold earrings were put in.
26. I was told that a girl has to suffer twice: when her ears are pierced and the second time when her feet are bound. The latter began on the second lunar month; the mother consulted reference books about the most suitable day.
27. I ran away and hid in a neighbors house, but my mother found me, scolded me and dragged me home. She slammed the bedroom door behind us, boiled water and took bandages, shoes, a knife and thread and needle from the drawer. I begged to postpone it at least for a day, but my mother said: “Today is an auspicious day. If you bandage today, it won’t hurt you, but if you bandage it tomorrow, it will hurt terribly.”
28. She washed my feet and applied alum, and then trimmed my nails. Then she bent her fingers and tied them with a cloth three meters long and five centimeters wide - at first right leg, then left. After it was over, she ordered me to walk, but when I tried to do so, the pain seemed unbearable.
29. That night my mother forbade me to take off my shoes. It seemed to me that my legs were on fire, and naturally I could not sleep. I cried, and my mother began to beat me.
30.V next days I tried to hide, but they forced me to walk again. For resisting, my mother beat me on my arms and legs. Beatings and curses followed the secret removal of the bandages. After three or four days the feet were washed and alum was added. After a few months, all my fingers except my thumb were curled up, and when I ate meat or fish, my feet swelled and festered.
31. My mother scolded me for placing emphasis on my heel when walking, claiming that my leg would never acquire beautiful shape. She never allowed me to change the bandages or wipe off the blood and pus, believing that when all the meat disappeared from my foot, it would become graceful. If I removed the wound by mistake, the blood would flow in a stream. My thumbs The legs, once strong, flexible and plump, were now wrapped in small pieces of material and stretched to give them the shape of a young moon.
32. Every two weeks I changed my shoes, and the new pair had to be 3-4 millimeters smaller than the previous one. The boots were stubborn and it took a lot of effort to get into them. When I wanted to sit quietly by the stove, my mother made me walk. After changing more than 10 pairs of shoes, my foot was reduced to 10 cm. I had already been wearing bandages for a month when the same ritual was performed on mine. younger sister. When no one was around, we could cry together.
33. In the summer, my feet smelled terrible because of blood and pus, in the winter they were frozen due to insufficient blood circulation, and when I sat near the stove, they hurt from the warm air. The four toes on each foot were curled up like dead caterpillars; it is unlikely that any stranger could imagine that they belonged to a person. It took me two years to reach eight centimeter feet.
34. Toenails have grown into the skin. The strongly bent sole was impossible to scratch. If she was sick, it was difficult to reach the right place at least just to pet him. My lower legs became weak and my feet became crooked, ugly, and smelled bad. How I envied girls who had natural shaped legs!”
35. “The stepmother or aunt showed much more rigidity when binding their feet than their own mother. There is a description of an old man who enjoyed hearing his daughters cry while applying bandages...
36. Everyone in the house had to undergo this ritual. The first wife and concubines had the right to indulgence, and for them this was not such a terrible event. They applied the bandage once in the morning, once in the evening, and again before bed. The husband and first wife strictly checked the tightness of the bandage, and those who loosened it were beaten.
37. The shoes for sleeping were so small that the women asked the owner of the house to rub their feet so that it would bring at least some relief. Another rich man was famous for whipping his concubines on their tiny feet until they bled.”
38. The sexuality of the bandaged leg was based on its concealment from view and the mystery surrounding its development and care. When the bandages were removed, the feet were washed in the boudoir in the strictest secrecy. The frequency of ablutions ranged from once a week to once a year. After this, alum and perfumes were used different flavors, calluses and nails were treated.
39. The process of ablution helped restore blood circulation. Figuratively speaking, the mummy was unwrapped, magic was cast on it, and it was wrapped again, adding even more preservatives.
40. The rest of the body was never washed at the same time as the feet for fear of turning into a pig in next life. Well-bred women could die of shame if men saw the process of washing their feet. This is understandable: the stinking, decaying flesh of the foot would be an unpleasant discovery for a man who suddenly appeared and would offend his aesthetic sense.
41. In the 18th century, Parisian women copied “lotus slippers”, they were in designs on Chinese porcelain, furniture and other trinkets fashionable style"chinoiserie".
42. It’s amazing, but true - Parisian designers of the new era, who invented the pointed-toed women's shoes on high heels, they were called nothing more than “Chinese shoes.”
43. To at least roughly feel what it is:
Instructions:
1. Take a piece of cloth about three meters long and five centimeters wide.
2. Take a pair of children's shoes.
3. Curl your toes, except your big toe, inside your foot. Wrap the material around your toes first and then your heel. Bring your heel and toes together as much as possible closer friend to friend. Wrap the remaining material tightly around your foot.
4. Stick your feet into baby shoes.
5. Try going for a walk.
6. Imagine that you are five years old...
7. ...and that you will have to walk this way for the rest of your life.
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The origins of Chinese “foot binding”, as well as the traditions of Chinese culture in general, go back to hoary antiquity - to the 10th century. In Ancient China, girls began to have their feet bandaged from the age of 4-5 (infants could not yet endure the torment of tight bandages that crippled their feet). As a result of this torment, around the age of 10, girls developed an approximately 10-centimeter “lotus leg.” Later they began to learn the correct “adult” gait. And after another two or three years they were already ready-made girls of marriageable age. Because of this, making love in China was called “walking among the golden lotuses.”
The institution of footbinding was regarded as necessary and wonderful, and has been practiced for ten centuries. Rare attempts to “free” the foot were still made, but those who opposed the ritual were black sheep.
Footbinding has become part of general psychology and popular culture. When preparing for marriage, the groom's parents first asked about the bride's feet, and only then about her face.
The foot was considered her main human quality.
During the bandaging process, mothers consoled their daughters by depicting for them the dazzling prospects of a marriage that depended on the beauty of the bandaged leg.
Later, one essayist, apparently a great connoisseur of this custom, described 58 varieties of legs of the “lotus woman,” rating each on a 9-point scale. Eg:
Types: lotus petal, new moon, slender arch, bamboo shoot, Chinese chestnut.
Special characteristics: plumpness, softness, grace.
Classifications:
Divine (A-1): Supremely plump, soft and graceful.
Marvelous (A-2): weak and refined...
Incorrect: monkey-like large heel, allowing for climbing.
Even the owner of the “Golden Lotus” (A-1) could not rest on her laurels: she had to constantly and scrupulously follow etiquette, which imposed a number of restrictions:
1) do not walk with your fingertips raised;
2) do not walk with at least temporarily weakened heels;
3) do not move your skirt while sitting;
4) do not move your legs while resting.
The same essayist concludes his treatise with the most reasonable (naturally, for men) advice: “Do not remove the bandages to look at a woman’s naked legs, be satisfied with the appearance. Your aesthetic sense will be offended if you break this rule.”
Although it is difficult for Europeans to imagine, the “lotus leg” was not only the pride of women, but also the object of the highest aesthetic and sexual desires of Chinese men. It is known that even a fleeting sight of a “lotus leg” could cause a strong attack of sexual arousal in men.
“Undressing” such a leg was the height of sexual fantasies of ancient Chinese men. Judging by the literary canons, the ideal “lotus legs” were certainly small, thin, pointed, curved, soft, symmetrical and... fragrant.
Foot binding also violated the natural contours of the female body. This process led to constant stress on the hips and buttocks - they swelled and became plump (and were called “voluptuous” by men).
Chinese women had to pay a very high price for beauty and sex appeal.
The owners of perfect legs were doomed to a lifetime of physical suffering and inconvenience.
The miniature size of the foot was achieved due to its severe mutilation.
Some fashionistas who wanted to reduce the size of their legs as much as possible went so far as to break bones in their efforts. As a result, they lost the ability to walk and stand normally.
The emergence of the unique custom of binding women's feet dates back to the Chinese Middle Ages, although the exact time of its origin is unknown.
According to legend, one court lady named Yu was famous for her great grace and was an excellent dancer. One day she made herself shoes in the shape of golden lotus flowers, only a couple of inches in size.
To fit into these shoes, Yu wrapped her feet with pieces of silk fabric and danced. Her small steps and swaying became legendary and marked the beginning of a centuries-old tradition.
A creature with a fragile build, thin long fingers and soft palms, delicate skin and a pale face with a high forehead, small ears, thin eyebrows and a small round mouth - this is a portrait of a classic Chinese beauty.
Ladies from good families shaved off some of the hair on their foreheads to lengthen the oval of their faces, and achieved the perfect contour of their lips by applying lipstick in a circle.
Custom prescribed that the female figure should “shine with the harmony of straight lines,” and for this purpose, a girl already at the age of 10-14 years old had her chest tightened with a canvas bandage, a special bodice or a special vest. The development of the mammary glands was suspended, the mobility of the chest and the supply of oxygen to the body were sharply limited.
This usually had a detrimental effect on the woman’s health, but it made her look “elegant.” A thin waist and small legs were considered a sign of a girl’s grace, and this ensured her the attention of suitors.
Sometimes the wives and daughters of wealthy Chinese had their legs so deformed that they could hardly walk on their own. They said about such women: “They are like reeds that sway in the wind.”
Women with such legs were carried on carts, carried in palanquins, or strong maids carried them on their shoulders, like small children. If they tried to move on their own, they were supported on both sides.
In 1934, an elderly Chinese woman recalled her childhood experiences:
“I was born into a conservative family in Ping Xi and had to deal with the pain of foot binding at the age of seven. I was an active and cheerful child then, I loved to jump, but after that everything disappeared.
My older sister endured this entire process from age 6 to 8 (meaning it took two years for her foot size to drop below 8cm). It was the first lunar month of my seventh year of life when my ears were pierced and gold earrings were put on me.
I was told that a girl has to suffer twice: when her ears are pierced and the second time when her feet are bound. The latter began on the second lunar month. The mother consulted reference books about the most suitable day.
I ran away and hid in a neighbors house, but my mother found me, scolded me and dragged me home. She slammed the bedroom door behind us, boiled water and took bandages, shoes, a knife and thread and needle from the drawer. I begged to put it off for at least a day, but my mother said: “Today is an auspicious day. If you bandage today, it won’t hurt you, but if you bandage it tomorrow, it will hurt terribly.”
She washed my feet and applied alum and then trimmed my nails. Then she bent her fingers and tied them with a cloth three meters long and five centimeters wide - first her right leg, then her left. After it was over, she ordered me to walk, but when I tried to do so, the pain seemed unbearable.
That night my mother forbade me to take off my shoes. It seemed to me that my legs were on fire, and naturally I could not sleep. I cried, and my mother began to beat me.
In the following days I tried to hide, but they forced me to walk again. For resisting, my mother beat me on my arms and legs. Beatings and curses followed the secret removal of the bandages. After three or four days the feet were washed and alum was added. After a few months, all my fingers except my thumb were curled up, and when I ate meat or fish, my feet swelled and festered.
My mother scolded me for placing emphasis on my heel when walking, claiming that my leg would never acquire a beautiful shape. She never allowed me to change the bandages or wipe off the blood and pus, believing that when all the meat disappeared from my foot, it would become graceful. If I removed the wound by mistake, the blood would flow in a stream. My big toes, once strong, flexible and plump, were now wrapped in small pieces of material and stretched to give them the shape of a new moon.
Every two weeks I changed my shoes, and the new pair had to be 3-4 millimeters smaller than the previous one. The boots were stubborn and it took a lot of effort to get into them. When I wanted to sit quietly by the stove, my mother made me walk. After changing more than 10 pairs of shoes, my feet were reduced to 10 cm. I had already been wearing bandages for a month when the same ritual was performed on my younger sister. When no one was around, we could cry together.
In the summer, my feet smelled terrible because of blood and pus, in the winter they were frozen due to insufficient blood circulation, and when I sat near the stove, they hurt from the warm air. The four toes on each foot were curled up like dead caterpillars; it is unlikely that any stranger could imagine that they belonged to a person. It took me two years to reach 8cm feet.
Toenails have grown into the skin. The strongly bent sole was impossible to scratch. If she was sick, it was difficult to reach the right place, even just to stroke it. My lower legs became weak and my feet became crooked, ugly, and smelled bad. How I envied girls who had natural shaped legs!”
“The stepmother or aunt showed much more rigidity when binding their feet than their own mother. There is a description of an old man who enjoyed hearing his daughters cry while applying bandages...
Everyone in the house had to undergo this ritual. The first wife and concubines had the right to indulgence, and for them this was not such a terrible event. They applied the bandage once in the morning, once in the evening, and again before bed. The husband and first wife strictly checked the tightness of the bandage, and those who loosened it were beaten.
The shoes for sleeping were so small that the women asked the owner of the house to rub their feet so that it would bring at least some relief. Another rich man was famous for whipping his concubines on their tiny feet until they bled.”
The sexuality of the bandaged leg was based on its concealment from view and the mystery surrounding its development and care. When the bandages were removed, the feet were washed in the boudoir in the strictest secrecy. The frequency of ablutions ranged from once a week to once a year. After this, alum and perfumes with various aromas were used, calluses and nails were treated.
The process of ablution helped restore blood circulation. Figuratively speaking, the mummy was unwrapped, magic was cast on it, and it was wrapped again, adding even more preservatives.
The rest of the body was never washed at the same time as the feet for fear of turning into a pig in the next life. Well-bred women could die of shame if men saw the process of washing their feet. This is understandable: the stinking, decaying flesh of the foot would be an unpleasant discovery for a man who suddenly appeared and would offend his aesthetic sense.
In the 18th century, Parisian women copied “lotus slippers”; they were featured in designs on Chinese porcelain, furniture and other trinkets of the fashionable “chinoiserie” style.
It’s amazing but true that the Parisian designers of the new era, who invented pointed-toe women’s high-heeled shoes, called them nothing more than “Chinese shoes.”
To at least roughly feel what it is:
Instructions:
1. Take a piece of cloth about three meters long and five centimeters wide.
2. Take a pair of children's shoes.
3. Curl your toes, except your big toe, inside your foot. Wrap the material around your toes first and then your heel. Bring your heel and toes as close to each other as possible. Wrap the remaining material tightly around your foot.
4. Stick your feet into baby shoes.
5. Try going for a walk.
6. Imagine that you are five years old...
7. ...and that you will have to walk this way for the rest of your life.
She definitely had to have a charming look, a mincing gait, a swaying figure like a willow and a “lotus leg”. Of course, getting such a “dowry” was not easy. But modern beauties are unlikely to realize that their stylish “pumps” are just a weak and harmless copy of the miniature “lotus slippers” that have changed the feet and destinies of girls in China for centuries.
In the style of Yu
The emergence of the unique custom of binding women's feet dates back to the Chinese Middle Ages, although the exact time of its origin is not known for certain.
According to legend, one court lady named Yu was famous for her great grace and was an excellent dancer. One day she made herself shoes in the shape of golden lotus flowers, only a couple of inches in size. To fit into these shoes, Yu wrapped her feet with pieces of silk fabric and danced, bending like a willow tree or new month. Her small steps and swaying became legendary and marked the beginning of a centuries-old tradition. Beautiful Chinese women began to imitate Yu, and soon the fashion for small legs became ubiquitous.
Although Chinese women have not bound their feet for a hundred years (binding was officially banned in 1912), the age-old stereotypes associated with this custom have proven to be extremely tenacious. Even now you can meet young Chinese women who, having decided to flirt in public, begin to completely subconsciously imitate the mincing steps of “lotus legs”.
And they are not alone in their imitation of ancient Chinese fashion. A couple of centuries ago, Parisian women who held the title of fashion queens also diligently copied “lotus slippers,” vigilantly noticing their design on Chinese porcelain. And the French designers of the New Age, who invented pointed-toed women's shoes with high heels, called them nothing more than “Chinese shoes.”
The custom of footbinding was the privilege of women from the upper strata of Chinese society, not counting prostitute singers. A miniature foot was considered the most important criterion of elegance, taste and sexuality. Naturally, the persistence of this strange, specific custom is explained by the special stability of Chinese civilization, which has maintained its foundations over the last thousand years.
Voluntary execution
Scientists have calculated that since the custom began, about a billion people have undergone footbinding. Chinese women. In general, this terrible process looked like this. The girl's feet were bandaged with strips of cloth until four small toes were pressed close to the sole of the foot. The legs were then wrapped horizontally to arch the foot like a bow. Over time, the foot no longer grew in length, but instead protruded upward, taking on the appearance of a triangle. It did not provide strong support and forced women to sway, like the willow glorified in poetry. Sometimes walking was so difficult that those with miniature legs could only move with the help of strangers.
Footbinding has become part of general psychology and culture. When preparing the marriage, the groom's parents first asked about the bride's feet, and only then about her face. The foot was considered the main feminine dignity. During the bandaging process, mothers consoled their daughters by depicting for them the dazzling prospects of a marriage that depended on the beauty of the bandaged leg.
In the old days in China, girls began to have their feet bandaged at the age of 4-5 (infants could not yet endure the torment of tight bandages that crippled their feet). As a result of this torment, around the age of ten, girls developed an approximately 10-centimeter “lotus leg”. After this, they began to learn the correct “adult” gait. And after another 2-3 years they were already ready-made girls of marriageable age.
The size of the “lotus foot” was an important condition for marriages. Brides with large feet were subjected to ridicule and humiliation, as they looked like common women who worked in the fields and could not afford the luxury of foot binding.
They were fashionable in different areas of China different shapes“lotus legs”: in some they preferred narrower legs, in others - shorter and miniature ones. The shape, materials, as well as ornamental themes and styles of the “lotus slippers” were different. One thing remained unchanged over the centuries: in a wild and terrible way, girls were doomed to become cripples for life, changing not only the shape of their feet, but also their future.
Hostages of traditions
It’s hard to imagine, but the “lotus leg” was not only the pride of women, but also the object of the highest aesthetic and carnal desires of Chinese men. It is known that even a fleeting sight of a “lotus leg” could cause a strong attack of sexual arousal in the Chinese. Not to mention her “undressing”, which was the pinnacle of sexual fantasies for her stronger half. Based on literary canons, the ideal “lotus legs” for men were necessarily small, thin, pointed, curved, soft, symmetrical and... fragrant.
True, Chinese women themselves paid a very high price for beauty and sex appeal. Although foot binding was dangerous - incorrect application or change in pressure of the bandages had a lot of unpleasant consequences, none of the girls could survive the accusation of being a “big-legged demon” and the shame of remaining unmarried, and therefore they went through this procedure again and again, so that later, having finally gotten what they wanted perfect legs, be doomed to physical suffering and inconvenience all your life. The miniature size of the foot was achieved due to its severe mutilation. Some fashionistas who wanted to reduce the size of their legs as much as possible went as far as real bone-crushing in their efforts. As a result, they lost the ability to walk normally, stand normally and feel normal.
In addition, women with small legs found themselves captives of the inner chambers and could not leave the house unaccompanied. It is no coincidence that this custom for a long time Even the “enlightened” Chinese were bashfully silent.
For the first time, the topic of “lotus legs” became the subject of public debate in the 1860s, with the beginning of the active invasion of China by European culture. For Europeans, “lotus feet” became a shameful symbol of enslavement, ugliness and inhumanity. In 1875, English missionary John McGowan, who had spent 15 years fighting footbinding, gathered Chinese Christian women in Xiamen and asked them to sign a pledge to abandon the practice. Only 9 parishioners followed his admonitions, promising not to bind their daughters' feet. Chinese echoing the Europeans pundits Those who dared to touch on this topic in their creations were initially attacked by censors and even went to prison for undermining public morals.
But in 1894, with the support of the famous reformer Kang Youwei, the Society for the Abolition of Footbinding was founded, which eventually had more than 10,000 members. In 1898, in a report to the emperor on reforms in China, Kang did not fail to remind that “nothing humiliates us as much as footbinding.”
But China was able to finally abandon such a cruel custom only in the 20th century. However, even now among the Chinese born no later than the 1970s, you can find those who remember that their grandmothers had such small legs. And women who have such a “treasure”, even now, in the 21st century, are sure that “lotus legs” are their most important advantage.
Men in China were confident that:
A tiny foot testifies to the integrity of a woman...
. women who have not undergone the rite of “foot binding” look like men, since the tiny foot is a sign of distinction...
. When going to bed, those with natural legs feel awkward and heavy. and tiny feet softly penetrate under the covers...
. when walking, a naturally shaped leg looks much less aesthetically pleasing...
. only tiny legs make it possible to fully experience the variety of pleasures and love sensations..
"When a resident of the Celestial Empire picks up a tiny female leg, he experiences feelings similar to those that elastic girlish breasts evoke in a European. All the Chinese whom I interviewed about this answered almost word for word: “Oh, little legs! You are not able to understand how elegant it is, how sweet, how exciting!” ~ Sterling Seagrave, Song Dynasty.
History knows many examples of offerings to the altar of beauty - from the cold-blooded application of arsenic- or lead-based blush to unimaginably sadistic piercings and even greater extremes in the field of body modification. One of the wildest is the thousand-year-old custom of breaking and bandaging the feet of Chinese women so that they fit into graceful shoes in the shape of lilies or lotuses.
CULTURAL AND SEXUAL IMPACT
For about a thousand years in China, mutilated, but miniature feet were considered the height of eroticism, and the “lotus gait” - girls were forced to move in small “cute” steps and were still very unstable - not only excited men, but also made the sexual anatomy “more voluptuous and sensual" in their minds. During the Qing Dynasty, a "love manual" was in use, detailing 48 in various ways caress the lotus feet.
However, even in bed, being otherwise completely naked, the women (one would like to add - unfortunate ones) did not take off their linen bandages and wore special slippers that hid their deformed limbs. Attractiveness was offset by what was hidden from prying eyes. Famous Quote Feng Xuan says: "If you take off your shoes and linen, the aesthetics will be destroyed forever."
The influence of Chinese women's bound feet extended far beyond the bedroom - although the practice was undoubtedly a tool male dominance, helping to ensure the wife's chastity. Ladies of the upper classes, whose legs were literally tied, could not freely participate in the life of society - for example, go for a regular walk. They constantly needed physical support and could not move independently over significant distances, which kept them dependent on their family and on the will of the people around them.
Culture and tradition are the basis of the Chinese worldview, so women themselves strove for lotus feet, believing that it promoted health and fertility, despite the crushing and long-term pain that they had to endure for this. In essence, a biological disadvantage turned into a social advantage, increasing the chances of a successful marriage. A girl, albeit one of the upper class, with legs normal size could only count on marriage with a representative of a less prestigious class, and a lady of a lower social status She risked being sold into service altogether.
"Thousands of buckets of tears await the one who binds her feet." ~ Old saying
Girls from two to five years old who were “lucky” faced an incredibly painful process of achieving the ideal of the “golden lotus woman.” The feet of future beauties were immersed in a warm softening mixture of herbal decoctions with animal blood and massaged for some time. Next, the toes were forcefully tucked in and the foot was tightly bandaged, enclosing it in a cotton bandage.
Initially painful, the procedure continued even worse: the bones holding the arch of the foot were broken and the legs continued to be compressed with bandages, ensuring that the toes fit tightly to the sole, and the base thumb touched the heel. The ends of the bandages were sewn tightly together.
Then the poor little legs were regularly swaddled, washed and kneaded, again and again splitting the bones that had grown together, compressing them more and more tightly. After the bandage, the girl had to immediately get up and walk so that the deformity would worsen. No anesthesia was used.
All this was done by professional “binders” or older family members; mothers were not trusted with this responsible task - they were afraid that pity would prevent them from breaking their daughter’s fingers properly. The stricter the better to achieve the goal: the leg size is approximately 7.5 cm. The procedures took about two years, but the legs remained bound for life.
Complications often occurred - from swelling and pus-filled ulcers on early stage, to paralysis and serious infections such as gangrene. For prevention and treatment, sufferers dipped the stumps in various liquids, ranging from eau de toilette and ending with urine. Return to normal life was impossible - if the legs remained unbandaged for a long time, the pain became as severe as at the initial stage.
A harbinger of a nightmare to look at modern man Temporary tight bandaging of dancers' legs became a practice; today ballerinas wear pointe shoes for this purpose. Around 970 AD, Tang Dynasty Emperor Li You's consort performed the "golden lotus" dance on a pedestal, gracefully wrapping her feet in silk. The ruler and courtiers were so fascinated by the beauty of the performance that imitation of the designer’s find became good form.
From here the fashion spread among the upper classes and eventually reached all levels of society. During the Song Dynasty (960 - 1276), women's position declined - they had fewer rights in the context of marriage and family. They were no longer given an education, as before, deprived of property rights and began to be treated as a talking piece of furniture. Mangled legs only strengthened its status as a method of command and control.
Despite its widespread use, there has never been a clear idea of what a lotus leg should look like. For example, peasants and other lower classes tended to tie the legs of older girls and not so much - they should not have lost their mobility, because there was plenty of work in the fields. For women in high society, more extreme techniques were used. Thus, foot deformities, unsteadiness, pain and suffering became the norm for Chinese women for a millennium.
In 1911, the Chinese government finally outlawed lotus feet. The pressure came not only from feminists, but also from all educated people concerned about how China was perceived by the outside world. Even after this, enlightened people had to work hard to devalue the centuries-old opinion about the lotus leg as a beautiful symbol of sublime eroticism. Limbs continued to be mutilated secretly.
In this country of curiosities called “golden lily” (sometimes “golden lotus”, but there is no big disagreement here, since in China the lotus is also called “water lily”) it is not our charming flower, but the mutilated hoof-shaped leg of a Chinese woman, considered The sons of the Heavenly Empire, as you know, have the height of beauty. The contact area of such legs with the ground was extremely small, so it was difficult not only to walk, but also to stand.
Thanks to such disfigured legs, the gait of Chinese women is usually very slow and ungraceful. To stay on her feet, the woman stuck out her buttocks and tilted slightly top part body forward, maintaining balance. The steps were short, as if she were “hobbled,” and her walking was accompanied by strong swinging of her arms and a peculiar swaying of her body. But it is precisely this swaying that the Chinese liken to the gentle swaying of lilies, and the mutilated legs that cause it are likened to the lily itself.
The custom of bandaging spread during the Song era. There is a widespread belief that “foot binding” originated among the imperial harem dancers. Somewhere between the 9th and 11th centuries, Emperor Li Yu ordered his favorite ballerina to go on pointe shoes. The legend tells about it as follows: “Emperor Li Yu had a favorite concubine named “ Beautiful girl", who had a refined beauty and was a gifted dancer. The Emperor ordered for her a lotus made of gold, about 1.8 cm high, decorated with pearls and with a red carpet in the center. The dancer was ordered to tie a white silk cloth around her foot and bend her toes so that the curve of her foot resembled a crescent moon. Dancing in the center of the lotus, the "Beautiful Maiden" whirled, resembling a rising cloud."
At first, bandaging was available only to rich young ladies, since you couldn’t run on 10-centimeter legs, and the beauties had to be carried on the backs of maids. Some unworthy ladies from lower castes were completely prohibited from bandaging.
When preparing the marriage, the groom's parents first asked about the bride's feet, and only then about her face. The foot was considered her main human quality. During the bandaging process, mothers consoled their daughters by depicting for them the dazzling prospects of a marriage that depended on the beauty of the bandaged leg. At festivals where the owners of tiny legs demonstrated their virtues, concubines were selected for the emperor's harem. Women sat in rows on benches with their legs extended, while judges and spectators walked along the aisles and commented on the size, shape and decoration of feet and shoes; no one, however, had the right to touch the “exhibits.” Women looked forward to these holidays, since on these days they were allowed to leave the house.
The Chinese believed that the gait of a woman with feet in the shape of lilies, as well as her slender figure, thin eyebrows and gentle voice, had a special sex appeal. However, bandaged legs also served a certain purpose social function: small legs limited a woman’s freedom of movement and, accordingly, her social freedom.
Women who did not undergo the “foot binding” ritual caused horror and disgust. They were anathematized, despised and insulted.
The sacrifice thrown by the woman on the altar of beauty was truly great: foot binding had a serious impact on her health. Firstly, it was a very painful procedure. Secondly, disruption of normal blood circulation in the feet often led to gangrene. Thirdly, a sedentary lifestyle led to many diseases. And a woman had to go through all this in order to remain a woman: beautiful, desirable and sexually attractive.
It is characteristic that this unnatural custom spread during the centuries of reform and revival of Confucianism. Confucians believed that the female figure should “shine with the harmony of straight lines,” so sometimes breasts were also bandaged.
In the XVIII – XIX centuries. The customs of bandaging began to cause more and more protest, but only the Xinhai Revolution put an end to them.
The tradition of “foot binding” has existed for about 1000 years. It is estimated that in the millennium since the custom began, about a billion Chinese women have undergone footbinding.
In general, this terrible process looked like this. At the age of four, girls' legs were bandaged so that their feet could not develop. The age was chosen deliberately: do it earlier and the child will not withstand the painful shock, and later the procedure will not give the expected result. The girl's feet were bandaged with strips of cloth until four small toes were pressed close to the sole of the foot. The legs were then wrapped with strips of fabric horizontally to arch the foot like a bow. Over time, the foot no longer grew in length, but instead protruded upward and took on the appearance of a triangle. It did not provide strong support and forced women to sway, like a lyrically sung willow tree.
The leg, which reached only 10 cm in length, stopped growing and bent into the shape of a crescent. After this, the sufferers began to learn the correct “adult” gait. And after another 2-3 years they were already ready-made girls of marriageable age.
Since footbinding prevailed in everyday life, the sizes of the “golden lilies” have become important criterion when concluding marriages. Brides who took the first step from the wedding palanquin into their husband's house received the most enthusiastic praise for their small feet. Brides with large feet were subjected to ridicule and humiliation, as they looked like common women who worked in the fields and could not afford the luxury of foot binding.
It is interesting that different forms of “golden lilies” were fashionable in different parts of the Middle Kingdom. In some places narrower legs were preferred, while in others shorter and petite ones were preferred.
There was also the art of walking, the art of sitting, standing, lying, the art of adjusting a skirt, and in general the art of any movement of the legs. Beauty depended on the shape of the leg and how it moved. Naturally, some legs were more beautiful than others. Foot size less than 3 inches and complete uselessness were distinctive features aristocratic foot.
After the first red shoes, which the mother usually sewed at the beginning of bandaging, as the feet became smaller, new ones were put on, all smaller (by 3-4 mm) in size. And this process continued for 2 - 3 years, until the formation of the foot was completed, and then it became like an unblown lily bud.
The art of wearing shoes was central to the “bandaged foot” aesthetic. It took endless hours, days, months to make. There were shoes for all occasions in all colors: for walking, for sleeping, for special occasions like weddings, birthdays, funerals; there were shoes that indicated the age of the owner. Red was the color of sleep shoes because it emphasized the whiteness of the skin of the body and thighs. The marriageable daughter made 12 pairs of shoes as a dowry. Two specially made pairs were given to the father-in-law and mother-in-law. The shape, materials, as well as ornamental themes and styles of the “lotus slippers” were different.
Like an intimate but exposed part women's outfit, these shoes were a true measure of the status, wealth and personal taste of their owners
I wonder what the lily would say to this if she could only speak?!