What is foot binding and why was it done?
Foot-binding persisted for so long because it had a clear economic rationale: It was a way to make sure young girls sat still and helped make goods like yarn, cloth, mats, shoes and fishing nets that families depended upon for income – even if the girls themselves were told it would make them more marriageable.
What is the symbolic meaning of foot binding?
Footbinding was viewed as a rite of passage for young girls and was believed to be preparation for puberty, menstruation, and childbirth. It symbolized a girl’s willingness to obey, just as it limited the mobility and power of females, kept women subordinate to men, and increased the differences between the sexes.
Is foot binding still practiced today?
Footbinding was first banned in 1912, but some continued binding their feet in secret. Some of the last survivors of this barbaric practice are still living in Liuyicun, a village in Southern China’s Yunnan province.
How did foot binding work?
The flesh of her feet would be lacerated, or the woman performing the foot binding would insert sharp objects into the bandages in order to promote the rotting of ‘excess flesh’ to achieve tinier feet. As a girl aged, she would have to perform these acts herself.
When was foot binding invented?
The first recorded binding occurred in the Five Dynasties and Ten States period in the 10th century. According to the story, an emperor had a favorite concubine, a dancer who built a gilded stage in the shape of a lotus flower.
What were some of the reasons that foot binding began?
Foot-binding, which started out as a fashionable impulse, became an expression of Han identity after the Mongols invaded China in 1279. The fact that it was only performed by Chinese women turned the practice into a kind of shorthand for ethnic pride.
How did foot binding affect women’s roles in society?
A young girl could be lifted out of poverty if her feet were small and perfectly curved, because that was more important to men than her social status [source: Holman]. Foot binding also fostered the dominance of men over women.
When did foot binding begin?
When—and why—did the practice of foot binding begin? The first recorded binding occurred in the Five Dynasties and Ten States period in the 10th century. According to the story, an emperor had a favorite concubine, a dancer who built a gilded stage in the shape of a lotus flower.
What are the 4 steps of foot binding?
The Process Step 1: Feet were soaked in warm water with herbs and animal blood. This helped to soften feet to make them easier to bind. Step 2: The smaller four toes were curled over to the sole of the foot with great force. Step 3: Binding cloths were used to force the toes underneath the sole.
What does foot binding feel like?
The foot binding process was long, excruciatingly painful and pretty gross. It generally began when girls were 4 to 7 years old, because at that age the bones in their feet were still fairly soft and pliable, and thus easier to reshape [source: Footwear History]. First, the feet were softened in hot water.
What was the popular Chinese legend explaining how foot binding began?
Foot-binding is said to have been inspired by a tenth-century court dancer named Yao Niang who bound her feet into the shape of a new moon. She entranced Emperor Li Yu by dancing on her toes inside a six-foot golden lotus festooned with ribbons and precious stones.
What is foot binding in China?
Foot binding is the custom of applying painfully tight binding to the feet of young girls to prevent further growth. The practice possibly originated among upper-class court dancers during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Imperial China, but spread in the Song Dynasty…
When did people start binding their feet?
The process was started before the arch of the foot had a chance to develop fully, usually between the ages of two and five. Binding usually started during the winter months since the feet were more likely to be numb, and therefore the pain would not be as extreme.
Are women’s feet bound in Western literature?
The Westerners did not see the practice of a woman’s feet being bound in good light. Some would argue on the side of feminism, saying “Most of the Chinese literature on the subject was written by men, who often emphasized the erotic appeal of foot binding,” (Steele, V., Major, J.S., p37).
What is foot binding and is it safe?
Foot binding is an attempt to stop the growth of feet, which began in the Tang Dynasty in China and persisted until the mid-twentieth century after many Westerners deemed the process “barbaric.”