Comments on: Suffering For Beauty: The Shoes That Bind http://www.myseveralworlds.com/2007/08/04/suffering-for-beauty-the-shoes-that-bind/ Destinations, Lifestyles, and Cultures in Asia Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:35:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bonnie http://www.myseveralworlds.com/2007/08/04/suffering-for-beauty-the-shoes-that-bind/#comment-49750 Bonnie Sat, 01 Oct 2011 03:14:44 +0000 http://myseveralworlds.com/blog/2007/08/04/suffering-for-beauty-the-shoes-that-bind/#comment-49750 Croko - My guess is that the photo at the top of this article is of a woman whose feet were first bound, then "unbound" in childhood. After the practice of footbinding was outlawed in China (both times!), officials went around the country demanding that girls who'd had their feet bound have the process undone. The sort of half-deformity of the foot in this particular photo is probably the result of binding that was "undone" somewhere in the earlier stages of the process. The photo is copyrighted 2005, which would mean its subject could have been a small girl in 1949, when the second wave of "unbindings" occurred. Again, just a guess, but an educated one. Croko – My guess is that the photo at the top of this article is of a woman whose feet were first bound, then “unbound” in childhood. After the practice of footbinding was outlawed in China (both times!), officials went around the country demanding that girls who’d had their feet bound have the process undone. The sort of half-deformity of the foot in this particular photo is probably the result of binding that was “undone” somewhere in the earlier stages of the process. The photo is copyrighted 2005, which would mean its subject could have been a small girl in 1949, when the second wave of “unbindings” occurred.

Again, just a guess, but an educated one.

]]> By: Croko http://www.myseveralworlds.com/2007/08/04/suffering-for-beauty-the-shoes-that-bind/#comment-24127 Croko Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:24:07 +0000 http://myseveralworlds.com/blog/2007/08/04/suffering-for-beauty-the-shoes-that-bind/#comment-24127 Actually the picture with the naked foot of a woman is not too good example. They had their toes broken (all but the big toe) and folded under the soles of the feet, so that the feet would be tiny AND narrow. By the time the feet healed, the toes were flattened against the sole. If you search "bound feet" on google - images, you'll understand exactly what is was all about. Actually the picture with the naked foot of a woman is not too good example. They had their toes broken (all but the big toe) and folded under the soles of the feet, so that the feet would be tiny AND narrow. By the time the feet healed, the toes were flattened against the sole. If you search “bound feet” on google – images, you’ll understand exactly what is was all about.

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