Chinese women with bound feet
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Chinese women with bound feet
Chinese women with bound feet. Date: circa 1890
Mary Evans Picture Library makes available wonderful images created for people to enjoy over the centuries
Media ID 14137185
© Mary Evans Picture Library/Pump Park Photography
Bind Binding Bound Feet Foot Painful Severe Technique
EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures a group of Chinese women, circa 1890, each with their bound feet resting delicately on the floor. The practice of foot binding, a traditional Chinese custom that began in the 10th century, was believed to enhance feminine beauty and grace by creating an elongated and narrow foot. The technique involved wrapping and binding the feet of young girls from a very early age, often starting before the age of five, and continuing for several years until the feet reached their desired shape. The process was painful and severe, with the feet being bound so tightly that they could barely be moved. The women in this photograph, some of whom appear to be quite young, are shown seated in a comfortable position, their bound feet tucked under them, revealing the extreme lengths to which they had gone to conform to the cultural ideal of beauty. The child in the foreground, with her tiny feet barely visible, is likely destined to undergo the same painful process in the future. Foot binding was a deeply ingrained part of Chinese society for over a thousand years, with many women believing that it was essential for securing a good marriage. However, the practice began to decline in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as China began to modernize and Western influences began to take hold. Today, foot binding is largely considered a relic of the past, with many Chinese people viewing it as a cruel and unnecessary tradition. This photograph serves as a poignant reminder of a time when beauty came at a great cost, and the lengths to which women were willing to go to conform to societal expectations.
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