Extreme Bodies Bone Breaking Beauty

In my article; ‘An exploration of an obsession with body image’ (February 2008), one of the areas I explore is the rising popularity of plastic surgery. In 2006 the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic surgeons reported a 31% rise from the previous year, in plastic surgery procedures, and an almost 90% rise in liposuction procedures. However body modification is not just a modern practice. Throughout history people have painted, pierced, tattooed, adorned and even reshaped their bodies.

‘Extreme Bodies’ is a series of articles exploring the history of body modification. Last month ‘Extreme Bodies’ started off with a discussion of the traditional practice of female genital surgery, and this month looks at the practice of foot binding in China.

Perceptions of ‘beauty’ differ over time, and from culture to culture. Throughout history people have strived to achieve ‘beauty’, often with severe health consequences. Tales such as modern day breast implants rupturing, and ribs being broken as a result of wearing corsets in the 19th century are commonplace. However deliberately breaking bones in the pursuit of beauty is something we may have difficulty understanding in today’s society. The ancient Chinese tradition of foot binding involved just this, and at the time tiny ‘lotus flower’ or ‘golden lily’ feet were not only considered beautiful, but also determined women’s role and status in society.

Foot binding was a practice that was carried out on young girls for around a thousand years, until it was made illegal at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was thought to have started out as a practice only carried out by the elite, as a way of illustrating their higher status in society. However by the 11th and 12th century it became popular in families of people of all social classes. Only girls from the poorest families, who needed women as well as men to be able to work the fields, did not go through this process

Foot binding occurred between the ages of 4 and 7. It was thought this was the best time as young girl’s bones were still flexible. Also they were mature enough to understand they had to go through this period of intense pain in order to become women, meet the ideal of feminine beauty (at the time), and to gain status within a male dominated society.

It was during this time that daughters would often bond with their mothers, as their mothers imparted knowledge about female survival, and they grew to understand how their mothers had gone through the same pain. Going through and surviving the process of foot binding became a rite of passage for young girls, and demonstrated patience and selflessness, which were considered important qualities by prospective husbands.

The process involves wrapping young girl’s feet in tight bandages so they would not grow past 3 to 6 inches. In preparation the foot was soaked in hot water and massaged to soften it up. Then the toes of the feet were turned under and pushed against the sole of the foot, to form a concave shape and were bound with linen strips. The big toe would be left to ensure the girls still had some balance. Every couple of days the binding would be taken off and rebound even tighter. The girls were also encouraged to walk, so that their weight would crush the feet into the desired shape. In Lisa See’s illuminating novel ‘Snow Flower and the Secret Fan’ the central character, Lily, describes going through the process:

“The bindings were then removed, and Mama and Aunt checked our toenails, shaved calluses, scrubbed away dead skin, dabbed on more alum and perfume to disguise the odour of our putrefying flesh, and wrapped new clean bindings, even tighter this time.”
If they were bound right the four small toes of each foot would break within the first year, and in time the bones in the arch of the foot would also break:

“One day, as I made one of my trips across the room, I heard something crack. One of my toes had broken. I thought the sound was something internal to my own body, but it was so sharp that everyone in the women’s chamber heard it. My mother’s eyes zeroed in on me. “Move! Progress is finally being made!” Walking my whole body trembled. By nightfall the eight toes that needed to break had broken, but I was still made to walk. I felt my broken toes under the weight of every step I took, for they were loose in my shoes. The freshly created space where once there had been a joint was now a gelatinous infinity of torture.”
From ‘Snow Flower and the Secret Fan’ by Lisa See 2005

The result over time was ‘lotus feet’ which would fit into tiny lotus shoes.

Each rebinding of the feet would be accompanied by bleeding, and peeling of the skin and rotten flesh. The very nature of foot binding affected the circulation of blood to the feet, and that could result in toes completely dying and falling off. In some cases the foot would die altogether, which would leave a smell that stayed with them for life, as well as excruciating pain. The increased risk of infection and gangrene could, and often did, ultimately lead to death.

The health consequences of foot binding were likely to continue into adulthood. Women would often suffer from lower back problems resulting from their body weight being borne by their heels, which would jar their spine. There was almost more likelihood of falls, and studies have suggested women with bound feet had lower bone density, so were more likely to suffer from broken bones.

It was believed the smaller a woman’s feet the more desirable they were to prospective husbands. They were therefore able to marry into a good family and command a good bride price. This was important to ensure the families status in society, and provide security. A girl with a three inch sole would be considered more attractive than a girl who was a natural beauty, but had big feet. Indeed women without bound feet were the subject of ridicule, and were thought to be freaks. The practice became so prominent that families would demand a woman with tiny feet when looking for a wife for their sons.

There are many theories and explanations as to why the practice of foot binding was so popular and carried on for so long? One being that it was an erotic turn on for men. It was reported that seeing and holding small feet, would have the same effect on Chinese men than seeing a firm young bosom would have on European men. The disfigured female foot was often the centre of foreplay, and men would caress their wife’s slippered feet. Ancient love manuals illustrated many ways of playing with a woman’s bound feet, and the delights and beauty of bound feet was also the subject of much poetry of the time. Women with bound feet appeared fragile and delicate, and walked as if they were floating. Their feet were hidden under beautifully embroidered shoes which gave a sense of mystery. All these elements were considered erotic, and increased the allure of the female.

Another theory is that foot binding was a form of social control over women. Women who had their feet bound were more easily controlled by their husbands. Women with bound feet couldn’t walk long distances without aid, and were therefore confined to home, meaning they were less able to be independent and this ensured their subservience to their husbands. At the time women were considered to be second class citizens, with their only purpose in life being to be a wife and a mother of sons. It is argued that foot binding was a practice which reinforced the idea of women as a commodity, and suggested they had no use in productive work.

When foot binding was outlawed, women were ordered to remove bindings, and this was met with a mixed response. It had after all been part of Chinese culture and history for as long as people could remember, and ideas and beliefs were unlikely to change overnight. Many women, especially in rural areas, still believed they would be unable to find husbands with big feet, and continued the practise in secret. By doing this they risked becoming social outcasts, and being fined or punished.

It has taken a long time for foot binding to become a part of history, as opposed to an integral part of Chinese life, and there are still a few women around today with bound feet. Their feelings about the custom are divided. Some talk about it with a sense of pride, while others recall their experiences with anger and resentment, and feel although they had to do it to guarantee their futures, it ultimately lead to much suffering.



I would like to thank Lisa See for giving me permission to reproduce a couple of paragraphs from her book (for this blog posting). For anyone interested in Chinese women’s history I would recommend reading Lisa’s novel ‘Snow Flower and the Secret Fan’; which offers a great insight into the lives of women in 19th century China. It follows the friendship of Lily and her ‘old same’; Snow Flower, and how they communicated by passing messages, written in an exclusively female secret language called ‘nu shu’, on a silk fan. Coming from different social and economic backgrounds the story follows Lily and Snow Flower as they go through foot binding, arranged marriages, the birth of their children, disease, war, and family tragedies at a time when women were regarded as subordinate in a male world.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See 2005 is published by Bloomsbury.