Tag #Foot Binding

How did Western anatomical studies and popular culture representations shape the understanding and interpretation of Chinese foot binding, and what biases are revealed?

Western views of foot binding often fetishized the practice, overlooking the fact that even husbands rarely saw their wives' unbound feet. The binding process was done by women, challenging simplistic colonial narratives. The book examines anatomical studies from 1830-1920, revealing how colonial contexts shaped research, framing foot binding as a prolonged experiment in bone deformation. Analysis of fictional representations, such as Karl Figdor's novel and Joe May's film adaptation, reveals the obscuring of Western desire and a form of second-order exhibitionism.