Description
Book SynopsisFootbinding originated in the dance culture of China's medieval court and spread to gentry families, brothels, maid's quarters, and peasant households. Neither condemning nor defending foot-binding, this work debunks many myths and misconceptions about its origins, development, and its eventual end.
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Notes on Conventions List of Abbreviations Introduction PART I: THE BODY EXPOSED 1. Gigantic Histories of the Nation in the Globe: The Rhetoric of Tianzu, 1880s--1910s 2. The Body Inside Out: The Practice of Fangzu, 1900s--1930s 3. The Bound Foot as Antique: Connoisseurship in an Age of Disavowal, 1930s--1941 PART II: THE BODY CONCEALED 4. From Ancient Texts to Current Customs: In Search of Footbinding's Origins 5. The Erotics of Place: Male Desires and the Imaginary Geography of the Northwest 6. Cinderella's Dreams: The Burden and Uses of the Female Body Epilogue Notes Glossary Works Cited Index
