The custom of painfully applying a tight bandages to the feet of young girls to prevent further growth and shape them in the form of a lotus- the practice possibly originated among upper-class in Imperial China (10th or 11th century and eventually spread to all social classes. Foot binding became popular as a means of displaying and was correspondingly adopted as a symbol of beauty in Chinese culture.
The process started before the arch of the foot had a chance to develop fully, usually between the ages of 4 and 9 usually started during the winter months since the feet were more likely to be numb, and therefore the pain would not be as extreme.
First, each foot would be soaked in a warm mixture of herbs and animal blood to soften the foot and aid the binding. Then, the toenails were cut back as far as possible to prevent in-growth and subsequent infections, Cotton bandageswere prepared by soaking them in the blood and herb mixture. To enable the size of the feet to be reduced, the toes on each foot were curled under, then pressed with great force downwards and squeezed into the sole of the foot until the toes broke.
By: Archa Dave
