Splendid Slippers: A Thousand Years of an Erotic Tradition

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 184 pages
• Published by: Ten Speed Press January 1998
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0898159571
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0898159578
• Book Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.9 x 0.7 inches
• Weighs: 1.9 pounds

From Booklist
In a fascinating yet gruesome account of the former practice of binding the feet of Chinese girls, Jackson details the 1,000-year history, the necessary surgery and two-year process, the shoes and embroidery, and the lore (erotic and otherwise), as well as comparisons with other cultures (e.g., the so-called giraffe women of Burma, whose necks stretch as a result of an increasing series of necklaces). Surprisingly, it's a remarkably easy piece of writing to peruse; she tells both personal and cultural stories of lotus-bud feet, beginning with her discovery of a less-than-six-inch pair of shoes in, of all places, Edinburgh. Elegant color and historical photographs give the tradition a sense of reality; a fictional character--Phoenix Treasure--opens every chapter with comments on both the practice and the changing culture. Hobbled, almost crippled at times with pain, the Han Chinese women of yore (Manchus or Hakkas would never submit to such a barbarism) are indeed worthy of our pity--and, in modern days, our respect. Barbara Jacobs

Product Description
Splendid Slippers is an aesthetic and deep exploration of the facts and the fiction surrounding this fascinating and little-studied erotic custom. Beverly Jackson details the 1,000-year history, the necessary surgery and two-year process, the shoes and embroidery, as well as comparisons with other cultures. WIth elegant full color photographs.

Reader Reviews
Subtitled "A Thousand Years of an Erotic Tradition", this 1997 book measures 10" by 10" square. On the cover is a photograph of more than two dozen authentic shoes which were handmade for the tiny bound feet of Chinese women. I've always been interested in learning more about this custom, and this book clearly explains every single thing I've ever wanted to know. The author is an American photojournalist whose travels often took her to China. Often, she would find some of these tiny shoes in a market and started collecting them. She also did a lot of historical research and interviewed many elderly Chinese women who still can remember the details of their childhood foot binding. Some of them even allowed her to photograph their bare misshapen feet. Foot binding has been outlawed in China since the Communist revolution. Women born after this time grow up with normal feet. But before 1949, little girls had to endure a painful childhood. It must have been awful but people really believed that if this wasn't done, the young girl would have no chance of getting a husband. Indeed, this was true. Marriages were arranged and the future mother-in-law would insist on seeing a shoe that the girl had embroidered. If the shoe was very small, it would be understood that the girl could withstand pain. If the embroidery was good, it would prove that the girl was well disciplined. The men also wanted wives with bound feet. Not only did it reflect on the man's wealth and standing in the community but it was also an erotic turn-on. They say that one picture is worth a thousand words, and this book certainly proves it. There are many pictures of the tiny shoes and of the women wearing them. I was impressed by the complexity of the workmanship and their startling beauty. But the most moving of all were the photos of the bare feet themselves. Looking at them gave me a sick and uncomfortable feeling. I loved this book because it opened my mind to a culture that is very foreign to me. It made me understand exactly what these women's lives had been for more than ten centuries. Yes, I was saddened. But I was also enlightened. I learned something. And that made this book very worthwhile. This is a beautiful book. I highly recommend it. But it is certainly not for the squeamish.