Description of “Tensoku” (foot-binding) found in literary works

―On changed consciousness toward a corporal restraint―

Abstract

  The practice of foot-binding that had been applied to female feet in China since 1,000 years ago is regarded as a representative corporal restraint, along with the corsets that had been popular in Europe. Foot-binding used to be a long-standing custom that had been practiced until the first half of 20th century, although it deforms a part of body, accompanied by so much pain as causing difficulties in daily life. However, in the end of the era of Quing Dynasty, the movement against the practice of foot-binding had become intensive, by which Chinese women had been barely emancipated from the corporal restraint custom, bringing it gradually to extinction.

  In this study, the author searched and retrieved every description of foot-binding in literary works of China, dating back to the history over 1,000 years as well as up to the contemporary literature. The author groped for the idea and thoughts held by the Chinese people at that time toward the foot-binding from the expressions in writing and read carefully the changes in consciousness affected by the vicissitudes of the times through these literary works for clarification from the standpoint of clothes and health.