China’s Lotus Feet
From the 8th century to the early twentieth century, fashionable women in China had unbelievably small feet. The delicate shoes from the era are almost child-like in their appearance; small, delicate, and not meant for a great deal of movement. Natural feet were considered unladylike, ugly, and lower-class. Unbound feet meant the woman had to toil in fields and do hard labor. A small foot for a traditional Chinese woman was the equivalent of a tiny waist for a Victorian European woman. The most desirable foot was the three foot “golden lotus.” The “silver lotus” was a delicate four inches. Anything over five inches was deemed unsightly, an “iron lotus” that could damage a girl’s marriage potential.