October 15, 1999

In History Repeats Itself…, Jolique touched on a practice used by the Egyptians known as cranial alteration, in which the skull, at infancy, is molded into an elongated, oval shape. This practice, though dying out, can still be found in remote areas of Africa and Central America where the oval shaped-head is considered graceful and beautiful. The effect is achieved at an early age—an infant’s cranium, while it is still soft and malleable, is bound with bandages and wood in order to elongate and lengthen its shape.  Although many of these body-altering techniques still exist, some, such as rib-removal and cranial alteration, have faded due to political pressure from local and national governments.  

One of the more well-known body-altering practices, now illegal in China, is footbinding. In certain areas of China, possessing a small dainty foot was long considered a highly attractive feature for women. But what a price to pay for beauty! In Julian Robinson’s book, The Quest for Human Beauty, he discusses this long and painful tradition in which young girls and their parents visited the local footbinder, who would use bandages to raise the instep of their feet in order to shorten their length. The foot would remain bound with straps in order to keep the instep in place, and eventually, over several years, the foot would become permanently deformed, and the desired effect—the famous “golden lotus foot”—achieved. This practice was still practiced in China as late as the 20th century.

Above: The coiled anklets of Asian Bre women. Early 20th century photo. (1)

Another interesting beauty phenomenon is the tradition of “neck stretching” (for lack of a better term) seen in Southeast Asia. The women of the Karenni people in Myanmar (a.k.a. Burma) may still be found practicing this unusual ritual. Though it is now illegal in many areas, the Karenni women stretch the length of their necks by wearing tall, coiled necklaces, up to 18 inches high, made of gold. A process that obviously takes many years, the resulting effect is that of a long, swan-like neck that would put any prima ballerina to shame!

The practice is also known among the Padaung of Burma. According to one source, the coiled necklaces may once have served as a form of protection. Ger Daniëls explains:

It is said that men invented this as protection of the throat from tiger attack for women working in the fields or in the forest; for, such attacks could lead to the extinction of the entire tribe. Actually, these rings indicate beauty and wealth. The tribe owes its name to the ornament: pa-daung means 'long necks.' To take the rings off the woman's neck might cause her death, since the neck is no longer strong enough to support the head. If, however, a woman betrays her husband with another man, the husband may insist on taking off the rings as punishment.

In Guyana (South America), the Wauwai people practice a form of “body swelling” that would inspire a boa constrictor. The Wauwai bind their young girls’ legs below the knee in order to create a swelled calf, an attribute considered highly attractive. Similar practices are seen in Asia and Africa, such as that performed by the Dinka people of southern Sudan. Using tightly-coiled gold and silver wire similar to the coiled necklaces worn by the Karenni, the Dinka wrap bracelets around their arms and legs so tightly that the flesh swells around the coils. In addition, Dinka men wear ultra-tight corsets of beads that cause their buttocks to swell in a manner that emphasizes their thin waists. The corsets also carry special symbolism—the color of the beads indicates the wearer’s age and status. Red and black colors are worn by 15 to 25-year olds, while yellow is favored by those over 30. The corsets can fetch a high price if traded—one corset may trade for a head of cattle!

Another popular beauty tradition seen throughout Africa, South America, and even among some Eskimo groups, is the use of ear and lip plugs. Made of ivory, metal or bone, the plugs are inserted into the lobes or lips, often causing those areas of skin to stretch to rather striking proportions. Some believe that lip plugs evolved as a device to ward off evil spirits, much in the same way that the Ainu people of northern Japan tattoo the area around their mouths (see Scars of Beauty…). In other cases, the plug serves as the distinguishing characteristic of a particular group—a form of cultural identity. Of course, they are also symbols of beauty—the bigger the plug, the more beautiful you are. In this case, I guess size does matter.

Bibliography:

Boucher, Francois, 20,000 Years of Fashion: The History of Costume and Personal Adornment Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, New York, 1965.

Cohen, David, ed., The Circle of Life: Rituals from the Human Family Album, Harper San Francisco, San Francisco, 1991.

Daniëls, Ger. Folk Jewelry of the World. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 1989.

Davidson, Basil, African Kingdoms, Time-Life Books, Alexandria, VA, 1966.

Fisher, Angela, Africa Adorned, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Publishers, New York, 1984.

Jackson, Beverly, Splendid Slippers: A Thousand Years of an Erotic Tradition, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA 1997.

Kennett, Frances, Ethnic Dress, Facts on File, New York, 1994.

Levi-Strauss, Claude, The Savage Mind, Weidenfeld and Nicolson Ltd., London, 1962.

Morris, Desmond, The Naked Ape, Dell Publishing Co., New York, 1967.

Robinson, Julian, The Quest for Human Beauty: An Illustrated History, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., New York, 1998.

Unknown, The Secret Museum of Mankind, Manhattan House, New York, date unk.

Photo Credits:

(1) Unknown, The Secret Museum of Mankind, Manhattan House, New York, date unk.