In cinderella s sisters she rises above nationalist, feminist, and orientalist polemic to place footbinding clearly in the domain of the history of fashion. The shifting meanings of footbinding in seventeenthcentury china. Kos premise is that footbinding was an embodied experience, a reality to a select group of women from the twelfth to the twentieth centuries. A revisionist history of footbinding 2005, ko made very clear the goal she aimed to achieve with this book in. Neither condemning nor defending footbinding, dorothy ko debunks many myths and misconceptions about its origins, development, and eventual end, exploring in the process the entanglement of male power and female desire during the practices thousandyear history. Dorothy ko the history of footbinding is full of contradictions and unexpected turns. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. The practice originated in the dance culture of chinas medieval court and spread to gentry families, brothels, maids. Such exhilarating moment of scholarly achievement was acknowledged when this book won the joan kelley memorial prize from the american. Movement and the histories of boundfeet women in china. Cinderellas sisters and footbinding breezes from wonderland. Buy cinderella s sisters by dorothy ko from waterstones today. The practice possibly originated among upper class court dancers during the five dynasties and ten kingdoms period in 10th century china, then gradually became popular among the elite during the song dynasty.
Cinderella s sisters argues that rather than stemming from sexual perversion. Foot binding eventually spread to most social classes by the. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read.
Dorothy ko s book puts footbinding in as complete a context as i have encountered. Foot binding was the custom of applying tight binding to the feet of young girls to modify the shape and size of their feet. Neither condemning nor defending footbinding, dorothy ko debunks many myths and misconceptions about its origins, development, and eventual end, exploring in the process the entanglements of male power and female desires during the practices thousandyear history. The history of footbinding is full of contradictions and unexpected turns. Read the fulltext online edition of cinderella s sisters. Rent cinderella s sisters a revisionist history of footbinding 1st edition 9780520253902 and save up to 80% on textbook rentals and 90% on used textbooks.
Unlimited viewing of the articlechapter pdf and any associated supplements and figures. Dorothy ko, jahyun kim haboush, and joan piggott, editors, women and confucian cultures in premodern china, korea, and japan university of california press, 2003. She is coeditor of women and confucian cultures in premodern china, korea, and japan california, 2003. This book is awarded the joan kelley memorial prize from the american historical association for the best book on womens history or feminist theory published in the year. A revisionist history of footbinding, dorothy ko points out that the chinese abolitionists were mainly men, and their core argument was aimed at the perceived.
Cinderella s sistersargues that rather than stemming from sexual perversion, men. Throughout her narrative, ko combines methods of social history, literary. Conventional views of footbinding as patriarchal oppression often neglect its complex history and the incentives of the women involved. A revisionist history of footbinding university of california press, 2007. Dorothy ko is a professor of history and womens studies at the barnard college of columbia. A revisionist history of footbinding 9780520253902. Indeed, so prevalent has been its condemnation that footbinding has been an uncontroversial issue in the history of modern china. A revisionist history of footbinding has been the standard work on the ancient practice for several years now. Dorothy kos daring in taking on the difficult subject of footbinding has resulted in a tourdeforce. Dorothy ko debunks many myths and misconceptions about its origins, development, and. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Dorothy kos new history of footbinding is a wonderfully imaginative, wideranging, and provocative study of a subject long in need of revisionism.
Lilienthal asian studies imprint first edition by dorothy ko isbn. Footbinding had to be eliminated, in their view, if china was to ever become a part of the modern world. Ko s book, as the subtitle suggest, is a revisionist history of an unwritten story that explicitly seeks to disrupt received truths. Her ingenious narrative strategy putting the modern story of foobindings disappearance at the beginning sets up her historical account. Dorothy ko is professor of history at barnard college, columbia university. A revisionist history of footbinding university of california press, 2005. Shoes for bound feet california, 2001 and teachers of the inner chambers. Lilienthal asian studies imprint 1 by dorothy ko isbn. A revisionist history of footbinding, author dorothy ko, year2005 dorothy ko list of illustrations acknowledgments notes on conventions list of abbreviations introduction part i. This revisionist history, elegantly written and meticulously researched, presents a fascinating new picture of the practice from its beginnings in the tenth century to its demise in the twentieth century. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free. Cinderellas sisters a revisionist history of footbinding. Cinderellas sisters by dorothy ko paperback university of. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
A revisionist history of footbinding by dorothy ko. In cinderellas sisters, dorothy ko, who teaches chinese history at columbia, takes on one of the. Her ingenious narrative strategyputting the modern story of foobindings. Neither condemning nor defending footbinding, dorothy ko debunks many myths and. The year 2005 was a fielddefining moment for scholarships on footbinding and the body in china with dorothy kos highly acclaimed monograph cinderellas sisters, a revisionist history of footbinding. Kos book, as the subtitle suggest, is a revisionist history of an unwritten story that explicitly seeks to disrupt received truths. Women and culture in seventeenthcentury china 1994.