The weather in England suddenly turned hot and sunny last Tuesday , the day we arrived in London. Perhaps summer has arrived, after the cold snap experienced during the last week. I took a break in the cool shade of the beautiful trees on the walk up to Alexandra Palace. The weather remained great for the couple of days we were in Somerset, to meet a long lost Simmons cousin and to follow some other family history leads. We returned to London tonight for an important appointment to see the House of Commons - Grandfather James Simmons was a Member of Parliament, so we are still tracing the footsteps of Simmons ancestors and appreciating the historical sites connected to the family.
#SeptTextileLove #STL26Day7 ‘Historical’ ... Family history is often a source of inspiration and information for my work. This stitched work featuring a photo of my great grandmother also acts as a commentary on the Chinese historical practice of foot binding, hence the inclusion of an x ray photograph of a female bound foot. It looks painful and undoubtedly was , but it was considered 'beautiful". What contemporary body shaping practices do we still engage in for the sake of ‘beauty’? Historical body shaping practices included tight-lacing corsets, foot binding, and neck elongation , all used to mould the human form into culturally defined ideals of beauty. (AI overview) Foot Binding in China Starting from Song elites and eventually popularized and ended in the Qing dynasty, foot binding was seen as an idolized representation of women's petite beauty, and the practice was referred to as "三寸金莲" , 'three-inch golden lotus' Wikipedia . This practice...
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