If you have ever looked at old Chinese art, you will note that they were very free in painting eroticism. However, you will never ever see a naked woman’s foot. In their culture, that would have been incredibly shocking.

The cultural context behind why this was true centers on the history of foot binding in Imperial China (from the Song dynasty through the early 20th century):

The Ultimate Sexual Taboo:

Bound feet (lotus feet) were considered the most intimate and erotic part of a woman’s body. While nudity of the breasts or genitalia was depicted relatively freely in erotic art—known as Chungongtu or “Spring Palace Paintings” — unveiling the bare, unbound foot was strictly taboo.

Depiction in Art:

In traditional Chinese erotica, women are frequently shown fully naked except for their shoes or the fabric wrappings (zubu) around their feet. A man touching, holding, or seeing a woman’s bare foot was considered a deeply explicit act of intimacy.

The Reality of Bound Feet:

Beyond the eroticization, bound feet were severely deformed and bone-broken, often suffering from tissue damage and infection. Keeping the feet wrapped in embroidered silk shoes maintained the fantasy and aesthetic of the “three-inch golden lotus” while concealing the physical reality underneath.