QUICK FACTS
Name: Lotus shoes
What it is: Extremely small footwear
Where it is from: China
When it was made: Between 1000 and 1950
More than 1,000 years ago in dynastic China, many young girls had their toes tightly bound in gauze strips to create the illusion of dainty feet. The oldest preserved example of their petite footwear, called "lotus shoes," dates to the 13th century, but the practice of foot-binding — known as "chanzu" in Chinese — lasted until the mid-20th century.
