Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 139, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1920 — MARKED PROGRESS OF RACE [ARTICLE]

MARKED PROGRESS OF RACE

Much Significance in What Might Be Called the Division of Chinese Shoe Periods. Chinese shoes may generally be divided into two periods—the boundfeet period and the natural-feet period according to an article by Miss Ten Wei Tsing. During the former period the women were secluded and their chief business was embroidery, even their shoes being elaborately embroidered. Each shoe consisted of two pieces, at the border of which a narrow strip of silk was sewed so as to make a smooth edge.' The two pieces were sewed together at the pointed end with several fine cross stitches. A wooden block about one-third Inch thick served as the heel of the shoe, the wooden block being wrapped in several layers of cloth. Later the small shoes with the tiny soles became fashionable. This kind of shoe also Consisted of t\vo pieces, with a silk cord at the juncture, to prevent the seam from being seen. When the Manchus became the ruling class of China, women were released from sedasiotfcin the more progressive homes and their chief interest was no longer embroidery. They had no time to pay much attention to their shoes, and they stopped binding their feet and entered into the natural-feet period with the Maqehus.