Latest Posts

Showing posts with label body modification. Show all posts
Showing posts with label body modification. Show all posts

Note: If you haven't already noticed from the title, there's a fair bit of Victorian nipples on this blog post. I toyed with the idea of censoring the images but, frankly, I don't much agree with the weighting of female chests as inherently unacceptable and it seemed ethically off as soon as I opened up photoshop to do it.
That said, take note that the images here are NSFW, rightly or wrongly.

 ~*~

They say there's nothing new under the sun...

Heck, in a way, this post isn't entirely new; I in fact looked into piercings as the very first post on this humble blog. But you would be forgiven for thinking that some of the edgier elements of body modification are quite modern inventions, at least in the European-American 'west'. 

 Victorian nipple piercing is a controversial slice of history, namely because it's difficult to verify. As with any of the more curious elements of history, typically very little is written about them and, when it comes to controversy, most things are hidden (as with the 'he's at home') or entirely destroyed after the owner's retirement or death for the sake of decency.

 The story is that from the 1890s through to the 1900s there was a short lived fashion fad of Victorians piercing their nipples, with references to this fad appearing in several history books on body adornment. 
Some of the benefits of nipple piercings were for fashion's sake, with the practice originating in Paris, or were thought to maintain a pleasant bust shape and even improve their size. For many, as now, the boost of sexual confidence and titillation was also an important factor in their choice. However, in a time before antibiotics there were serious risks of infection and some doctors even associated nipple piercings and the resultant scabs with the development of cancer. Nevertheless, this didn't necessarily deter people and the practice was increasingly fashionable.

 But is there any evidence to back up the rumours?

 As mentioned, primary sources are hard to come by and certainly there does not seem to be enough to justify a very widespread fashion trend as some historians are excited to suggest. There are several detailed references to nipple rings specifically though, and you can find the most extensive description in Charles la Fave's brilliant three-part article on the BodyArtforms blog. This source was also highlighted in Anatomy and Destiny  by Stephen Kern. 
Here, they tracked down the Victorian magazine English Mechanic and the World of Science, which outlines the whole piercing experience of two sisters who were headed out to the "World's fair" in Paris in may 1889. They entered into a long correspondence with other readers of the magazine who openly and frankly discussed their own experiences with nipple piercings. But for a doctor's warnings of cancer and possible impairment of breastfeeding, the responses they received were overwhelmingly matter-of-fact and positive. There was no outrage or even stunned curiosity, and women who also wore piercings were happy to frankly tell them about their own successes with breastfeeding their children while wearing the piercings. They, as now, simply advised that they seek out someone experienced and skillful. The sisters decided to go ahead and when they went to Paris they immediately sought out the services of a Madame Beaumont to make an appointment.
“We found her occupying an elegantly-furnished apartment in a street leading from the Rue de Rivoli…Madame B’s business is to minister to the little wants and requirements of ladies, such as hair-dyeing, enamelling, corn doctoring, piercing their ears, and occasionally their nipples. She has quite an assortment of gold rings made expressly for this purpose, and she showed us that both herself and her daughter were at the time wearing them
…Madame B has invented an instrument for the purpose of insuring that the perforation is made in the proper direction through the nipple, and without any chance of failure. It is something like sugar tongs in form, but instead of spoons at the ends of the legs there is a pair of small tubes about 1 inch long, and in a straight line with each other, so that when the nipple is grasped between the inner ends of the tubes by means of a screw in the handle, a piercer can be passed through the whole without any chance of deviating from its proper course…
I partially undressed and seated myself on a couch by the side of Madame B, who passed her arm round my neck and held me steadily. Madame B then bathed my right breast for a few minutes with something which smelt like benzoline, and seemed almost to freeze it. She then adjusted the instrument to the niple, and screwed it up securely, and then, almost before I was aware of her insertion, she plunged the piercer through the tubes…
She then unscrewed and removed the tongs, leaving the piercer still sticking through the nipple, the point of the ring being then put into a hollow in the base of the piercer, the ring was passed through the nipple and closed…we spent the next few hours bathing our breasts with camphorated water, which Madame B had recommended us to use…after a time subsided we were able to dress and go about.“
Clearly Madame Beaumont was an experienced professional, working to keep the ladies sanitary and in comfort. Overall, it was a very positive experience for the two of them.
So was this truly a fashion trend?

It's unlikely that this was a widespread fad and is more likely to have been at least as niche as it's regarded now, though well understood in the right circles and very fashionable. In the end, the fact that it exists at all, and that many 'prim and proper' Victorians may have enjoyed it is really quite the eye opener. As we've often said around here, throughout history people are people and are just as creative and 'naughty' as we are nowadays.

 If you're interested in the wilder side of victorians and don't mind adult NSFW content, the tumblr blog 'Those Naughty Victorians' is a fantastic archive of Victorian porn that is sure to put a smile on your face. In fact, all the images I've used are from the blog


Sources

Tattoos are no new thing...

While they dip in and out of fashion, throughout history tattoos have been used for all sorts of purposes: for decoration, for rituals, for identification, for punishment, for health,  or even to provide a new career choice. Today I want to bring you seven amazing tattoos from history to inspire your next inking session.

1. The Siberian Princess

The 'Princess'  beautiful arm tattoo

Also known as the "Ukok Princess" or "Altai Princess" , she is believed to be part of the nomadic Pazyrk people that were described by Herodetus in the 5th century BC, making her some 2,500 years old. She is thought to have been around 25 years old, and was dressed in a long silk shirt and intricately decorated boots, wearing a horsehair wig, leading researchers to dub her a woman of importance or alternatively a healer or storyteller. She was buried alongside two men and six horses.

She is remarkable because of the level of preservation of her tattoos on her arm and hands, which was aided by the freezing conditions of her burial ground. While controversy surrounds whether she should have been removed from her burial site (including rumors of a 'mummy's curse' following the crash of the helicopter that carried her remains), it's nevertheless clear that she is a priceless discovery.

The warriors that accompanied her were also beautifully tattooed, and it is thought that these were more extensive then that of the 'princess' due to their advanced age.

 All drawings of tattoos by Elena Shumakova, Institute of Archeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Science 

2. Otzi the Iceman

You may soon come to notice that this week's post is rather mummy-heavy...
Back on the very first post of this blog in the article 'Why Do We Pierce Our Ears?' I introduced you to Otzi the Iceman, who has is ears pierced and gauged to the point of making any goth,rocker or hipster proud. In addition to impressive piercings, he is also famous for being perhaps the oldest mummy in the world. At 5,000 years old, he is sporting the oldest tattoos we know of in history.

In comparison to the Siberian 'Princess'' ink, Otzi's self modification is quite subtle. his tattoos mostly consist of a series of small horizontal lines that are often in groups of three or four. There was a significant number of these - 61 in all - and were made from black charcoal that had been rubbed deep into the skin.

Tattoos under different wavelengths by Marco Samadelli
The sheer number and simplicity of the tattoos suggested that they were not simply a form of decoration, but instead served a medicinal purpose or a ritual purpose. Initially, given the discovery that the mummy had suffered from heart disease and the fact that many tattoos were located around the joints, it was thought that the tattoos acted as a form of acupuncture. the anthropologist Albert Zink, however, challenged this following the discovery of a new chest tattoo that seemed to be inconveniently placed and instead suggested a more ritualistic property to the markings. We may never know, but it serves as a fascinating glimpse into an ancient way of life.


3. Nora Hildebrandt, America's First Professional Tattooed Lady



A more modern example of some beautiful and intricate tattoo designs comes in the form of Nora Hildebrandt, reportedly America's first professional tattooed lady. Nora was born in the 1850s to a father who was apparently America's first professional tattoo artists, primarily catering to professional soldiers and sailors. While tattooed men were a common occurrence, Nora decided that by working with her father she could carve out a career by exploiting this feminine flourish to the interest of any onlookers willing to pay. She toured in the 1890s with Barnum and bailey circus and, like many Freak-Show performers, knew how to work an audience. In her 'biography' she claimed that her tattooes had been forced upon her by American Indians who tied her to a post and assaulted her skin every day for a whole year. Unsurprisingly, this story didn't stand the test of time, but it certainly inspired the imaginations of those willing to pay to admire her.
Unfortunately for her career, she rather set a precedent. Nora's career dwindled away when newer, younger and prettier tattooed ladies took the spotlight from her.


4. Tarim Basin Mummy



Mummies really are remarkable things, the state of preservation gives you a real wonder into elements that are so easily lost to decomposition. in the Tarim Basin, China  - a notoriously barren desert - there was found another tattooed mummy that dates from between 1,000-600 BC and bears a remarkable similarity to Otzi's older tattoos. Also made from a mixture of charcoal and soot, the mummy of a woman was found with beautiful tattoos. She held moons on her eyelids, ovals on her forehead, 'scrolling' on her long and delicate hands. This was all part of a beautiful appearance: her hair was brown with white streaks that has been braided and tied with red wool.




5. Polynesian tattoos



We can thank the polynesian people for the word "tattoo" itself. In 1771 when Captain James Cook returned from his first voyage to Tahiti and New Zealand the word "tattoo" appeared in europe, coming from the word "tattaw" that he observed as part of polynesian culture. The tattoo became widely famous because of the Ma'i, who often tattooed european sailors when they visited. As these sailors returned home the designs came across with them and intrigued onlookers.

Polynesian culture is made of of many different tribes and communities of people, across a triangular spread of islands, but on the whole tattooing had a ritualistic purpose. Before the tattooing process a person would take place in a long period of cleansing, and the tattoos often told a story about important events in a person's life.



Many of these tattoos are still used in modern designs and for many people of Polynesian ancestry they still hold a special place in their hearts. For example Dawyne 'The Rock' johnson has used his tattoos to embrace his Samoan ancestry. You can hear his throughts on his tattoos here.




6. The Punishment Tattoos of Edo Japan

Images from Edo Wonderland
Tattoos were not always a positive experience. Throughout history punishments have involved mutilation of the body. In times when individualism has not been fully realised and the community was everything, being publicly branded as a criminal was a very serious fate indeed. In Japan's Edo Period (1603-1868) this particular form of mutilation took the form of facial (and later arm) tattoos.
These were often reserved for more minor crimes (such as stealing) and were combined with other forms of corporal punishment, but it is worth noting that tattoos themselves (to an even greater extent than today) were a painful process, and the humiliation of living with these after the fact could do lasting damage. However the tattooing replaced the amputations of noses and ears in the judicial system, so perhaps it could have been much worse. By 1875 the practice had been abolished and tattoos gradually became fashionable.


7. Winston Churchill



Finally, did you know that one of the most famous historical figures in british history actually had a tattoo? Winston Churchill himself had an anchor on his forearm in true popeye style, taking full advantage of the advances in tattoo gun technology of the time. What's more he was following in the footsteps of his mother, who before him famously had a snake tattooed around her wrist, which she often chose to cover with a thick bangle.
It just goes to show, you never know what creative little secrets someone is hiding.


Sources
-Siberian princess reveals her 2,500 year old tattoos
-Siberian Princess Fantastic tattoos
-Siberian iron Age mummy
-Nora Hildebrandt, the first tattooed lady
-Otzi the Iceman
-(Otzi) mapping 61 ancient tattoos on 5,300 year old mummy
-Criminals of Japan's Edo period were often punished by getting a facial tattoo
-The History of Tattoos: Smithsonian Magazine
-Polynesian Tattoo History
-Tarim Basin Mummy
-Historical Figures you probably didn't know had tattoos
-The Rock's tattoos



There's something very odd about punching holes in your ears.

For many girls (and, I assume, many guys) there comes a time in your childhood when you reach a crossroads. Your eyes, like a magpie's, are drawn to the shining bolts in the lobes of other children and the question that is never far from a kid's lips finds voice once again.

"Am I old enough now?!"

So far as I can remember, I wasn't allowed earrings until I started secondary school, so there was always a waiting period of impotent frustration. Magnetic and clip on earrings were pointlessly painful and they would never beat the real thing.  I wanted full blown pierced ears, like the older girls, and the whole new world of jewellery that was suddenly open to you. So, when I sat on the chair at Claire's to have two assistants stab holes in my earlobes with what effectively looked like Orwellian torture devices, I was nothing but happy and excited.

Since then I've had another three holes stabbed into my ears and filled with little gold decorations that I never take out. These are inexplicably a part of my identity now and it's always struck me as rather bizarre. 

Why did early humans, who were surrounded by disease and death at even the slightest injury, decide that boring holes in themselves was a good idea?


The history of ear piercing is certainly ancient. In 1991 the oldest mummy in the world - Otzi- was discovered in a glacia in Austria. testing showed that he was over 5,000 years old and he has his ears pierced and gauged to holes that measured 7-11mm.

Interestingly enough, Otzi the iceman also has tattoos that covered parts of his body that, archaeologists believe, were subject to wear and tear and may have caused him pain. Given the theraputic nature of his tattoos, is it possible that Otzi's ear piercings also had a benefit to his health or spirituality? 

 Ancient Persians (525-330 BC) were known to pierce their ears, and many stunning examples of earrings have been recovered, as with this example made from turquoise, carnelian and lapis lazuli.
 

 The depiction of a figure with an erect phallus on the above example may lead to speculation about the spiritual worth or relation to fertility that such jewellery might have. Certainly many historians and archaeologists are keen to assign spiritual reasons to these unexplained and apparently superfluous decorations. While ear piercing may have always simply been for decoration, like Otzi's piercings, it's difficult to know whether they hold greater meaning. For example, throughout history sailors pierced their ears under the belief that it might improve their eyesight. What is to say that ear piercing might not be therapeutic? Or sexually helpful? Or a protection against evil spirits? Loaded with a greater significance, it would be easy to see why our ancestors decided that an earring was worth the ever-present risk of infection.

For me, as for many women throughout history, ear piercing is as linked to coming of age as it is for fashion. In some respects it is a threshold, where one's parents acknowledge your agency and responsibility.You're no longer a rough and tumble child who is likely to pull them out and hurt themselves. You're growing up and, in a way, through allowing yourselves another form of jewellry you are adding to your arsenal for expressing your identity and -given our western standards of beauty - attracting a mate. In the end, while we may think it more subtle, there is little fundamentally different about piercing in British society than there is from, for example, the Ethiopian Mursi tribe's treatment of piercing where, upon reaching puberty, a girl is given lip and ear piercings that will be gradually gauged her whole life and assist in increasing her status.


In the end, it's difficult to know why the first man or woman decided to put themselves through the pain and risk of stabbing a hole in their ear for this decoration. But I, for one, am glad that they tried.


Naturally it doesn't begin and end with ear piercings. Throughout history and into modern times, people can pierce all manner of parts of their bodies.

Note: Some of the below examples are rather 'Not Safe for Work' (NSFW) due to graphic nudity. These have been placed as links, click them to view the examples.
 
Nose Piercings
It is thought that nose rings first appeared in India during the Monghol period of the 16th century, and excavations in India have reportedly not upturned any nose piercings before that period. In Inida, for example, traditionally the left nostril was pierced as, in Ayurvedic medicine, this was linked with femininity and the ease of childbirth.Traditionally, for for many families to the modern day, nose piercing is linked with marriage.
 



Tongue Piercings
 While the history of tongue piercing is in debate, it was widely believed that the Aztecs practiced tongue piercing as a form of religious blood-letting. In modern western culture it has generally been linked to provacative rebellion due to the sexual benefits it gives. Body modifications have naturally built on this, and nowadays it's possible to completely split the muscle into a 'snake/demon tongue' so that each muscle can move independently.

Lip Piercings

Like almost every piercing, lip piercings can also be gauged.  Stick in a clear plug in there and this results in something that is equal parts awesome and horrifying.
Which is exactly how it was intended.













Septum Piercing
Septum piercing is a form of nose piercing that is inserted between the nostrils, as is commonly seen in bulls.
Personally, I first saw this as the ring facing downwards in the bull style, but recently the fashion seems to be to invert it, so that the balls of the piercing peek out of the nose.  For my taste this looks a little too much like a runny nose if you catch it in the corner of your eye, but it's certainly a delicate effect.
Belly Button Piercing
Naval piercings can take up to 12 months to heal, and the risk of infection is high, but this didn't stop it being very in fashion during my secondary school years which tallies with the western 1990s and 2000s fashion trend that was seen among many pop stars. Reportedly a modern invention, it has apparently not been seen in ancient records or as widely adopted in more modern 'primitive' cultures in the same way that lip stretching and ear piercing has. Generally it is favoured by women due to the gendered differences in the fat distribution of their stomachs.

Corset Piercing
This form of piercing was designed to emulate the historical practice of wearing corsets and the pretty criss-crossed ribbons and string that were incorporated into them. The piercing itself is believed to be  a modern invention, having emerged in the mid 1990s as a form of surface piercing primarily as an erotic expression. Like all surface piercings (that is, those done on skin alone) the piercings are likely migrate and cannot heal properly as is seen in other piercings. this, added to the danger of tearing due to it's location, means that corset piercing is a temporary measure used for decoration or in BDSM play. But, due to the surface nature of these piercings, they can be worn almost anywhere on the body to impressive decorative effect.


Nipple Piercings


 It's debated when nipple piercings historically 'arrived'. Some people have pointed to specific pieces of roman armor where sculpted nipple rings on the breastplate were used to attach a cape, yet there is no documentation that actually physically piercing the nipples ever happened in ancient Rome. Again in other armour there are nipple decorations seen, but unsupported by evidence that the people themselves sported them.
Also, as a side note, nipple tattoos have also become a body mod trend, and many of the results are rather lovely.
(While either option personally make me wince, I have to admit that the angel wing rings are just lovely, especially with a tattoo combination.)



                                                                                   Genital Piercings: Female

Genital piercings are reportedly believed to have been first adopted by the tribes of Southeast Asia and it is thought that they were introduced into western culture through the reports brought back from such explorations. Despite the debate that had raged in the western world throughout history about whether the clitoris actually existed or not, and indeed for a long time it's existence was even actively denied, by the 1800s the discovery of the sexual benefits of clitoral hood piercings led to their adoption. Another piercing option is labia piercing which, like the labia-stretching practiced by some as part of traditional Rwandan culture, is viewed as aesthetically pleasing and  is also adopted for sexual reasons, whether due to heightened sensation or due to BDSM or chastity-play.
Genital Piercings: Male
Male genital piercings have as long a history as their female counterparts. One of the earliest  mentions on record was the Apadravya piercing mentioned in the Kama Sutra in the second century (though this is hotly debated as possibly a myth). A similar piercing has also been traditionally adopted by the Sarawak and Sabah tribes or Boreno. The apadravya passes vertically through the glans and uretha and, while reportedly the most painful male genital piercing, is believed to have sexual benefits. Alternative piercings that serve much the same purpose are the palang, fraenulum and foreskin piercings. The foreskin piercing especially had practical purposes: for example in Ancient Greece the practice if Infibulation was common in male athletics and first mentioned in the 5th century. Here, geneital piercings were used as an anchor (a practice called kynodesmē) so that the member could be pulled out of the way to one side for modesty or in order to affect the male voice. This manipulation of the genitals for practicality is said also to explain the emergence of the Prince Albert piercing. It is said that Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, chose to have this piercing prior to his marriage so that his member was held to one side to avoid unsightly bulges in the tight trousers that were fashionable at the time. Called a 'dressing ring' at the time, this would then attach to a hook within the clothing. The story itself has come under debate, with some questioning whether the originator was actually Prince Albert the grandson, rather than Victoria's husband, and many questioning the practice at all. It seems that we may never know, but there is no denying it's modern popularity for entirely different reasons.
Finally, surface piercing further extends the creativity of male genital piercing, with some examples being the hafada  piercing on the scrotum and guiche piercings - the latter of which is also chosen by many women.

In the end, it seems that the variety of human piercings is only ever limited by our own imaginations. From ancient times to the modern day, they are still imbued with a fascinating arrange of meanings. Whether they work as marks of coming-of-age, as testaments of courage, badges of social rebellion, items of beauty, symbols of sexuality, or are for simply practical use, it is clear that piercings are a very important part of our culture.



Sources: