100 Ideals of Beauty

High Fashion

2010-11-19T08:21:00.001+09:00

Although difficult to relate to for the average person, high fashion dictates the trends which will reach us. Outlandish and criticised and mocked for it's impracticality, it has transformed into something unrecognizably boring by the time it appears on the street, the towering appendages meant to illustrate a love for individuality and creativity adapted to become something deliberately mundane and pedestrian. The sole feature retained which it has in common with the original may be a shade of colour or pattern, now repeated a thousandfold until it becomes a uniform for the trendsetters. Full of contradictions its diplomats are those who would often be regarded as grossly unattractive in normal society. Their thinness surpasses the delicate frailty of the naturally small boned generally prized in many cultures, and crossed the line far into the field of the freakish and disturbing. Awkwardly tall and with harsh, often somewhat masculine features, they are far from what would be desired or envied on the street. Yet its extremeity surely is valued within high fashion world, as with the surrealy overdone creations they wear. It is called "making a statement". Perhaps in a world of endless media streaming all but the most striking are submerged in a great flood of exchanges. What does it scream out to us? What does it ultimately communicate, if through the recycling of the ideas through warehouses that turn the look into a staple, and the more normal girls who similarly seem more accesssible to the rest, the masses, of us. Of course it is often criticised by parents and carers of girls, by feminists and even by the same media that promotes it. However the truth might be that for the most of us, it remains beauty because it is symmetry and balance according to the preestablished standards. This manifestation of masculine (designer, photographer, director) control over the female (model) body, and mass receptivity to the whims of a select few, always destined to imitate and follow them while subsidizing their lifestyles is easy on the eyes because it is easy on the mind. It reflects a standard we believe in. Although intellectual enquiry may claim that otherwise is or ought to be, our actions tell a different story as we continue to adhere to patriarchy and commercialism.

The 80's

2010-04-17T12:29:00.000+09:00

I recently reflected that the eighties teens I remember from when I was a small child are now in their late thirties. How did so much time pass by? They are glowing, their sun-tanned tight thighs in faded ill-fitting cuttoffs, or jeans slashed everywhere around the knees and below the bum. They are natural, careless, edgy, everything about them is made to draw attention, the t-shirts with slogans, the tight tight shiny lycra in bright and fluro colours that the women in their thirties prefer, the punk-inspired hair and the still-new concept of facial and body piercings, and shock is a friendly word. They brim over, they are dressed for sunshine, the couples are physical, walking with their hands in each other’s jean pockets entwined. The ones in my mind are big and bright, from a time when they were very young, and I was very small- now they have a past rather than a future and the course and meaning of their life has pretty much been written, although they still have many years ahead. The eighties Retro fashion now might be the reason why I remember them, but the “revival” barely does it justice, resembling the toned stylish minimalism in the dressing of a dancer on the way to the studio more than anything else. The tights now are cute, but the ones of the eighties were horrendous and tasteless, made of materials that looked vulgar, and worn by crash-dieting bony women past their prime, or the overweight whose silhouettes were outlined dimple by dimple. The sleek headbands made of modern materials, intricate embroidered looks for just a couple of dollars, diamantes and lace artfully arranged, on a thin plastic or stretchy black fabric, don’t really recall the feel of the bulky Alice band plonked on top of a face framed by a clunky fringe or a stressed head of perm. People might have different opinions on this, but I think the ideal of the 80’s was to make an impact and create attention, and that apparently the more unpleasant or extreme the look, the more positive a thing it was considered.

Russian Dress and Fashion

2010-04-12T12:12:00.002+09:00

Symmetry, bright colours and solid shapes were used to decorate the bodies of Russians. Composition was very important, with the basic look being symmetrical and balanced. Embroidery and trimming were used, and furs and decorative fabrics with gold and silver. This helped to project a stately, dignified image. A headdress was an important part of a Russian outfit. Bright, bold colours are used, often in impressive contrasting shades, and the Russian word for “beautiful” comes from the word for red, which, “krasny”.

The traditional Russian dress was called a sarafan, and the cap they wore was called a kokoshnik.

Aztec Beauty- born "without a face"

2010-04-09T09:20:00.002+09:00

In the Aztec understanding of the world, people would enter the world “without a face”. Only by taking on a role in society and learning from it, could they become beautiful. The face and the heart in mesoAmerica were thought of as indivisible- rostro y corazón.
Records show that Aztecs believed in personal cleanliness and bathed regularly in rivers and lakes, using scented soap, while Montezuma bathed twice daily. Women seem to have generally been discouraged from adorning themselves too ornately, or painting their faces, and they had long hair, with the hairstyles of married women being elaborate and ornate. . On the other hand, concubines painted their faces elaborately, with more of a sculpted, ceremonial look, as opposed to the natural, wholesome look preferred by ordinary women.

Georgian Hairstyles

2010-04-08T09:34:00.003+09:00

False hair, created into elaborate curls which defied gravity, were the style in Georgial era in Britain and France. The styling of hair in these elaborate styles took hours, and the styles were expected to last for at least a week. Women went to extraordinary lengths to keep these styles, sleeping sitting up. The natural hair of the women was dressed around horsehair and frames, and finally large volumes of false hair was added, rising as much as half the woman’s own height above her head!

These extraordinary hairstyles were often topped with decorations which were like model scenes of ships or farmyards. Alternatively, lavish Gainsborough hats might top off the hairstyle.The taste for the artificial extended beyond the hairstyle, and Georgian women frequently had false teeth, and dilated their pupils using Belladonna from the Deadly Nightshade plant. They used patches of valvet cut into pretty shapes to cover smallpox scars, and doused their clothes and belongings in toilet waters and perfumes.

Beauty Ideals in Fiji

2010-04-07T08:38:00.001+09:00

In Fiji, traditionally the body was seen to reflect the community in which the individual lived, rather than the identity of just the individual themselves. Hence a well-fed body was seen to reflect the wealth of the family or community, and so there was also a sense that the body belonged to or was part of the community. The individual was part of the web of interactions in which he or she existed, and body weight also reflected this. In a nation traditionally affected by famine and food shortage, as in many other parts of the world a robust weight was seen as beautiful.

Traditionally, Fijian women would eat as much as they wanted at a meal, and then lie down afterwards. A lack of appetite and thinness were seen as unhealthy and undesirable.

Modern Popular Beauty Standards

2010-04-06T13:13:00.000+09:00

Beauty as typically portrayed in the pop media, womens’ magazines and mens’ magazines, gossip magazines, Hollywood etc.

The emphasis on the superficial is often criticized, although by definition the same could be said of any physical standard of beauty. Should a focus on true beauty be beneath the surface? If so, there is probably no culture which has achieved this idea that it is “what’s inside that counts”.

The current physical ideal can however be described as very sculpted, and, partly because present day women in Western countries have the money and leisure to spend on their looks, the process is more time-consuming and detailed than it was a few generations ago. An increasing number of semi-permanent and permanent transformation procedures are available- for example, plastic surgery, some of the most common being breast implants, liposuction, botox and rhinoplasty, as well as permanent hair removal through electrolysis, various anti-aging and toning procedures on the skin using lazers and other technology, tanning beds and creams, as well as whitening creams, realignment of teeth. There are also other procedures which are partially cosmetic, such as lazer eye surgery. Many of these procedures are about “fixing” perceived flaws which detract from a standard of how a beautiful person is “supposed” to look naturally. In this way, the current procedures are a bit different to some other well-known examples of societies where physical alteration of the women’s body was important, when a particular extraordinary trait was treasured, be it a long neck, tiny feet or a dome-shaped skull. The thinking behind most of these procedures is probably not to stand out in a negative way, rather than to be noticed in a positive way. For example, people are presumably feeling this way when they are taking on orthodontic treatment, teeth whitening, or a nose job on a nose they perceive to be too large or oddly shaped, as well as most efforts relating to reducing body weight. Many beauty products such as makeup also is often used for this function, and ideas of “hiding your flaws” or “imperfections” are influence the cut of clothing that people wear. Fashion is of course also used to “show off your assets”, “be noticed”, and to “express yourself”. All of these ideas do have in common the concept that looks are a part of your identity, and can influence the perception of your identity.

Cleopatra Queen of Egypt

2010-03-25T13:16:00.001+09:00

Remembered in history as alluring, powerful and glamorous, Cleopatra, whose beauty enraptured Roman leaders and changed the fates of many, was not very attractive by the standards of the modern ideal. The layers of fat that encircled her wide, short neck were called “Venus rings” by art historians. Her hook nose was also seen as beautiful by women of the time, who preferred a downward-pointing, high, noble-looking nose. Even despite such points of contemporary beauty, however, Cleopatra was still fairly average in appearance for the time- being around 5ft, the average of the time, it was her seductive ambition that was her key trait and the one that she is best remembered for. Her immortalisation as a beauty was actually due largely to her other qualities- intelligent, powerful, and hungry for more power, ruthless and determined. Still, as a woman, is she immortalized as an extraordinary beauty because this is the highest form of praise possible? It is ironic that it was other qualities that allowed her to play her part in history, that her choice to focus on these manipulations allowed her to be viewed as beautiful- and also that the personal qualities she possessed are those that have been dismissed as “unattractive” in women in most cultures.

It is her story that remains alluring and we try to imagine the enthralling and mysterious woman who played her part in it. Willed as joint ruler of Egypt with her 12-year old brother Ptolemy XIII who she married at age 17 after the death of their father, she was quickly deposed because of her wilful ways, and her young brother left as a puppet king. She schemed a way to regain her empire, having herself wrapped in a blanket to be delivered as a present to Julius Caesar. When he unwrapped it, the 54-year old general found 22 year old Cleopatra inside, and the two became lovers. And after Caesar’s army defeated the Egyptian army, they remained lovers, but Cleopatra married another brother, Ptolemy XIV. Caesar and Cleopatra also married, and Cleopatra went to Rome with Caesar, with their hopes being that they could unite the two countries. After Caesar was murdered, Cleopatra returned to Egypt with their son, and continued to rule with her brother.

Geisha

2010-03-19T15:35:00.004+09:00

The Japanese female beauty ideal exemplified by the traditional Geisha look can be seen in many modern adaptations today. The ideal relates to both a physical look and qualities of personality. The look which is strived for is that of clear small features, smooth and even light skin and dark shiny healthy hair. In the geisha, this is seen in an extremely exaggerated sense, with a thick layer of white makeup leading to an unnatural painted look with striking red lips and dark eyes among the white oval face. The hair is set in elaborate designs above the head, and the outfits are expensive and delicate. The focus on style, exclusivity and detail in Japanese fashion is still evident, with women valuing visible expense in their looks and with brand names holding great cache. The idealized physical features are still that of light skin and long healthy hair, and small features in an oval face.
Smoothness and evenness of skin is emphasized in Japanese beauty and traditional formulas such as nightingale droppings for shiny skin, as well as mud, seaweed and rice bran were used. In the present day, beauticians and day spas are skill popular and a wide array of beauty care products are sold, with natural and traditional ingredients being valued. As well as being physically immaculate the geisha is also supposed to be an entertainer, whose talents range from the musical to various games, and to be a great conversationalist. To this day the coquettish submissive entertainer woman is a recognizable social role, and a similar industry of beautiful young women whose conversation is the only entertainment sold is visible in the hostessing industry.

The Wodabee Male Beauty

2009-12-18T17:37:00.002+09:00

The Wodaabe, which means “the people of the Taboo”, live in parts of Central Africa. Beauty is very important to them, particularly a focus on male beauty with male beauty contests being held where men try to impress various young women. The gender relations within the tribal group are interesting, with polygamy being practiced including the permission for married women to then live with or marry another man. Women who are unmarried are free to sleep with any men they want with no social restrictions or penalties on their promiscuity.

The taboos relate to various relationships within the tribe with strict rules and customs to be followed in many situations. Strikingly, the parents may not speak directly with their two eldest children, and these two are usually brought up by the grandparents instead. They are nomadic with tribes consisting generally of a few brothers, their wives and their children. The women carry status symbols called calabashes, which are passed down through the generations.

The male Wodaabe beauty is tall, with bright white eyes and teeth. In festivals, the men wear elaborate ornaments, and feathers and makeup of paint. They perform, singing and dancing to attract women at the age of marriage.

As the festival closes, a week of contests called gerewol begins. The main purpose of this is to attract women for marriage, and young women judge the men’s skills and beauty during these contests.

The focus on male beauty in the Wodaabe tribes might reveal some of the connections between emphases on beauty and the role and position that people hold in society.

Below: A Wodabee woman judges a contest between men at a gerewol

Byzantine Embroidery

2009-12-11T19:22:00.002+09:00

Byzantine Embroidery

Embroidery was a way for Byzantines among many other cultures, to decorate their clothing. The painstaking care taken in the fine and even stitches necessary to create an accomplished work of embroidery as well as the combination of creativity in coming up with beautiful designs as well as the transmission of culture in producing familiar patterns make this a fascinating window into the perceptions of beauty in ancient people.

Geometric patterns were popular in Byzantine, as well as nature, animals, as well as mythical creatures. The type of cloth and thread used may reflect the wealth of the wearer, with silk being a familiar indicator of high class. Even gold thread was sometimes used in garments.

Lip Piercing- Tembeta

2009-12-10T18:55:00.000+09:00

Lip Piercing- Tembeta

In the culture of some groups in modern day Chile, lip-piercing was a symbol of adulthood. Young men would have their lip pierced in a ceremony after which they would have attained manhood. From this point on they were able to fill adult roles and to marry.

Aside from indicating their role in society, the tembeta was also believed to protect the wearer. It was often made of a stone of beautiful colours and was a curved shape.

Alcoholic beverages made of maize were frequently used to numb the pain of the piercing.

Tlingit and Haida Crest Tattoos

2009-10-02T11:50:00.002+09:00

The Tlingit and Haida of Alaska used body modification procedures including Tatooing and piercing in order to proclaim their status and clan affiliation. The ceremony of piercing the ears of noble children was an important occasion which called for the participation of the whole clan and a festival of drinking and exchange. These ceremonies were called potlatches, although outlawed in the first half of the 20th century due to cultural misunderstanding of the ceremonies, leading to their decline. At these potlatches, after days of feasting the noble children would be pierced and tattooed by noble women or shamans. The Haida and Tlingit did this in order to display their position in society on differentiate them from other groups. The clan symbol also defined their relationship with other clans and showed their connection to the animal displayed.

The boys would be tattooed on the chest and the girls on the hands. Generally, the crest animal or some part of it would be tattooed onto the body.

The crest is immortal, and in ceremonies it would be the crest symbol that shamans would speak to rather than the person who was wearing the crest.

The below photo is of the Haida chief on the right where his grizzly bear tattoo on his shoulder in 1881

The Traditional Chinese Beauty

2009-09-28T10:55:00.003+09:00

The Chinese word for beauty is seen in records as early as 11-16 BC and means “pleasant to the sight”. Internal virtue was also linked to the concept of beauty, with many traditional stories suggesting that external beauty is a reflection of moral virtue.
Although the standard has changed many times over the thousands of years of Chinese dynasties, the shifting physical ideals reflected in statues and paintings, the facial proportions have stayed more constant. The body types often reflected the kind of lives that wealthy women were expected to lead, with very delicate, sickly women romanticized during the Ming dynasty while full-bodied builds were preferred during the T’ang when women were expected to be more physically active during the , while slender, vital styles were preferred during the Han dynasty.

The beauty as portrayed in numerous court paintings and sculptures had an oval face and plump cheeks. Having dimples, jiowu (pit of wines), were seen as attractive. The shape of the eyebrows was seen to reflect the character of the woman, and was important because inner qualities were seen as a component of feminine beauty. However the idealised shape of the eyebrows also changed over the ages as different characteristics were preferred. For example, during the Qin, bushy long eyebrows were idealized while in the T’ang dynasty the eyebrows were trimmed into a half-moon shape.
The proportions of the beauty were important in painting, with the “five eyes” ratio being that the distance between the two eyes as well as between the outer eye and opening of the ear each being one eye. The vertical proportions were to be divided into three with the distance between the hairline to eyebrow, eyebrow to bottom of nose, and bottom of nose to chin each being equal.
The eyes were consistently drawn as long and upwardly curved with black eyes in beauties as portrayed in paintings. The lips were also a consistent ideal and were small, round and red and were upwardly curved.

Ancient Greek, Horaios, Beauty as being age-appropriate

2009-09-25T11:36:00.000+09:00

In Koine Greek (popular form in 300BC-300AD), the word beauty, horaios, was connected to the word hora meaning time. The idea was that what was beautiful was appropriate for one’s own age, or being of one’s hour. The concept included the idea of a ripe old age, as well as the idea of youth. Somebody attempting to look older or younger than one age was considered unattractive.

The guitar-shaped body

2009-07-08T08:33:00.000+09:00

Brazilian forms of beauty that spring immediately to mind are the painted and feathered extravaganzas Carnivale, and the salon-waxed, well-proportioned beach bums in bikinis. An exceedingly body-image concerned society with high rates of plastic surgery and use of other treatments, a look at what is requested is one way to reveal the beauty ideal there. Breast reduction is a popular surgery there as the emphasis is on the bottom half in Brazil, generally the reverse of Western societies. Known as “um corpo de violão,” literally the “guitar-shaped body”, the point of attraction was “the sweet swing” of her hips. In the past, this was even more so, and as in Western countries a look at the fifties shows a generally heavier, all over, body type thinning out over the decades. The heavier ideal, “fartura,” representing abundance, is still important in poorer and more tradional regions, however the Western ideal is penetrating the society deeper and deeper due to media, the fashion and modeling industry, movies, even children’s toys.

The Persian Lady

2009-07-03T22:47:00.001+09:00

One of the more unique features of the Persian Ideal beauty is the joint brow, as can be determined by art from the era. Seen in ornate robes and luscious surroundings, emphasizing the wealth and abundance of the nobles and notables depicted, it might be possible to interpret from this also a symbolic expression of feminine fertility. Very often flowers are drawn around the damsel, at her feet or in the background. However in her actual physical characteristics, her femininity is very downplayed- de-emphasised, or it could almost be said de-feminised. Again this must be artistic license rather than the actual appearance of most of the girls, and in this gap can be seen the reach for the ideal by the commissioned artist. Focus is not drawn to her breasts and hips and they are often not shown in the pictures at all. Her torso is long, straight and flat like that of a thin young man.

The facial features probably reveal an Asian influence as the shape of the eyes and the large fleshy cheeks are very similar in style. Again this is an idealization, with the eyes often turned up and the nose straight and downturned. Often she has a beauty mark, and her headdresses, veils and hairstyles are very varied, probably reflecting the level of care and creativity that women took when dressing themselves.

There is a world of difference between the ideals of modesty in Persian culture and Western culture. As can be seen below, Persian women were sometimes drawn wearing a cape fastened only at the neck (and naked beneath) thus making the breasts vulnerable to exposure. The veil on the other hand seemed to have connotations of modesty or purity attached to it even in these pre-Muslim times.

(painting from Freer Sackler Gallery)

Bishonen

2008-12-27T21:34:00.004+09:00

Bishonen (美少年) means beautiful young man, and is a Japanese ideal of feminine features in a man. The ideal is an ancient one with homoerotic overtones and roots in Chinese and Indian culture, and is prominent in pop culture today with a strong following amongst young girls. The bishonen today has soft, delicate feminine features, a long hair style, which is upkept in a stylish layered cut, tight-fitting fashionable clothing and has no facial hair. He has manicured brows and a slim bone structure, and may also have feminine accessories such as a handbag, hairclip, or a lot of jewellery.
The images below show bisexual J-pop singer GACKT and Jin Akanishi who is a member of J-pop band KAT-TUN.

Moslem view of beauty through concealment using a veil

2008-11-25T15:28:00.004+09:00

One interpretation of beauty in Islamic thought is related to concealment as a concept in viewing life and femininity. The body is interpreted not as part of the true self but as one of many obstacles to viewing the real self. As such it is concealed so that the inner self can be found and can become the woman's only public identity. The natural physical appearence along with all efforts to manipulate it, shape it, or improve upon it are seen to be curtains concealing the inner self. Through this view, the hajib is an attempt to bypass all these other veils by drawing yet another veil over it.

This speech on "the Beauty of Concealment" explains this view in more detail.

Maya

2008-11-22T17:58:00.002+09:00

When babies were born, the Maya shaped their heads by tying boards to achieve a forehead that sloped backward. This was done for a few days, and because the bones were soft at this point, their heads were shaped like this for life. People are depicted in this manner in artwork, the exagerrated sloped forehead showing this physical manipulation or an idealised version. In depictions they are also represented with a slighly receding chin, and almond-shaped eyes. A large nose, extending from above the eyes is evident. Slightly crossed eyes were also considered beautiful and an object would be dangled in front of babies in order to try to achieve this look. The Maya would decorate their teeth by filing them to a point, or sometimes even a T-shape, and put jades in the holes. They also extensively practiced body painting. Headdresses were worn on ceremonial occasions. The Maya drawings below illustrate their concept of beauty.

The long heads and flowing hair of the Mayan ideal are thought to be mimicking the corn god, youthful and strong.

Costume is also important, with elaborate regalia worn by nobles.

Kalokagathia

2008-09-14T14:14:00.002+09:00

Kalokagathia in ancient Greece was ideal physical and moral beauty. Coming from two words, kalos meaning beautiful(outward) and noble(inward), and agthos, meaning noble, courageous, worhty of admiration. It involves notions of symmetry important to Greeks. Plato believed that which is beautiful can only be good, and vice versa. Plotinus followed Plato's ideas and said that "beauty is that which irradiates symmetry rather than symmetry itself."

Below is a kouros, which is a statue of a youth that did not represent a particular person but the idea of youth. Made as dedications to the Gods or as graveside monuments, kouros were fashioned to be flawless representations of the "beautiful and good" ideal.

Nuba Scarification

2008-09-12T17:57:00.001+09:00

The Nuba, a tribal group in Sudan, idealise scarification, dark skin and hairlessness. Scarification is considered a mark of beauty on women, and her first set of scars are cut from the naval to the breasts when her breasts first start to mature. On menses, more scars are cut on her body, and after weaning her child, a final set on her back, neck, arms, and legs. The raised scars are connected with sexual desire, and are said to create erotic sensations when touched.

Ancient Egypt

2008-07-22T15:48:00.003+09:00

The Ancient Egyptians used an array of techniques with much in common with modern ones, such as cosmetics, tatooing and body creams, to achieve a stylised appearence. This body ideal can be seen in many pictorial records and is recorded in heiroglyphs.

Body hair removal was important to the Egyptians who believed hair was a sign of uncleanliness. The only exception were the goatee and mustache. Sometimes women even had their head shaved, however more often hair on the head was braided, shaved, cut in order to express individuality and fashion. Wigs were also used.

Oils were important in protecting against the sun, and Egyptians also adorned themselves with scents. Jewelery was also important with lapis lazuri imported from Afghanistan being one of the most important, while silver was sometimes regarded as more precious than gold due to its relative scarcity. Soaps were used from around 1500BC.

Green or black eye makeup was used to emphasise the eyeline and eyebrows and to decorate the eye. Henna was used for colouring the hair.

Concubines and dancers from the Middle Kingdom had geometric designs tatooed on their shoulders, chests and arms. In the New Kingdom dancers, musicians and servant girls had tatoos of the god Bes on their thighs.

Ideal Beauty in Goth, Alternative, or Indie subculture

2008-07-18T12:37:00.002+09:00

In Goth, Alternative and Indie subculture in the West, is mainly present only in teenage and university age cultures and is mostly expressed by women. This ideal is of very pale skin, dark hair and dark eyes and lips, and allows almost any body type from very full-figured in a retro bodice to very thin and tall in a flowing lace blouse. Colours of clothing are dark or bright, such as black, red, burghandy, dark green, or mustard, as well as white and cream lace. Styles of clothing are almost always retro, with a basic preference for lace, bodices, transparent layers, flowing long skirts. The look has many variations, from a kind of bondage look to Shakespearean to Indian style to heavy metal to businesslike adaptations. However, what they all have in common is an attempt to convey depth, feeling, darkness, being misunderstood and being different from the majority standard. The image is of an intellectual in retreat from the everyday world, as well as expressions of many kinds of teenage rebelliousness. However, individuals who participate in it are overwhelmingly expressing cultural conformity to this sub-cultural ideal.

This ideal exists all over the Western world from Europe to the US and perhaps has done so for many centuries, although it remains a minority subculture in all areas where it appears.

The Ideal Beauty in Surfer and Beach Culture

2008-07-18T12:10:00.002+09:00

In Surfer and Beach culture, the ideal is a tanned, slim and muscular athletic body. Hair is sun-streaked or, recently, artificially coloured with layered streaks of bleach. A somewhat angular torso with long limbs and broad shoulders is preferred, and broad shoulders are acceptable or somewhat idealised even on a girl. The body is somewhat angular, the male displaying beside the square shoulders, a long straight back and flat stomach and square hips. The female body is more triangular, often carrying sturdy shoulders and a wide upper torso which angles down to a small flat stomach, accompanied with angular hips. The legs on the girl can be somewhat short and sturdy in comparison to the general western slim ideal. In contrast to the general Western ideal, freckling is generally acceptable especially when it only covers the body and not the face, as long as the skin has tanned, and is idealised on childrens' faces. The ideal is very youthful and is usually portrayed in its teenaged or early-twenties stage.

This ideal dominates Australia generally, and many beachside areas of the US and New Zealand, as well as surfer and beach subculture internationally.

Hindi Traditional

2008-07-11T11:08:00.003+09:00

Indian philosophy saw the cultivation of physical beauty as a positive ideal connected with inner beauty. The adornment of the Ideal Beauty in Hindi tradition has spiritual significance in the culture. The woman is adorned with sixteen ornaments (solah shringa), the number sixteen being significant as the "perfect age" and also the number of phases of the moon.

The Bindi is painted at the centre of the forhead, representing the third eye. Sindoor is red powder placed in the parting of the hair of married women. The red colour symbolises fertility and commitment to her husband.

The tika is a chain with a hook on one end and a pendant in the other. It symbolises her union with her husband.

Khol is used on the eyes and eyelashes, while a nose ring is worn. A necklace is worn, and flower earrings that symbolise the cycles of nature, the god Kama, and femininity.

Mehndi, or henna is applied on a bride's hands as a non-permanent tatoo. It is also used at other auspicious occasions by married women. It is a symbol of satisfaction and happiness.

Bangles on the wrists and armbands also associated with marriage. The Indian aesthetic considers adornment to define beauty. The arsi, a thumb ring with a mirror, brings special delight for this reason, and is worn particularly by married women.

Hair is oiled, ornamented, and decorated with flowers. Dividing the hair into three to form a braid is considered auspicious, as the three strands represent the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, or Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, or her father's house, in-laws' house and herself.

The kamarband is a band worn around the waist, passed down from mother to daughter. The tradition of many of these 16 ornaments goes back centuries or millenia, and the kamarband has been used continously from the at least the time of the Indus Valley civilization up to the modern day.

The foot is both the human pedestal in contact with the mother Earth and the humblest and most impure part of the body in Indian culture. Lovers would often be portrayed as falling at women's feet to show their respect. Adornment of the feet is therefore important, with the anklet (payal) and toe rings. Gold should not be used because it symbolises Lakshmi, the Godess of wealth.

Perfume is used discreetly and reflects the woman's character, and qualities of the seasons.

The Indian ideal of beauty has traditionally been voluptuous with a focus on the belly and hips.

Edo Japan

2008-07-08T12:45:00.003+09:00

In the edo-period Japanese aesthetic, the eyes and the lips are exaggereatedly small and the nose is straight long and points downward. The face is white and long, the features small and gathered in the middle of the face. Their chins are large and their limbs thin.

One edo-period ideal expressed in these pictures was the concept of refinement (iki). Three elements withing iki were spirit (hari), allure (bitai) and urbanity (akanuke).

Courtesans with elaborate hairstyles and expensive kimono were an ideal emphasised in art from this era.

Top to Bottom Pictures by: Utagawa Toyoharu, Utagawa Toyokuni, Chobunsai Eishi

Yoruba Twin Carvings

2008-07-08T12:38:00.000+09:00

The Yoruba who live in Nigeria and Benin carve sculptures upon the death of a twin. This region has one of the highest birth rate of twins in the world and they are thought to be a blessing to the family and to have special powers. This mainly describes male twins, who most the carvings are of. The carvings express an ideal and so they are of youths no matter the age of the twin at death. The heads are large and elongated, due to Yoruba belief that character and spirituality are centred in the head. The sexual characteristics are also emphasised. These carvings called Ibeji were passed down and cared for through generations, and through heavy handling gain their polished and smooth appearence.

Akua's Child

2008-07-08T12:35:00.001+09:00

The Ideal Child is portrayed in the carvings of the Asante of Western Africa, shown with an enlarged forehead and head and a thin body and neck. The carving is commisioned by a pregnant woman in the hopes of having a healthy baby. Because Asante society is matrilineal, the carving is nearly always of a female, indicating the preference for a girl.

The carvings, which are called Akua's Child (Akua'Ba) originate from the story of a woman called Akua, who was having trouble conceiving, and commisioned to have the carving made during her pregrancy after being instructed to do so by a priest. She was told to rock it to sleep, give it gifts such as necklaces, and carry it with her. All the villagers mocked her, but she gave birth to a healthy baby girl, and from then on women have had carvings of Akua'Ba made.

Left: Akua'ba by Osei Bonsu, Kumasi, ca. 1935. Right: Akua'ba, the Asante

Victorian Era

2008-07-08T11:43:00.000+09:00

The ideal body type during this era in Europe and the US was a full body with large hips and bust and a very small waist. This body shape, of an impossibly small waist assisted by use of a corset, was popular in the 1800's. This was initially a fashion for the wealthy who did not have to work and the corset represented their luxurious lifestyle as well as their refinement. It spread down to middle and lower classes who imitated the look of the wealthy. Although one of its initial appeals was that it made the wearer obviously unfit for work, by the 1890's even when working in the fields or kitchen working class women wore loosely fitted corsets.

The corset also reflected Victorians' ideals about morality, with the inhibition of motion being linked to inhibition of desire and restraint.

The Long-Necked Karen

2008-07-08T11:16:00.000+09:00

In many tribes of Karen people, in Burma and northern Thailand, long necks are seen as beautiful. The women wear rings around their neck from childhood, gradually adding more rings as they grow older. Adult women may have as many as 30 rings around their necks. Traditionally, Karen married women wear black and red, while unmarried girls wear white. Some groups of Karen also wear ivory tusks through their ears, which are inserted in childhood and are gradually replaced with large earrings as the earlobes elongate until they are finally about 4cm. Some groups of Karen do not traditionally wear the distinctive rings around their necks. Karen are generally matrilineal societies, so two adult women (eg. a mother and married daughter) will not live in the same house together. In some groups only certain people can wear the rings, for example, a girl born on a full moon on a Wednesday, who is highly valued.

Although the practice is often depicted as cruel or sexist, I am mainly interested in how other cultures see beauty including those that have quite different concepts to our own. Although it does result in physical alteration and impedes physical movement, the same could be said of breast implants which are far more physically invasive and becoming common in our own society.
Karen groups are persecuted by the government of Myanmar (Burma), which is displacing them and commiting a kind of genocide by destroying the areas where they live. They are also under threat in Thailand, where some Thai tour operators keep them in a compound. There they are a human zoo where Western tourists that do not understand their culture gawk at them and at the same time pity them.

The Ramayana- The Chapter of Beauty

2008-07-08T11:11:00.000+09:00

This blog will focus on depictions of human beauty. I will begin with an extract from the Ramayana, a 3000 year old text from India, which had been passed down orally since pre-historical times. In its "Chapter of Beauty" (Sundra-Kanda) the ideal of beauty is manifested through the heroine Sita who, kidnapped by the demon Ravana is desolate in a garden guarded by his ogresses. She is described vividly in parallels to the natural world. The chanting of this chapter in this text of religious significance brings about a fulfillment of all wishes.

Here, the beauty of Sita is not simply the ideal beauty in a woman but symbolises ideal beauty in the world. I think this concept plays a part in ideal beauty in all cultures, the qualities they have show what is thought to be ideal in the world. Her inner beauty is the central image which these physical metaphors are used to describe.

‘Sita seemed to scorch the nearby vegetation with her deep sighs. Her beauty, now only faintly discernible, resembled a fire clouded by smoke. She was clad in a single yellow garment, resembling a pond without lotuses. Abashed and disconsolate, she was like the doe cut off from her herd and surrounded by a pack of hounds. Her hair was formed into a single braid (ek-veni), falling like a black serpent on her back. Seated on the ground like a branch fallen from a tree, she resembled a blurred memory or a fortune lost, a faith betrayed or a hope dashed, like a reputation lost due to false rumor.’
‘Looking here and there like a delicate fawn, Sita was barely discernible, like a Vedic text once learned by heart but now nearly lost through the lack of recitation. It was only with great difficulty that Hanuman was able to recognize her, because she was like a word whose meaning has changed due to inapt usage. Even then, keeping her faith, the firm lady looked no more agitated than the river Ganga, which however heavy the rainfall, never floods.’
‘Weighed down by grief, Sita was like a ship at sea burdened by heavy cargo. She resembled a star, whose positive karma now exhausted, had fallen down from heaven to the earth. Lacking in all ornaments, she was adorned only by the love for her husband. In the absence of her lord, she was rendered mute like an untouched vina.’
‘Her body was covered with dirt, however, she was adorned with her own physical beauty, thus, like a tender lotus stalk covered with mud she both lacked beauty and possessed it. She seemed to be a wave risen from the ocean of grief. Like a command disobeyed, or the skies aflame at the time of a catastrophe, she was like a river run dry. She resembled a pond ruined by elephants, its lotus blossoms and leaves torn up and the birds frightened away. This was the condition of Sita, like a little girl abandoned in the midst of desolate wilderness.’