Bound feet of Chinese girl, X-ray. Footbinding is a custom that was practised in China for several centuries, until it was discontinued in the early 20th century. The feet of young girls were tightly bound in bandages to ensure small feet. The bones of the feet would break and deform as the feet grew in the bandages, causing great pain. Women with severely bound feet would be unable to walk great distances, and were essentially crippled. This radiograph is dated to between 1890 and 1923. The radiograph is part of the Frank and Frances Carpenter Collection.