3 Review(s)

Innumerable references to the foot and to foot worship in Indian culture convey the impression that the foot is considered one, if not the most, important part of the human body. For the first time, The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto mounts an exhibition, Paduka, to illustrate the religious and erotic significance of feet and footwear in Indian art and culture. Rare information has been culled from lesser known Buddhist and Jain sources concerning the rules and regulations governing the monastic life of monks. About the Author Jutta Jain-Neubauer, born in Austria in 1951, studied Indology and Indian art history in Heidelberg and Bonn (Germany). Her books include: The Stepwells of Gujarat in Art-historical perspective (New Delhi, 1980), The Ramayana in Pahari Painting (Ahmedabad, 1981), Der Pfau in der Wste (in German about costumes and textiles of the Thar Desert area, Stuttgart, 1992). Table of Contents Preface Introduction Part 1The Foot in Indian Culture Part 2 Ancient Footwear and Types of Shoes Traditional Hide, Leather, and Leather Workers in India Part 3 Traditional Indian Footwear in the Modern Period Map Photo Credits Index