A la the entry below, I came across a couple references to early “non-traditional” body piercing that I’d like to repost here. This first one, about a Madison piercing, is from Rack Rope And Red-Hot Pinchers: A History of Torture and Its Instruments by Geoffrey Abbott (Headline Book Publishing, 1993). It reads,
Chain through the Neck
In the more exotic parts of the world, more exotic punishments were administered. In China, monks who broke their sacred vows were punished by having a hole burned through their necks with a red-hot iron. A long chain was then passed through the hole and, stark naked, he would be led along the streets, any attempt to relieve the pain caused by the weight of the chain on the open wound being thwarted by the application of a whip carried by another monk bringing up the rear.
This also echoes the BME/News “dragon fish” feature on the more drastic but similar use of sub-clavical piercings.
Along those lines, Hieronymus Bosch’s Christ Carrying the Cross, painted in 1490, features a crowd scene that includes Moors (I think) wearing cheek and chin piercings.
This 16th century glazed ceramic plate of a face made of penises (bought by Ashmolean Museum in Oxford for about a half million dollars in 2003), created by Francisco Urbino in Italy, appears to have a Prince Albert type piercing in the “earlobe”. Whether that’s flight of fancy or something that’s representational of actual piercing subculture, I don’t know… That said, given the number of people I know that have pierced their genitals without any awareness of other people doing it, I assume it existed.
Comments
88 responses to “Early Atypical Body Piercing References”
This doesn’t have a whole lot to do with anything, but Bosch is wicked awesome!
This doesn’t have a whole lot to do with anything, but Bosch is wicked awesome!
the chain through the neck sounds like it would be a pretty permanent piercing in terms of longevity. There won’t be time for rejection because the monk would have died already!
the chain through the neck sounds like it would be a pretty permanent piercing in terms of longevity. There won’t be time for rejection because the monk would have died already!
the chain through the neck sounds like it would be a pretty permanent piercing in terms of longevity. There won’t be time for rejection because the monk would have died already!
the chain through the neck sounds like it would be a pretty permanent piercing in terms of longevity. There won’t be time for rejection because the monk would have died already!
The plate says, Every man looks at me as tho i were a dickhead. i have seen it before. you can ggogle dickhead plate and read more on it.
S
The plate says, Every man looks at me as tho i were a dickhead. i have seen it before. you can ggogle dickhead plate and read more on it.
S
The plate says, Every man looks at me as tho i were a dickhead. i have seen it before. you can ggogle dickhead plate and read more on it.
S
The plate says, Every man looks at me as tho i were a dickhead. i have seen it before. you can ggogle dickhead plate and read more on it.
S
Ahh thanks I was wondering what the banner in the background said. What language is it?
Ahh thanks I was wondering what the banner in the background said. What language is it?
Ahh thanks I was wondering what the banner in the background said. What language is it?
Ahh thanks I was wondering what the banner in the background said. What language is it?
Very little has changed! China was evil then and it is evil now. Torture still goes on there in 2008 as it did in 1490.
I believe New Zealand has just entered into a free trade agreement with China. Shame on New Zealand!!! It is an absolute disgrace!!
Human nature will never change and will only do so when humans finally become extinct on the planet.
Very little has changed! China was evil then and it is evil now. Torture still goes on there in 2008 as it did in 1490.
I believe New Zealand has just entered into a free trade agreement with China. Shame on New Zealand!!! It is an absolute disgrace!!
Human nature will never change and will only do so when humans finally become extinct on the planet.
Very little has changed! China was evil then and it is evil now. Torture still goes on there in 2008 as it did in 1490.
I believe New Zealand has just entered into a free trade agreement with China. Shame on New Zealand!!! It is an absolute disgrace!!
Human nature will never change and will only do so when humans finally become extinct on the planet.
Very little has changed! China was evil then and it is evil now. Torture still goes on there in 2008 as it did in 1490.
I believe New Zealand has just entered into a free trade agreement with China. Shame on New Zealand!!! It is an absolute disgrace!!
Human nature will never change and will only do so when humans finally become extinct on the planet.
the last pic reminds me of the movie superbad…when the kid has this thing about always drawing penises hah.
the last pic reminds me of the movie superbad…when the kid has this thing about always drawing penises hah.
the last pic reminds me of the movie superbad…when the kid has this thing about always drawing penises hah.
the last pic reminds me of the movie superbad…when the kid has this thing about always drawing penises hah.
i fucking love bosch.
i fucking love bosch.
i fucking love bosch.
i fucking love bosch.
wow! the only bosch painting i’ve ever studied is the garden of earthly delights and his style was way different – i wouldn’t have even picked that out as his in a million years. okay, that’s a lie. if i had a million years i’d probably guess bosch eventually.
also, lana, i think the same thing all the time but mostly about licking frogs. i just can’t imagine who looked at a poisonous frog and said “you know, just a little taste won’t hurt.”
that throat thing is like some sort of catastrophic tracheotomy!
wow! the only bosch painting i’ve ever studied is the garden of earthly delights and his style was way different – i wouldn’t have even picked that out as his in a million years. okay, that’s a lie. if i had a million years i’d probably guess bosch eventually.
also, lana, i think the same thing all the time but mostly about licking frogs. i just can’t imagine who looked at a poisonous frog and said “you know, just a little taste won’t hurt.”
that throat thing is like some sort of catastrophic tracheotomy!
wow! the only bosch painting i’ve ever studied is the garden of earthly delights and his style was way different – i wouldn’t have even picked that out as his in a million years. okay, that’s a lie. if i had a million years i’d probably guess bosch eventually.
also, lana, i think the same thing all the time but mostly about licking frogs. i just can’t imagine who looked at a poisonous frog and said “you know, just a little taste won’t hurt.”
that throat thing is like some sort of catastrophic tracheotomy!
wow! the only bosch painting i’ve ever studied is the garden of earthly delights and his style was way different – i wouldn’t have even picked that out as his in a million years. okay, that’s a lie. if i had a million years i’d probably guess bosch eventually.
also, lana, i think the same thing all the time but mostly about licking frogs. i just can’t imagine who looked at a poisonous frog and said “you know, just a little taste won’t hurt.”
that throat thing is like some sort of catastrophic tracheotomy!
Congrats, Anonymous, on Totally Missing The Point.
Congrats, Anonymous, on Totally Missing The Point.
Congrats, Anonymous, on Totally Missing The Point.
Congrats, Anonymous, on Totally Missing The Point.
They aren’t Moors but Jews.
They aren’t Moors but Jews.
They aren’t Moors but Jews.
They aren’t Moors but Jews.