Body Discipline-Body on Display: Exploring the Mystery of the Human Body through Historical Images

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Body Discipline

“Body discipline” refers to the regulation, domestication, and punishment of the body through various methods and rituals. Living in a society, the body is influenced and governed by social forces, where it must adhere to norms and submit to conventions. Social norms, values, and symbolic rituals often guide and control bodily actions, while legal systems employ punishment such as torture and imprisonment to force compliance and instill self-discipline. This section features ancient books and illustrations such as A Victory Banquet Given by the Emperor for the Distinguished Officers and Soldiers, Abolishing Corporal Punishment, Newly Illustrated Jade Chronicles of Moral Warnings, Essentials on the Interpretation of the Yi Jing, and The Newly Compiled Illustrated Encyclopedia of Daily Affairs, highlighting the operations of political power on the body, the constraints imposed by the Confucian code of ethics, and the control and punishment enacted by law. These works reveal how the body became a vessel for regulation and authority, inviting visitors to rethink the concepts of bodily freedom and autonomy.

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The Regulation of Bodies by Political Power

1.Yuzhi Xinji Duanyi Jingcui
(Imperial Edition on the Interpretation of the Yi Jing)
Written by Emperor Xianzong of Ming, Ming dynasty
Manuscript with illustrations, Ming dynasty

2.Bunsho No Soshi
Johann Friedrich Winckler, 1679-1738
©Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana

Political power uses gestures and rituals to discipline the body, enforcing obedience and conveying authority. This exhibition features Yuzhi Xinji Duanyi Jingcui (Imperial Edition on the Interpretation of the Yi Jing), showcasing divination poems and illustrations, and the “Pingding Yili Huibu Tu (Illustrations of the Pacification of the Yili Muslim Rebellion)” series, including the “Kaiyan Chenggong Zhujiangshi Tu (A Victory Banquet Given by the Emperor for the Distinguished Officers and Soldiers).” In these artworks, officials kneel before the emperor, symbolizing submission to power and hierarchy. Also featured is an image reprint from the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana’s (Vatican Apostolic Library) Bunsho No Soshi, depicting a scene where a higher-ranking figure sits elevated, while a lower-ranking individual kneels below, illustrating obedience through posture.
Physical Punishment and Bodily Restraints in Legal Systems

1.Jingtu Chuandeng Guiyuanjing
(The Mirror of Returning to the Pure Land Lineage of Lamps)
Written by Master Zhida, Qing dynasty
Block-printed edition, Qing dynasty
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For maintaining social order and power, rulers and judicial authorities have used punishments and restraints to inflict pain or restrict movement. Ropes and shackles limit mobility, while corporal punishment harms the body or leaves marks. Some restraints evolved into cultural rituals, like those in Chiayi City God Temple’s blessing ritual and the Donggang King Boat Festival, where people symbolically wear restraints for blessings. Today, these restraints are often made of paper, which is burned at the end of the ritual, symbolizing the removal of sins and the cleansing of past karmas.
The Body’s Restraint under Ritual Order

Xinbian Zuantu Zenglei Qunshu Leiyao Shilin Guangji
(The Newly Compiled Illustrated Encyclopedia of Daily Affairs)
Written by Chen Yuanjing, Song dynasty
Imprint by the Chunzhuang Academy in Jian’an in the Zhishun reign (1330–1333), Yuan dynasty

Traditional Chinese greeting rituals vary by social context, with different gestures reflecting hierarchy and order. These rituals impose physical rules and posture constraints, limiting movement to reinforce social structure. Xinbian Zuantu Zenglei Qunshu Leiyao Shilin Guangji (The Newly Compiled Illustrated Encyclopedia of Daily Affairs) details various greetings, such as Chashou (respectful hand gesture), Zhiyi (Respectful bow with clasped hands), and Zhanbai (kneeling bow). Through repeated practice, these movements train the body, internalizing ritual norms and making bodily discipline a part of daily life.