Anxiang: The Sensuality and Emotional Expression of Chinese Women

Author: Yang Erche Namu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Namu has published many books, but this one is special. The special thing about it is that it wasn’t "written" by Namu—it was "made" by Namu and many others, bit by bit.
What is a tongtou? Oh, that’s the East, it’s the subtle fragrance. Namu collected one hundred tongtous. No matter where she was, no matter where she went, she carried them with her. She took them to interview people from all over the world, asking them about their understanding of tongtous, sensuality, and the love styles of Chinese women. Among them were the determined "woman-maker" Gao Ling, the fashion designer who wanted to give women around the world Eastern charm, the beautiful writer Mian Mian after becoming a mother, diplomats, painters, and journalists.
The tongtous in the book are fragrant and vibrant, Namu in the book is alluring, the interviews in the book are spicy and direct, and the poetry in the book is alluring and lingering. Namu frankly admits that she doesn’t look good in tongtous—she lacks the shy and coquettish charm of Han girls. Like this book, though it has "color, fragrance, and flavor," the beauty isn’t in the tongtou itself, but in the dreams hidden behind it.
This book is a collection about the sensuality and charm of Chinese women, including the history and evolution of tongtous, and the embroidery techniques used to make them. It features the author’s essays and interviews, as well as passages from scholars describing the beauty of Chinese women and love letters from women of the past to their lovers.