Chinese women's shoes for bound feet

Went to Aberdeen today, popped into the art gallery and saw these beautifully embroidered shoes. At first I thought they were for a child, but after reading the blurb realised that they were for a woman. They're feet were bound for beauty and her feet weren't allowed to be more than 3 inches long so that they walked as if like a lotus flower- 3 inches! The fact takes away the beauty if the shoe:( crazy.