#sarah baartman

[women-throughout-history]

Sarah Baartman

Sarah Baartman's tragic story is a heartbreaking narrative of exploitation, racism, and the dehumanisation of an African woman in the early 19th century. Born in South Africa's Eastern Cape in 1789, Baartman faced a life marked by hardship and loss. Orphaned at a young age, she entered domestic service in Cape Town after her partner was murdered, and their child died.

In 1810, under questionable circumstances, Baartman signed a contract with British ship surgeon William Dunlop and entrepreneur Hendrik Cesars, agreeing to travel to England to participate in shows. Her distinctive physical features, characterised by extremely protuberant buttocks due to steatopygia, made her a spectacle in London's Piccadilly Circus, where she was exhibited in skin-tight, flesh-coloured clothing adorned with beads and feathers. The fascination with her large buttocks reflected the prevailing fashion of the time, but Baartman's public display in so-called "freak shows" also highlighted the darker undercurrents of racism and colonial exploitation.

Baartman faced a tumultuous life in Europe, performing on stage, enduring private demonstrations, and facing questions about whether she willingly participated or was coerced. The British Empire had abolished the slave trade in 1807, but Baartman's treatment raised ethical concerns, leading to a court case against her employers, although they were not convicted.

Moving to Paris in 1814, Baartman continued her exhibitions under the nickname "Hottentot Venus." She faced further exploitation, possibly engaging in prostitution, and ultimately succumbed to illness, dying at the age of 26 in 1815. The postmortem exploitation continued as Georges Cuvier, a naturalist, dissected her body, preserving her skeleton, brain, and genitals. These remains were exhibited in Paris's Museum of Man until 1974, a grotesque testament to the objectification of Baartman.

The journey of Sarah Baartman's remains back to her homeland was a protracted one. Finally, in 2002, after years of advocacy and efforts, her skeleton, brain, and genitals were repatriated and laid to rest in the Gamtoos River Valley, where she was born. Baartman's story remains a symbol of the intersection of racism, sexism, slavery, and colonialism, prompting debates and discussions about the historical exploitation and the ongoing fight against injustice.

[new-bein]

Advert made to promote France’s human zoo that was going to feature Sudanese tribes. Sound familiar?

[tuttle-did-it]

Just finished watching the #Swoop documentary on the Kardashian/Jenner cultural appropriation and blackfishing. It is INCREDIBLE, and parts of it are absolutely harrowing.

Swoop walks through why the blackfishing and blackface of the Kardashians is so dangerous and damaging, as well as highlighting the cultural appropriation of Japanese and Indian cultures by the Kardashians as well.

There is a harrowing story about Sarah Baartman and the Slave Trade which you NEED to watch. Watch the whole video-- but definitely, you NEED to watch the part about Sarah Baartman, the Paper Magazine photoshoot with Jean-Paul Goude, and more. (47:20)

And when you're done with that, read all about Sarah Baartman and the absolutely evil treatment she received.

[officialpenisenvy]

Venus, Suzan-Lori Parks

[robinlynnemabin]

Sarah Baartman was Khoisan sold into Slavery and exploited in European sideshows; Some Hip Hop Artists are doing the same thing today; Dinknesh (Lucy) 3.2 million years old, Free Masonry and Ancient Kemet (Egypt), Bastet from Kemet (Egypt) inspired the Panther Deity 'Bast' in 'Black Panther'; Auset/Isis, The Black Madonna & Child was worshiped in Europe - Michael Imhotep (Next Class is Sat. 8-15-23, 2pm EST - Register Now)   REGISTER NOW: Next Class Starts Sat. 8-12-23, 2pm EST, ‘Ancient Kemet (Egypt), The Moors & The Maafa: Understanding The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. REGISTER NOW & WATCH!!! (LIVE 12 Week Online Course) with Michael Imhotep host of The African History Network Show. Discounted Registration $80; ALL LIVE SESSIONS WILL BE RECORDED SO YOU CAN WATCH AT ANY TIME! WATCH CONTENT ON DEMAND! REGISTER for Full Course HERE $80: https://theahn.learnworlds.com/course/ancient-kemet-moors-maafa-transatlantic-slave-trade-summer-2023 orhttps://theafricanhistorynetwork.com/   

[tenth-sentence]

The inquiry accepted the claim that Baartman was free, was working as she chose and would be paid half of the profits of her exhibition.

"Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History" - Philippa Gregory

[the-moon-devi]

Astro Indicators Of Being Curvy

Reminder! This can change based off of genetics, and if you have any harsh aspects from saturn to any of these planets/placements.

🍑 Jupiter Dominance~ Individuals with Jupiter as one of their dominant planets tend to have a curvaceous appearance or a particular body part that is noticeably larger. However, this trait usually manifests in conjunction with other factors. Jupiter governs the legs, which often leads to this body part being much more prominent than others.

🍑 Moon/Venus Dominance: Both of these are feminine planets. Having 1 or both of these as your top 3 dominant planets gives the native a natural, curvy shape and womanly appearance. Moon gives you softness and bust. Moon can also bring the weight, while venus brings in the shape and curves. Moon rules boobs and venus rules the butt.

🍑 Sag/Taurus/Cancer/Libra dominant

🍑 Ceres in 1h/ conjunct Asc~ This is the asteroid of motherhood. And from what I've notice this brings women specifically a plumpness and curviness to their appearance. Their womanly body parts are more accentuated. Usually the chest area is prominent too!

Ex: Marilyn Monroe

🍑 Saggittarius Ascendants- our centaurs bring the legs. Lol. Although it doesn't always have to be the legs but it's usually something nice about that area. Sag Ascendants are ruled by the planet of expansion (jupiter) so its never surprising when I see that they are thicker than most people in their family.

🍑 purva ashada Ascendants

🍑 Cancer Ascendants- cancer all around brings womanliness, and femininity. They can sometimes embody that motherly figure of having wider hips and being thicker especially once they get older. Most the times when we see Cancer Ascendants who are slim they usually have saturn or mercurial influence on the Ascendant. Cancer can also bring the tata's.

🍑 Libra/Taurus Ascendants

🍑 7th house lord (positively aspecting) jupiter/moon

🍑 Moon in 2nd,1st,7th,4th house

🍑 Venus - Jupiter

🍒 Venus - Moon

🍒 4th house ruler aspecting Jupiter

🍒 Jupiter in 1h, 2h, 4h

🍒 Punarvasu, Vishaka, Purvabhadrapada in big 3

🍒 Jupiter aspecting sun/moon, ascendant, ascendant ruler

🍒 Mars ruled nakshatras in big 3; dhanistha,Mrigashira, Chitra

🍒 Aqaurius Moon/ Uranus - Moon; The Curious Case of Aquarius and Curviness/

It's perplexing to think about how Aquarius or even Uranus could be related to body shape. However, these celestial bodies are known for ruling trends, and in recent years, it has become fashionable to embrace curves. Women who are curvier than the norm, especially those from diverse cultural backgrounds, have become the face of uniqueness. Aquarius, the outcast of the zodiac, can bring attention to unconventional body parts on women. This can be unexpected and may occur with age, causing body image issues in some women, especially those with an Aquarius moon. This sign also brings a taboo or otherworldly appearance, which is why I believe Sarah Baartman, who was treated like an animal for her appearance, was an Aquarius moon. Women with an Aquarius moon can stand out because of their unique nature, as this sign is associated with trends. Not all Aquarius moon women are going to be curvy, but it is understandable why some plus-size models with an Aquarius influence on their moon have been celebrated for breaking beauty standards.

Ex: Barbie Ferreira, Ashley Graham, Precious Lee, and Mia Amber Davis w/ Moon conjunct Uranus

🍒 Moon aspecting Ascendant

🍒 Moon- Jupiter

The more you have the thicker you are. It usually takes a combination of these. If you have these and still aren't considered to be thick, check and see if you have saturn or mercury impacting your ascendant or ascendant ruler.

𝓓𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓓𝓮'𝓛𝓾𝔁𝔁𝓮

𝓒𝓱𝓮𝓬𝓴 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓞𝓾𝓽.....

𝓗𝓸𝓽 𝓐𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓰𝔂

©𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓽𝔂 𝓒𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓵

[troythecatfish]

Human zoos in the West were a feature of colonialism. They fed a fascination for exotic lands and a grotesque pseudo-science that focussed on the physiology of so-called 'savages.

Africans were exhibited in primitive settings for the enjoyment of spectators at trade fairs and travelling shows, helping legitimise the domination of 'lesser' beings by supposedly 'superior' Western civilisations.

One famous 'exhibit' was Saartjie Baartman, who was also known as Sarah Bartmann. She was a South African woman who attracted crowds due to a genetic condition (steatopygia), resulting in a highly protruded posterior. She was shipped to London in 1810 and spent most of her life on display. In 2002, her remains were repatriated and buried in South Africa. Another infamous exhibition was unveiled at the 1958 World Expo in Brussels, Belgium. It featured Congolese people in their mocked-up 'village' at the venue.

Awareness of the foul, dehumanising practice is slowly being raised. A Paris exhibition in 2011 called

"Inventing the Savage" showed how human zoos laid the foundations for racism against Africans. It was the brainchild of the former French footballer, Liliane Thuram, whose Caribbean family suffered under slavery. Though human zoos do not exist anymore, the effects of colonisation and exploitation of coloured people persist to this day. That's why we'll keep posting about them.

[marzipanandminutiae]

Your post about the Victorians’ attitudes towards the Regency is so interesting!! Do we have any examples of them satirizing or otherwise lambasting the attire of other eras? My teacher once said they hated the Georgians but I’ve also read that was a big 1870s influence so unsure if that’s right.

I think this is where it helps to remember that the Victorian EraTM was a 60-year span of time, and the Georgian era similarly expansive. Parts of it were in and out of favor during parts of the former, so it's not quite correct to say "the Victorians hated the Georgians."

(Also, for fellow non-Brits who were confused by the Georgian/Regency distinction like I first was: the Regency was part of the Georgian era. So were most of the 1820s and 1830s. Georgian does not just refer to the panniers/powdered wigs period. The more you know!)

There was a massive late 17th/early-mid 18th-century influence on fashion in the 1870s and 80s, yes! It's why I get annoyed when people claim that bustles are based on the- very real -exploitation and fetishization of Sarah Baartman (c. 1789-1815). They became popular nearly 60 years after her death, and took inspiration from clothing that went out of style decades before she was born.

(La Comtesse de Mailly, 1698)

(1720s dress, National Museum, Norway.)

(Gown from the Met Museum's collection, c. 1872. Note the ruffled 3/4 sleeves, skirt back fullness, and appearance of an underskirt/overskirt arrangement. Low-ish, square necklines were also popular at the time, though not universal.)

As for satirizing other eras of fashion, I'm sure it happened in abundance; what interests me more, however, is the spreading of outright misinformation about how their ancestors dressed. One of the best-known examples is their take on the "iron corset" of the Medieval and Renaissance periods:

(Illustration from The Corset and the Crinoline, published 1868. One 1871 writer from the London Times dismissed the notion that such garments were orthopedic devices as "superficial falsehood," despite the fact that we now know- and clearly at least some people did back then, too! -that primary sources identify them exactly that way.)

While real examples of iron support garments do exist- as do extant accounts identifying them as medical aids -a roaring reproduction trade sprung up during the Victorian era. At least partially for fetish reasons, it is now believed, echoing the anonymous tightlacing erotica found in such publications as the misleadingly-named Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine.

And that's just one example. The more things change, the more we remain convinced that our ancestors were complete idiots who had no idea how to dress themselves sensibly.

[purvlereign]

It’s so funny how the French and British think they don’t have a problem with racism…like look up what y’all did to Sarah Baartman, and then get back to me.

[olderthannetfic]

Talking about "cultural appropriation" takes... I'm on a group that's called "things that aren't inherently queer", I often check it one a week. So I decided to check it today and the first video that appeared was a tiktok of men swimmers dancing to Beyonce's Crazy In Love and someone commented that "cultural appropriation is not inherently queer" and... Am I missing something????? Men swimmers twerking to a Beyonce song is cultural appropriation?????? And a bunch of people responded to that comment but NO ONE clarifies what "cultural appropriation" is happening in that damn video???? Seriously, what is happening.

--

I assume they're complaining about the twerking.

There was a period of time where there was a lot of discussion around skinny white girls with no butts twerking poorly and being complimented for it. I think it's stupid to try to restrict twerking, but there were some mega-racist reactions to it that treated black women and big asses as inherently super sexual and negative. Not that I think twerking isn't sexual, but some of the ways people were talking about it gave off real creepers-going-to-see-Sarah Baartman energy.

I actually think it's a pretty good example of actual appropriation problems in that the main issue is a double standard for the originators vs. the imitators, not the mere fact that something got popular outside of its original scope.

Not that the commenters meant it in any kind of nuanced way most likely.

[pierayanna]

want Black films of Black WOMEN

Black women angry

Black women vindicated

I want to see the justified anger but also the softness the vulnerability the compassion the selflessness the dire need to be selfish finally as she is able to enact her fury upon those that oppress her and be protected in the end. I want to see Black women loved and protected. I want to see Black women supported. by community.

I want to see her destroy. I want to see blood, guts, entrails, their tears I want to see her paint a gory scene with them treat them like the creatures (oh how they project) they are. how long was she made not human? how long has she bled?? I want cathartic screams of relief released. I want her shedding herself, birthed anew, rising from their ripped apart flesh.

I want allusions to already known events in which Black women have yet to receive justice (Sarah Baartman Breyonna Taylor Chennel Rowe Dr. Antoinette Candia-Bailey) I want allusions to the lack of love and representation of Black women in our communities.

[officialpenisenvy]

Venus, Suzan-Lori Parks

[creativefya]

The Gazing Artwork of Renee Cox

In chapter 3 Amelia Jones of “Seeing Differently : A history and theory of identification and the visual arts", explores fetishism in relation to the “gaze” of visual culture. The relationship between "identification” and “identity” is witnessed in the early 1990’s - early 2000’s by African-American artist Renee Cox with her series of images “exposing the interrelation between sexual and racial fetishim” (Jones, 95). 

Photographer and mixed media artist Renee Cox creates visual representations of strong black women. She simply is not interested in portraying black people as victims. Cox creates art that she coins as “another universe”. A universe of peace and self consciousness.(ReneeCox.org)  She uses black people and herself as the center of her photography. These avatars—historic characters, fierce mothers, cosmopolitan socialites, and Afro-centric superheroes—are imbued with sexual agency and resolute confidence.(Aperture.org) 

Her 1995 artwork  “Venus Hottentot” is a self portrait that “directly exposes a specific historical case of racial fetishism.”(Jones, 96)  Cox is creating a revolution with her own propaganda. Cox’s prolific photography is dominated by iconography. Her style is glaring as you are captivated by the gaze. She is looking back at the viewer looking at her. In “Venus Hottentot”, Cox uses props to exaggerate her sexual and racial “difference” while confronting the viewer with a direct stare into the camera. (Jones,96) Her presence is historical and controversial as a deliberate “in-your-face gesture”. (Jones,95) The deliberate correlation of her artwork in comparison to the brutal objectification of Sarah Baartman of the 1800s, “when people in London were able to pay two shillings apiece to gaze upon Baartman’s body in wonder. For extra pay, one could even poke her with a stick or finger.” (Eleksie.com) Cox’s deliberate “adoption of fetishism is strategic”. (Jones,98) Cox critiques roles for and the images of black women in history and contemporary visual culture with her photographic media by “projecting and freezing sexual and racial anxieties” of the fetishized glaze. (Jones,98)

REFERENCES

Amazon.com: Seeing Differently: A History and Theory of Identification and the Visual Arts

Renée Cox: A Taste of Power

Still in The Eve of Women; Sarah Baartman influence on women and fashion - Eleksie Noir

by : Andria Jones

Representing Women - UNCG -Fall 23

[thatsonemorbidcorvid]

Hey I’m the anon that sent you the headless women candles from Primark. I saw you got an ask about if they’re racist and I know I’m late to the convo, but my motivation in sending you those candles wasn’t just to show more instances in the phenomenon, but to highlight the differences in the brown and white candle. I know that design isn’t unique to the brand but I think there was an unconscious racism in choosing to portray black women as having a giant ass and hips while the white candles have more lifelike proportions. I don’t think anyone set out to be racist but it reflects what people think about black women’s bodies. The black candle is more sexualised and cartoonish in proportion than any white one. In the past they put Sarah Baartman on display, now it’s black woman candles. A far less odious form of racism of course, but it stems from the same route - racist obsession with black women’s bodies l

.

[moodsandmatters]

I'm good any way I go, any way I go

I pull up like the Freedom Riders, hop out on Rodeo

Stunt with your curls, your lips, Sarah Baartman hips

Gotta hop into my jeans, like I hop into my whip

Mobbin' in a hoodie like Melo

Come up out that pretty motherfucker like 'Hello, hello'

I will never let you shoot the nose off my pharaoh