Text by Claude2
.
Edited by Tony Ward
.
Shibari is a Japanese form of artistic rope bondage. The origins of Shibari date back to the late 1400s in Japan, when new laws prohibited samurai from carrying weapons. Samurai began using ropes to restrain prisoners and for hojojutsu, a martial art involving restraining or immobilizing opponents using rope. Hojojutsu techniques spread through the classes and rope bondage became an art form and recreational activity.
During the late 1800s, shibari’s associations with hojojutsu led to it being used in some erotic ukiyo-e woodblock prints and later photography as a form of BDSM. After World War II, with the loss of traditions, shibari declined before seeing a revival in the 1960s. Shibari began spreading to the West in the late 1990s.
The term “shibari”, which means “to tie” or “to bind”, became commonly used to refer to this style of artistic Japanese rope bondage in the 1990s. It replaced the term kinbaku, meaning “tight binding”, which had been used since the 1950s. Some key differences emerged between traditional kinbaku and modern shibari. Kinbaku focuses on binding partners tightly to restrain movement and uses single column and double column ties. Shibari focuses on intricate, decorative rope patterns performed on a freely moving partner using single limb cuffs and body harnesses.
In shibari, the emphasis is on the aesthetics of intricate rope patterns, knots, and weaves. It involves creative cooperation between the rope artist and model to create beautiful rope designs. The patterns may be simple or complex, symmetrical or asymmetrical. Rope types range from soft cotton and jute to rougher hemp and linen. Decorative knots are often combined with harness-style chest binding and hip or crotch ropes. Erotic humiliation is not inherent, allowing more relaxed, connected flow. Safety and communication are critical, as is avoiding nerve damage and loss of circulation. While with origins in hojojutsu, modern shibari is performed strictly for art, beauty, and erotic pleasure.
.
.
To access additional bondage and fetish photographs by Tony Ward, link here: https://tonywarderotica.com/fetish/