The history of rope bondage and how it has evolved to date
Bondage can be done using many different materials, but rope is a popular choice and tends to be used when bondage is shown in the media. Rope bondage is an art form that can take years to master.
Rope bondage performances show the intricate knots and designs created on the body, and create an environment where emotional, physical, and visual pleasure can thrive for both the performers and audience.
One crucial part of this art form is the verbal and non-verbal communication between the person tying the rope and the person being tied.
Researchers Kurt Ernulf and Sune Innala stated that rope bondage has appeared historically in art, including erotic art in China and Japan. Bondage also appears in historic Indian writings on love. More recently, bondage tends to be a common theme in pornography.
While rope bondage can be used to create stunning visuals, many people are interested in experimenting with bondage in their own sexual encounters. Herbenick and colleagues out of Indiana University found that just over 20 per cent of people had tied up their partner or been tied up at some point in their lives. Additionally, approximately 30 per cent of people found the idea appealing.
Ernulf and Innala found that people who use bondage in their sexual lives enjoy the stimulation and sensations of being tied. Not only was their sexual pleasure intensified, they experienced additional visual enjoyment as well. They also noted the importance of fantasy during bondage.
The fantasy of being tied up or tying someone up is common. Christian Joyal and colleagues based in Quebec found that 52 per cent of males and 46 per cent of females had fantasized about being tied up while 42 per cent of males and 48 per cent of females had fantasized about tying someone up.
Rope bondage has a long history with roots in Japanese culture. In the book The Ultimate Guide to Bondage, author Mistress Couple notes that many of the techniques used in rope bondage today are based on ones historically used in battle. While originally used in Japan to restrain and torture people, the use of rope bondage has evolved in other, non-violent ways, which allowed for the development of artistic and erotic practices.
Images courtesy of Fifty Shades film stills