Chinese Cangue, 1870s

A cangue is a device that was used for public humiliation and corporal punishment in China and some other parts of East Asia and Southeast Asia until the early years of the 20th century. A typical cangue would consist of a large, heavy flat board with a hole in the center large enough for a person's neck. The board consisted of two pieces. These pieces were closed around a prisoner's neck, and then fastened shut along the edges by locks or hinges. The opening in the center was large enough for the prisoner to breathe and eat, but not large enough for a head to slip through. The prisoner was confined in the cangue for a period of time as a punishment. The size and especially weight were varied as a measure of severity of the punishment. Photographed by John Thomson, circa 1870-72

Picture No

12698115

Media ID

47678195

Size

2945px x 4650px (1.6MB)

Credit

LOC/Science Source/Mary Evans