Like any system of (hetero) fetishism Code d’ Odalisque draws erotic attention to certain parts of the female form. An odalisque is barefooted, for example – accordingly odalisque slave play has a distinct theme of foot fetishism. The slave’s feet are admired and considered objects of beauty.
Another part of the female body considered erotic is the nape of the neck. It is specifically emblematic of female submission. It is a place of vulnerability. It is characteristic of odalisque play for the slave to tie up or throw forward her hair in order to expose the nape of her neck. This gesture accompanies sword-play themes in Code d’ Ode. The slave lives “under the sword”. Exposing the nape of her neck is an implicit gesture of placing herself “under the sword”. She lives under the (symbolic) threat of beheading.
In other systems of consensual slavery the slave’s neck is fitted with a collar. The slave is collared and held on a leash, with the whip as the symbol of authority. An odalisque is a special type of slave. She does not wear a collar and her nakedness is her leash. But her neck is still a point of passive vulnerability. The back of her neck, exposed, offered to her Master, signifies her submission and her willingness to serve “under the sword”. For these reasons a slave’s nape is regarded as erotic and lovely.
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