Were breasts always seen in a sexual light? It seems there are many indigenous cultures to this day for whom exposed breasts are not taboo.
I'd be willing to get more specific and focus on western cultures. Is there any historical evidence that female breasts were at some point not a big deal to expose?
I'm curious because breasts are not primary sexual organs so I'm wondering why and how we got so hung up about seeing them. How did they go from milk machines for babies to titillating erotic appendages?
One early reference can found in the Bible, where it references breasts in a sexual manner in Proverbs 5:18-19.
'18. May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
'19. A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
While it's impossible to put exact dates on when Proverbs was written, it is estimated that the first 9 chapters were written during the Persian or Hellenistic periods