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A fine fan shaped ivory comb with red, gold and black hand-painted decoration, gifted to Lady MacDonald in 1898 AD at Peking by the Dowager Empress, Cixi.

Shubi ( Chinese: 梳篦), also called as zhi ( Chinese: 栉), is a generic term used for Chinese combs in China, which includes thick-teeth comb shu ( Chinese: 梳) and thin-teeth comb bi ( Chinese: 篦). [1] [2] [3] Shubi originated about 6000 years ago in China during the late Neolithic period. [4] [5] Some Chinese combs dating from the Shang dynasty were found in the Tomb of Fuhao. [6] In ancient China, Chinese combs had a high special status, a high artistic value, was an important form of hair ornament in Chinese history. [7] [4] Chinese comb also had and continues to hold unique cultural meaning and emotional value. [8] Chinese combs in China were not used only for grooming purposes, they were also used holding and decorating hair. [9] [4] Both Chinese men and women wore decorative combs in their hair in ancient China. [9] Chinese women often wore combs and fine-tooth combs in their hair buns. [7] Chinese comb-making was also an important form of traditional Chinese art and business industry. [9]

Terminology

The term shubi ( Chinese: 梳篦) also includes to two types of combs: shu ( Chinese: 梳; also lit. translated as comb, and sometimes also refer to coarse and thick-teeth comb) and bi ( Chinese: 篦; a type of fine-tooth comb). [1] [2] [3] The term shubi also refers to a form of hairstyle in ancient China. [1]

The usage of the term zhi ( Chinese: 栉) has relatively unstable. The use of the term zhi to refer both types of combs; i.e. thick-tooth combs and fine-teeth combs were only found in the pre- Qin dynasty literature. [3] However, the term zhi was partly changed by the word shu ( Chinese: 梳) to refer to thick-tooth comb in the Sui and Tang dynasties. [3] The term zhi was partly changed again by the word bi ( Chinese: 篦) to only refer to thin-tooth combs after the Yuan dynasty. [3]

Origin

Invention of comb

According to a legend, the Chinese comb was invented by one of the concubine of the Yellow Emperor, called Fang Leishi ( Chinese: 方雷氏). [10]

Invention of Bi

The invention of bi, the fine-tooth comb, is attributed to a Spring and Autumn Period official called Chen Qizi who was put into prison after being found guilty. [1] In prison, Chen Qizi developed lice on his head which made him itched intolerably. [1] After being tortured by the prison wardens with bamboo planks, Chen Qizi discovered that the bamboo planks would be split into strips; he then packed these wooden strips together to create the original fine-toothed comb to clean his hair away from lice and dirt. [1]

Foundation of Comb trade

According to a legend, after the defeat of Chiyou, the craftsman Hao Lian, who knew how to make combs, was captured, imprisoned and given the death sentence. [1] The prison warden, Huang Fu, discovered that Hao Lian could make combs and advised him to make a comb to save his life overnight. [1] The comb made by Hao Lian was presented to the Queen Luo Zu, but Hao Lian was already executed before an amnesty could be issued. [1] After Hao Lian's death, Emperor Xuan Yuan appointed Huang Fu to lead other craftsmen in comb-making based on the models left behind by Hao Lian. [1] Since this time, Hao Lian and Huang Fu have been both considered as the founders of comb trade. [1]

Connotation and significance

Symbolism

Wedding dowry

Chinese combs were also an essential component of dowry in ancient China; they are also a symbolism of a happy life. [11]

Pre-wedding ceremony

Prenuptial hair-combing ceremony, also known as shang tou ( Chinese: 上头), is a traditional Cantonese Chinese ritual which takes place on the eve of the wedding by the couples. [12] It is held at a time which is considered auspicious at the homes of groom and bride respectively to symbolize a rite of passage. [12] This practice is still performed in some ethnic groups in Singapore. [12] It is believed to have been introduced in Singapore by the Cantonese. [13]

Taboo

Combs in some Chinese nationalities are considered a kind of taboo; for example, for the Tibetans, combs must be hidden in private places, people who wore combs in their hair were perceived as being impolite. [11]

Item of special status

Gift to other leaders

In the Han dynasty, Emperor Wendi gave combs to the leader of the Xiongnu, Maodun. [6]

Special rights of business

Chinese comb-making was an important form of business industry in ancient China. [9] People who were in the business of the selling or the making of combs in China enjoyed special rights in both ancient and modern Chinese industry. [11]

Royal status objects

Some combs, such as the Changzhou combs, could only be used by members of royalty in ancient China. [11] Nowadays, although the Changzhou combs are commonly used in everyday life, this form of Chinese combs are still considered as national and traditional treasures in China. [11] The city of Changzhou holds a large comb-making business which started operating in the fifth century AD and continues to produce hand-made Chinese combs made of wood; they are now operating as the "Palace Comb Factory" or the "Changzhou Combs Factory". [14]

Medical beliefs and practice

In Traditional Chinese medicine, hair combing is perceived as an efficient means to remain healthy. [4] In ancient China, Chinese people used shubi to maintain their health due to the doctors' belief that every day hair combing was an important need in traditional medicine. [7] Hair combing is still used for massaging the head to keep one's healthy is still used in modern times China. [4]

Influences

Japan

Ornamental Japanese comb, Edo or Taisho period.

Japanese combs, kushi, started to be used by Japanese people 6000 years ago in the Jomon era. [5] Chinese combs were introduced in Japan along with the introduction of Chinese culture during the Nara period. [15] During this period, the Chinese combs which were introduced in Japan were horizontal in shape. [15] The design of the Chinese comb introduced in Nara period was different from stick-shaped hair prongs that had been used by the Japanese before. [15] In Nara period, the Japanese combs, along with Japanese clothes and ornaments, were all influenced by the Sui and Tang dynasty. [5] Some combs continued to be imported from China even in the later centuries, i.e. in the 18th or 19th century AD. [16]

Gallery

Similar or related items

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Chinese Shubi [page 1]". en.chinaculture.org. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  2. ^ a b "Culture insider: Prettiest Chinese combs[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  3. ^ a b c d e "A Study on the Diachronic Substitution of Shu(梳),Bi(篦)and Zhi(栉)--《Humanities & Social Sciences Journal of Hainan University》2009年04期". en.cnki.com.cn. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Tradition of China - Hair Ornament Culture | ChinaFetching". ChinaFetching.com. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  5. ^ a b c Zhang, Linyi (2019). "Comparison of aesthetic styles of decorative combs in Japan and China". วารสารศิลปกรรมบูรพา. 20 (1): 374–384.
  6. ^ a b Higham, Charles (2004). Encyclopedia of ancient Asian civilizations. New York: Facts On File. p. 85. ISBN  978-1-4381-0996-1. OCLC  241301550.
  7. ^ a b c "Chinese Shubi [page 3]". en.chinaculture.org. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  8. ^ "Agreeable and Comfortable—On Various Styles of Combs in Ancient and Modern Times--《Journal of Jilin College of the Arts》2007年06期". en.cnki.com.cn. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  9. ^ a b c d Sherrow, Victoria (2006). Encyclopedia of hair : a cultural history. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 80. ISBN  0-313-33145-6. OCLC  61169697.
  10. ^ "Yellow Emperor". en.chinaculture.org. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Chinese Shubi [page 4]". en.chinaculture.org. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  12. ^ a b c "Chinese weddings | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  13. ^ "Cantonese community | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  14. ^ Sherrow, Victoria (2006). Encyclopedia of hair : a cultural history. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 87. ISBN  0-313-33145-6. OCLC  61169697.
  15. ^ a b c Sherrow, Victoria (2006). Encyclopedia of hair : a cultural history. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. pp. 221–222. ISBN  0-313-33145-6. OCLC  61169697.
  16. ^ Asian material culture. Marianne Hulsbosch, Elizabeth Bedford, Martha Chaiklin. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. 2009. pp. 52–53. ISBN  978-90-485-0817-4. OCLC  476297150.{{ cite book}}: CS1 maint: others ( link)
  17. ^ "comb | British Museum". The British Museum. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
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