Now when it comes to luxury goods, the first thing that comes to mind is the expensive clothes, bags and gold and silver jewelry of international brands.
In ancient times, there was a luxury, he was very stylish and tasteful, only invisible and untouchable, and could be shared with others, that is, incense. Today I will talk to you about the luxury of the ancients - incense.
The ancients' use of incense dates back to 5,000 years ago, when incense burners made of pottery were found in this international archaeological excavation. It is hard to imagine that in the Neolithic Age, when the production method was still relatively primitive, the ancients had begun to use incense to cultivate the sentiments of life. In the pre-Qin period, the main use of incense was to sacrifice, and later because the elegance and superhuman breath of incense began to integrate into the lives of the ancients, the interaction between incense and people gradually gave birth to a unique cultural context. For example, two sentences in the "Nine Songs": "Yulan Tang Xi Mu Fang, Hua Cai Yi Ruoying." "This is to depict the spring time, the ancients to bathe in vanilla, thus fading the dirt in the cold winter and welcoming the new year."
In the Warring States period, there was a tradition of wearing incense sachets around the waist, and incense gradually became popular. In addition, with the development of traditional Chinese medicine, the health properties of incense have also been discovered. The traditional concept of smelling incense and nourishing sex has been formed, and the use of different incense will cultivate self-cultivation in the future and prolong life.
After the Warring States, the development of incense began to enter a period of prosperity. In the history of the mainland, there were two peak periods of phase use, one was the two Han Dynasties, and the other was the Song Dynasty. In the early years of the Han Dynasty, incense had become popular among the princes and aristocrats. By the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, it was even more widely popular, and could be used both for lavender and often used in recreational activities.
The categories of spices have gradually enriched, and people's understanding and research on incense have also deepened. This can be seen in the diversity of incense burners, because the value of incense is so great, it has also become a symbol of aristocratic status, and it has the attribute of luxury.
In order to show off his wealth, Shi Chong, a local tycoon of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, arranged a luxurious toilet, in which the aroma lingered, so that guests even thought that they had come to the bedroom.
In the Sui and Tang dynasties, officials used incense even more. During the Sui Dynasty Emperor, it is recorded that many thoughts were piled up as high as a mountain, and lit at the same time, with the utmost luxury. At this time, incense seemed to have become a tool for the nobility to show off their financial rights, but such a luxurious and exaggerated use of incense did not continue forever.
At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, incense was integrated into the lives of the people. With the development of shipbuilding and navigation technology, the maritime trade of the Song Dynasty ushered in a period of prosperity, and incense became one of the important import and export items.
In addition to the vigorous development of the spice trade, another important symbol of the Song Dynasty's incense culture that was different from the previous dynasty was that the use of incense spread to the people's urban life. One of the most important manifestations is that in the traditional festival, the element of incense is integrated. For example, the Dragon Boat Festival began to have the custom of hanging incense sachets and fragrant pigs, and incense clothes also became a necessity for fashionable rich people to go out.
The incense culture of the Song Dynasty is different from the extravagance and extravagance of the previous dynasty and is more grounded, paying attention to the cultural quality of incense, and paying attention to diversity and mood when making incense. And the image of the aroma is also a style that tends to be grounded, more back to basics, less flashy.