What are the "quintessence" chopsticks?

Chopsticks, which can best reflect the cultural characteristics of China, may have been used for nearly 6,000 years. Chopsticks are regarded as one of the quintessence of China. In the Book of Rites, it is recorded that "the son is edible, teach his right hand". In other words, when the child can eat, you must teach him to eat with chopsticks in his right hand. The chopsticks discovered by archaeology are all bone; Having copper; There are also gold, silver, jade and bamboo.

Compared with spoons and forks, China people have more special feelings for chopsticks. They get along day and night and keep company every day. "You can't live without this gentleman for a day." Even so, we don't always know the history of chopsticks. It's a pity to say that I don't know the true face of Lushan Mountain.

Chopsticks China ancient chopsticks appeared later than the spoon. Since the appearance of chopsticks, it has shared different functions with spoons for people to eat.

Although the shape of chopsticks is so small, the number of ancient chopsticks obtained by archaeological excavation is quite large. The earliest ancient chopsticks came from the No.5 tomb in Yinxu, Anyang, and there were six bronze chopsticks as the chopsticks on the handle. During the excavation of the Xianglushi site in Qingjiang, Hubei Province, chopsticks, bone chopsticks and ivory chopsticks in the late Shang Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Period were unearthed in the stratum, and the chopsticks were decorated with simple patterns. Chopsticks were also found in the bronze coffin tomb of Dabona wood in Xiangyun, Yunnan during the Spring and Autumn Period. Two bronze chopsticks were unearthed in the tomb, which were cylindrical as a whole.

In the Han Dynasty, chopsticks were widely used as funerary objects for the dead. Archaeological findings show that in addition to bronze chopsticks, bamboo chopsticks were widely used in the Han Dynasty, and bamboo chopsticks from the Western Han Dynasty were unearthed in Yunmeng Tomb in Hubei and Fenghuang Mountain in Jiangling. Bamboo sticks 16 unearthed from Yunmeng Tomb No.1 Han Tomb. One end is thick and the other end is thin, and the whole bamboo stick is cylindrical. Bamboo chopsticks were also unearthed from Mawangdui Han Tomb, placed on a lacquer case, and there were small lacquer plates, ear cups and jars for food. Bamboo chopsticks unearthed from Yunmeng and Jiangling Han tombs are generally packed in bamboo chopsticks tubes, and some have geometric patterns and painted patterns.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, bronze chopsticks were more common in archaeology. Two bronze chopsticks with thick heads and thin feet were found in the Han tomb at No.8 Yangtianhu, Changsha, Hunan Province, and they were cylindrical as a whole. Images of eating with chopsticks can also be seen on the stone reliefs and bricks of Han tombs in Shandong and Sichuan, such as the "banquet map" brick unearthed from Majiadong Han tomb in Xindu. In the picture, before three people sit on the case, there are two pairs of chopsticks on the case, one on the left is holding a bowl, and a pair of chopsticks are inserted obliquely in the bowl, which shows that the use of chopsticks was quite popular at that time. In the Han Dynasty stone relief, there is a picture of a dutiful son "feeding his father". In the picture, the son took chopsticks and sent a piece of food to his father's mouth to show filial piety. This is a vivid scene of using chopsticks. Chopsticks in the Han Dynasty have different thicknesses at both ends, generally cylindrical, with a length of 25 cm and a diameter of 0.3-0.2 cm.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, there were many archaeological discoveries, and the materials of chopsticks changed obviously. Many of them are made of silver, and the literature records that there were gold chopsticks and rhinoceros chopsticks in the Tang Dynasty. The earliest silver hairpin found in archaeology came from the tomb of Li in the Sui Dynasty in Chang 'an. The ends of the hairpin are thin and round, and the middle is slightly thick. Among a batch of silverware found in Xiaxin Bridge in Changxing, Zhejiang, there are 30 pieces of silver chopsticks, which are also slightly thicker in the middle. On a batch of Tang Dynasty silverware unearthed in Dingmao Bridge in Dantu, Jiangsu Province, there are 36 wooden sticks, one thick at one end and one thin at the other. Chopsticks in Sui and Tang Dynasties were mostly round sticks with thick heads and thin feet, and the length was generally 28-33 cm.

There were many archaeological discoveries in the Song Dynasty. For example, two pairs of silver chopsticks unearthed from the three-year tomb of Daguan in the Northern Song Dynasty in Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Province, are 23 cm long, with hexagonal heads and column feet. In Langzhong, Sichuan, a bronze wine cellar in the Southern Song Dynasty was accidentally discovered, and as many as 244 bronze chopsticks were unearthed at one time. There are11pieces of bronze spoons, and the heads of bronze chopsticks are also hexagonal and cylindrical. In a Song Dynasty bronze cellar in the southern suburbs of Chengdu, 32 cylindrical bronze chopsticks with thick heads and thin feet were found.

In the Yuan Dynasty, there was a slight increase. For example, there are 1 16 silver chopsticks in a cellar in Hefei, Anhui Province, in which 106 is 25.6 cm long and its head is octagonal.

Compared with the past, the chopsticks in Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties have no obvious change in shape, mostly cylindrical or conical, but also hexagonal and octagonal, paying more attention to the decoration of chopsticks. The length is generally 23-27 cm, and the shortest is 15 cm.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the shape of chopsticks changed obviously, and the popular styles were mostly round and cylindrical. In the Ming dynasty, there began to be a standard first square ruler hairpin similar to modern times. A bamboo stick was found in the hanging coffin in Gongxian County, Sichuan Province, with a round head and a square head painted with auspicious words engraved on it.

In the Qing dynasty, the luxury of chopsticks used by the imperial concubine was evident. In February of the 28th year of Guangxu, the Imperial Kitchen Gold, Silver and Jade Ware Warehouse recorded the tableware used in the palace at that time, including six pairs of gold chopsticks with teeth and one pair of gold chopsticks with Han jade. A pair of chopsticks inlaid with rosewood, gold and silk jade; A pair of agate chopsticks inlaid with rosewood and gold and silver wires; Sixteen pairs of ivory chopsticks inlaid with rosewood and gold and silver silk; Two pairs of red sandalwood silk chopsticks with jade teeth; Two silver-plated dental chopsticks, one pair; Two pairs of gold-plated dental chopsticks; Eight pairs of copper-plated camel bone chopsticks; Two pairs of copper-plated and gold-plated dental chopsticks; Two pairs of silver-plated chopsticks; 35 pairs of silver teeth chopsticks; A pair of jade and gold chopsticks and ten pairs of ivory chopsticks inlaid with rosewood silk; Silver three sets of green autumn corner chopsticks ten pairs; Ten pairs of silver chopsticks, green autumn corners; Fourteen pairs of ebony chopsticks. These chopsticks are exquisite in materials and exquisite in craftsmanship. There is little difference between Qing dynasty and modern times. The first square ruler circle is the most popular style, with the picture inscription of Qing Dynasty on the front. Well-made chopsticks are not only practical utensils, but also elegant works of art.

In modern society, a formal Chinese banquet should also put spoons and chopsticks on the table at the same time, and every diner should have one set, which is obviously a continuation of the ancient tradition.

Using chopsticks requires some skills, because it is the most difficult to master among all tableware in the world. There is no mechanical connection between the two chopsticks. Only by mastering the thumb, index finger and middle finger correctly, supplemented by the cooperation of ring finger, can we use them freely.

Historically, the Chinese nation has all kinds of tableware commonly used in all parts of the world. Among all the tableware used before, chopsticks are lighter, more flexible and more applicable than knives and forks. Forks have been eliminated in our history, and spoons are now being eliminated on many occasions, but the status of chopsticks is still as stable as Mount Tai, and it has not wavered at all.