The history of the development of incense culture

Western Han riding animal figures Boshan stove Spring and Autumn to Han Wei: the initial development of incense culture

The history of mankind's use of natural spices is long.

From the available historical data, it can be seen that during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, China already had a wide range of utilization of spice plants.

Due to geographical constraints, the climate of the Middle Kingdom is cool, not very suitable for the growth of spice plants, the use of incense and vanilla is not as diverse as later generations.

The most commonly used are Zephyr orchids (not spring orchids), cymbidium (Cymbidium), pepper (pepper tree), cinnamon (cinnamon tree), Xiaoxiao (Artemisia absinthium), Yu (tulip), dahurica (Angelica dahuricae), thatch (lemongrass), and so on.

At that time, the use of incense and vanilla has been very rich, there have been smoked (such as cymbidium, Artemisia absinthium), wear (scent capsules, fragrant flowers and herbs), boiled soup (Zelan), boiled paste (orchid paste), into the wine and other methods.

"Poetry", "Shangshu", "Ritual", "Zhouli", "Zuozhuan" and "Classic of the Mountain and the Sea" and other books have a lot of related accounts.

People on the fragrant wood and vanilla not only to take the use of, and song of the song, to the allegory.

Such as Qu Yuan's "Li Sao" has a lot of wonderful aria: "The Hu Jiangli and Pai Yan Ruoxi, sewing autumn orchids to wear"; "Drinking the dew of Mulan Ruoxi, and eating the fall of autumn chrysanthemums at night," "Household service to Ai to surplus to be, that the orchid is not to be worn. It is said that the orchid is not to be admired", "What is the grass of the past days, this is straight to this Xiao Ai also", "Pepper special sycophants to slow rice Ruoxi, wood killers and want to fill the Pei Doudou".

Qin and Han, with the unification of the country, the expansion of the territory, the southern hot and humid regions produced spices gradually into the Middle Kingdom.

With the "Land Silk Road" and "Maritime Silk Road" active, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Europe, many spices have also been imported into China.

Incense, incense, incense, chicken tongue, etc. in the Han Dynasty have become the princes and nobles in the furnace.

The prevalence of Taoist thought in the Han Dynasty and the introduction of Buddhism also contributed to the development of incense culture in this period.

In the early Western Han Dynasty, incense was popular among the aristocracy before Emperor Wu of Han.

The Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha unearthed ceramic smokers and smoked herbs.

Smoking incense is especially popular in the southern two regions.

The smoker of the Han Dynasty even spread to Southeast Asia, in Sumatra, Indonesia, has been found engraved with the Western Han Dynasty, "the fourth year of the first yuan," the words of the ceramic stove.

"Boshan stove" in the Western Han Dynasty to the Wei Jin and North and South Dynasties of seven hundred years has been widely popular.

Along with the widespread use of incense burners, the practice of smoking incense became more common.

To the emperor of the official to play the matter should also be first incense (burning incense and clothes), play the matter should also mouth "chicken tongue incense" (the buds of the clove tree produced in the South Seas, used to incense the mouth).

The Han Dynasty also appeared in the clothing can be placed directly in the incense "smoked cage", as well as can be covered in the quilt "was in the incense burner", that is, "smoked ball".

(by the two hemispherical hollowed out pieces of metal clasped together, hanging in the center of a cup-shaped container, in the container can be burned incense, even if the incense ball in the hands of the swaying and shaking, the container of incense will not be poured out.

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The incense burner (including Boshan furnace), incense cage and other incense utensils are also common burial objects in the tomb of the Han dynasty king.

The rapid development of incense culture in the Han Dynasty, Han Wu Di had a great contribution.

During his reign, he opened up the borders on a large scale, opened up the Western Regions, unified the South Vietnamese, and opened up the sea routes, which facilitated the introduction of spices from the hot and humid southern regions and overseas while promoting East-West exchanges.

Emperor Wu himself had a very beautiful gilt-silver incense burner, perhaps he also loved incense.

During the Wei, Jin, and North and South Dynasties, although there was constant warfare, the culture of incense still gained momentum.

Lavender in the upper class more common.

At the same time, Taoism and Buddhism flourished, both advocating the use of incense.

During this period, people have a deeper study of the role and characteristics of various spices, and the extensive use of a variety of spices to create a unique blend of aroma, the concept of "incense square".

The recipe is rich in variety, and the emergence of many dedicated to the treatment of medicinal incense.

The meaning of "incense" has also evolved, no longer only refers to "a single spice", but also often refers to "by a variety of spices in accordance with the aroma formula and made of incense", that is, later called "combined". Later known as the "incense".

From a single spice evolved to a variety of composite use of spices, which is an important development of incense.

Western Han riding the beast figures Boshan stove

Sui and Tang dynasties: the maturity of the incense culture and complete

Before the Sui and Tang dynasties, although the upper classes of the incense respected, but a lot of suitable for burning spices, especially high-level spices are not produced in the Mainland, but from the border or outside the region, so the total amount of spices available is less, even for the upper class is a rarity, and even the level of the slightly lower level of officials are difficult to enjoy. Officials are also difficult to enjoy, which largely restricts the development of incense culture.

And after the Tang Dynasty, the situation is completely different.

As the Tang dynasty became an unprecedentedly rich and powerful empire, its foreign trade and domestic trade were unprecedentedly prosperous.

Huge quantities of spices from the West arrived in China on the Silk Road, which spanned the heart of Asia.

Although after the Anshi Rebellion, the northern "land silk road" was blocked, but with the improvement of shipbuilding and navigation technology, after the middle of the Tang Dynasty, the southern "Maritime Silk Road" began to flourish, and thus there are a large number of spices through the two Guangzhou, Fujian into the north.

The prosperity of the spice trade, so that the Tang Dynasty also appeared a number of businesses specializing in the management of incense and spices.

The affluence of society and the growth of the total amount of spices for the comprehensive development of incense culture has created extremely favorable conditions.

In the Tang Dynasty, a large number of literati, pharmacists, physicians and Buddhists, Taoists involved, so that the study and use of incense into a refined, systematic stage.

The origin, properties, concoctions, roles, combinations, etc. of various spices have been specialized research, the production of the recipe for the combined incense is endless.

In this period, the use of incense also has a complete and detailed categorization: incense for guests, bedroom incense, incense for cultivation, and so on, different; Buddhist incense, Taoist incense, Taoist incense, different cultivation disciplines have different incense ...... can be said to be in the Tang Dynasty is a specialized incense.

Like the former emperors, many emperors in the Tang Dynasty, such as Emperor Gaozong, Xuanzong, Wu Hou, etc. are ten minutes of love for spices, and relying on the strength of the country, in the use of incense on the grade and number of emperors far more than the previous generation.

The emperor was traveling, and even lobster brain, tulip pavement.

The flourishing of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty is also an important impetus to the culture of incense.

The Buddhist doctrine of the scriptures on incense is greatly respected, almost in all Buddhist activities to use incense.

Not only to honor the Buddha to incense, but also in the monks on stage before the statement to burn incense; in the then widely popular bathing Buddha Dharma, to be on the top of the incense soup bath Buddha; in the Buddha Hall, the altar and other places are often splashed with perfume.

Most of the emperors of the Tang Dynasty believed in Buddhism, the royal family Buddhist activities are frequent, the number of incense can be imagined.

In the Tang Dynasty incense, a large number of gold, silver, jade, even if the imitation of the style of the previous dynasty Boshan furnace, the appearance is more beautiful.

Smoke ball (already appeared in the Han Dynasty), incense bucket and other incense tools began to be widely used.

(Smoke ball by two hemispherical hollow metal buckle together, hanging in the center of a cup of description of the container, the container can burn incense, even if the swaying, incense will not pour out.

Incense bucket is a small incense burner with a long handle that can be held in the hand, clear

Choke enamel incense plugs are mainly used for Buddha.

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In the Dunhuang murals can often be seen in the incense pipe, Boshang stove and other colorful incense utensils of the Tang Dynasty.

Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties: the prosperity and popularization of incense culture

After the Song Dynasty, not only Buddhists, Taoists and Confucians advocate the use of incense, but also incense has become a part of the daily life of ordinary people.

In the living room hall incense, all kinds of banquets and celebrations and also to burn incense, and there are people responsible for burning incense; not only incense burning, there are a variety of exquisite scented pouches can be hanging wear, making snacks, tea, ink and other items will be adjusted into the spices; bazaar incense stores, people can not only buy incense, but also invited to the door of the incense; the rich family of the woman traveling, often with a maid, and the rich family of the woman's travels, often with a maid. Women traveling, often have a maid with incense ball accompanied by the left and right; literati not only with incense, but also hand-made incense, and call friends, appreciation and evaluation.

From the Song Dynasty history books to the Ming and Qing novels can be seen, after the Song incense and people's lives have been very close.

During this period, the formula of incense is increasing, the production process is more sophisticated, and more colorful in the shape of incense.

In addition to incense cakes, incense pills, incense, etc., but also has been widely used "seal incense" (also known as "seal incense", with a mold to blend the powder pressed into the ring back and forth pattern or text), not only to facilitate the use of incense, but also added a lot of fun.

In many places, seal incense is also used as a timekeeping tool.

With the "burning" incense different "fire incense" method is also more popular: not directly ignite the incense, but the first ignition of a piece of charcoal (or combined charcoal group), most of it buried in the ash, and then in the charcoal on a layer of heat-transferring sheet (such as), and finally in the thin layer of mica. Mica sheet), and finally on top of the sheet put incense (a single spice or modulation of incense pills), so slowly "smoked" baked, not only to eliminate the smoke, but also to make the fragrance more soothing.

By the Ming Dynasty, incense had been widely used, and formed a mature production technology.

All kinds of books have a lot of records on incense, Zhou Jiaxu compiled "incense multiply" is particularly rich.

Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica" also has a lot of content on incense and spices, for example: incense, "decoction bath rubella, can cure the wind cold and rheumatism"; "frankincense, benzoin, camphor and burn the smoke fumigation, can cure the stroke"; "incense, honey incense, sandalwood, descending incense, suhexiang, benzoin, camphor, soap pods and other burned and can open up the plague".

"Compendium of Materia Medica" also recorded the production of incense technology (extrusion into strips): with Angelica dahurica, Gan Song, Duhuo, cloves, patchouli, horn fennel, rhubarb, scutellaria, cypress, etc. for the incense powder, adding elm skin surface as a paste and agent, you can make incense "into a strip such as a line".

Incense utensils, the most noteworthy natural porcelain in the Song Dynasty.

The Song Dynasty porcelain burning technology, porcelain kilns all over the world, porcelain incense (mainly incense burners) production is very large.

In the shape or imitate the existing bronze, or another innovation.

Because the porcelain stove than the bottom of the price of copper stove, so it is very suitable for folk use.

The most famous official in the Song Dynasty, brother, Ding, Ru, Chai five official kilns have produced a large number of incense burners.

Although the porcelain furnace can not be as elaborate as the copper furnace, but the Song Dynasty porcelain furnace is a simple and simple style, has a high aesthetic value.

In the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, began to popularize incense burners, incense boxes, incense bottles, candlesticks, etc. together with the combination of incense.

To the Ming Dynasty Xuande years, Emperor Xuanzong had personally supervised, sent highly skilled craftsmen, the use of Chenla (now Cambodia) tribute of tens of thousands of pounds of brass, the other joined a large number of treasury gold, silver and jewels and smelting, and the manufacture of a number of outstanding copper incense burners, which is to become a legend of the "Xuande stove".

"Xuande stove" has a variety of beautiful qualities, even with the current smelting technology is difficult to reproduce.

For the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing literati, incense has become an essential part of life.

From Su Shi's mesmerizing aria to the rich and detailed description of "Dream of Red Mansions", the literary works of this period can be said to be full of depictions of incense.

And from Su Shi, Zeng Gong, Huang Tingjian, Chen Gaofei, Shao Kangjie, Zhu Xi, Ding Wei and others to write incense poetry can be seen, incense not only seeped into the life of the literati, and there has been a fairly high taste.

Even in daily life, incense is not only aromatic, but also become a pleasure, aesthetic, enlightenment.

Chemical flavors are one of the main raw materials for cosmetics.

Such as Su Shi's "and Lu straight rhyme"

, Zhu Xi's "incense world".

The culture of incense in the modern period

The ancient incense, used are natural spices, and since the modern era, chemical flavorings have become the main raw material for incense.

Chemical flavors are one of the main raw materials for cosmetics

As a result of the development of the chemical industry, synthetic fragrances (i.e., chemical flavors) appeared in Europe in the second half of the 19th century.

These chemical flavors can not only roughly simulate the flavor of the majority of spices, and raw materials (such as petroleum, coal tar, etc.) is easy to obtain, the cost price is extremely low, and can easily produce a very strong flavor.

So it quickly replaced natural flavors as the main flavor additive in modern industrial production, as well as in the fragrance industry.

Compared to natural flavors, the price of chemical flavors is low, so manufacturers are willing to make, merchants are willing to sell, and customers are willing to buy.

So much so that the vast majority of the fragrances we see on the market now are these chemical flavors.

The name is sandalwood, incense, in fact, only the use of "sandalwood flavor" or "incense flavor" of chemical flavorings.

Chemical flavorings compared to natural spices, although the fragrance is similar, and even more intense, but the quality of the fragrance and tranquility, enlightenment function, the two are not the same.

Many natural spices are classified as superior herbs, while synthetic spices as chemical products are fragrant at first, but more harmful to health.

Moreover, even in terms of smell alone, chemical flavors are close to, but far from being comparable to, natural flavors.

The reason why chemical flavors are so popular is that most people burn incense as a ritual.

Since not smell incense, do not taste incense, just burn incense, look at the incense, it is natural to ignore the incense materials, formulations and quality, but only focus on the appearance of the incense products beautiful or flavorful.

The widespread use of chemical flavors and chemical processing technology has also substantially changed the contemporary incense-making process.

Although some traditional methods and techniques are still used, but that is only some peripheral, the form of retention, and the selection of spices, concoctions, compositions, fire and other core content have been discarded.

One of the consequences of this is the interruption of the process of making incense and the loss of the recipe for incense, so that now there are very few people who are really proficient in traditional incense-making techniques.

Although chemical flavorings are now the mainstay of incense, it is still possible to find incense made from natural spices, which leaves room for those who like to savor incense.

Now there are two main types of natural incense: one is the use of a single spice "single product incense" (or basically maintain the original state of the spice, such as blocks, strips or powder; or made of thread, disk incense and other shapes).

Its quality is better than chemical incense, but the direct use of a single spice, its flavor and health functions are not the best play, and many spices, such as sandalwood, in fact, is not suitable for use alone, the ancients have been very clear that "sandalwood single burning, bare burning easy to gas floating on the creation, long time so that God can not be safe." This single incense product is only the original method of incense before the Han Dynasty.

After the Han and Tang dynasties, the main use of "incense" (and a variety of spices and become).

The second category is the blend of a variety of spices made of incense, in the shape of incense, disk incense, and so on.

The manufacture of traditional incense requires not only natural spices as raw materials, but also a reasonable formula, strict preparation methods and production technology.

And now on the market can see the few natural spices of incense, as far as I know, most of them are only natural spices as raw materials, and the real production of authentic incense in accordance with the ancient method, the type of very few.

Today, people ignore the intrinsic quality of incense, as well as chemical flavors and chemical processing technology, and other factors, have made the technical threshold of incense production has been greatly reduced, so that now the production of incense businessmen, small and large, scattered, the quality of incense also varies.

The name of the incense on the shelves is more and more fancy, more and more rich shape, more and more gorgeous packaging, and "gold and jade" within the less "incense".

Low-quality lit only the smell of burning grass, or although there is a strong fragrance but vulgar.

These so-called incense can be said to have the shape of incense in vain, but the beauty of the name of incense.

In the face of these fakes, it is no wonder that people are not willing to taste incense and appreciate incense.

I don't know if Dong Po can still forget to write a poem here? And if the gods, the Buddha, and the ancestors could really smell this smoke, what would they think?

Although now the incense and incense culture are inferior to the ancient, but with the improvement of people's material and spiritual living standards, in recent years there are more and more people like to taste incense, incense, and the quality of incense has a higher demand; at the same time there are more people love incense, incense began to be committed to the inheritance of the traditional culture of incense and carry forward.

With the further prosperity of the socio-economic culture, China's incense culture is also bound to glow with vigor, in this great era, showing the wonderful charm of the millennium.

The development of modern incense culture since the late Qing Dynasty, successive wars and the political situation of the long-term unrest and the spread of Western social trends, so that China's traditional social system has been an unprecedented impact on the Chinese incense culture has also entered a more difficult period of development.

To enjoy incense with incense to a large extent is a "luxury", so the development of incense culture in particular needs a stable and prosperous "prosperous" environment, and the modern social unrest, not only greatly affect the incense bucket trade and incense industry Development, but also make people lose the incense to enjoy the pleasure of leisure.

On the other hand, modern China lagged behind the Western world in science and technology, military, and also triggered people's skepticism of the traditional culture, and began to widely accept the modern Western cultural trends.

The reflection on traditional culture that began at the time of the national crisis was inevitably too radical, and the resulting overkill and campaigning criticism led to the denial of much of the essence of traditional culture as dross, and even concepts such as purification of the heart and mind, and cultivation of the body and mind were criticized as negative attitudes.

In this kind of radical reflection, the distinctive traditional characteristics of the incense culture is also inevitable.

At the same time, with the transmutation of the literati class in their lifestyle and values, the power of the literati class, which has long supported and promoted the development of Chinese incense culture since the Wei and Jin dynasties, has become increasingly weak.

In this situation, the incense culture has long been integrated into the factory study room and daily living incense culture is also fading away, losing the spirit of health, beautify life, cultivate the connotation of the spirit, and mainly as a ritual is retained in the temple rituals