Knowing the ancients by smelling incense: taking you into the journey of traditional incense (1)

Originally published in Encyclopedia of China, Encyclopedia Knowledge Magazine.

Note: The original text is long and divided into four chapters.

(A) the historical process (8)

The splendid culture of the Song Dynasty opened the culture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Whether it is literature, art or craft, the charm of the Song Dynasty was spread in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. His later poems, porcelain lacquerware, Xuande Dingyi, etc. Can be found in the Song Dynasty, but the river has gone from bad to worse, and the glory is gone. The mysterious and wild in the pre-Qin period, the majestic atmosphere of the Han Dynasty, the brilliance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and the elegance and introversion of the Song Dynasty all gradually disappeared with the demise of the Southern Song Dynasty.

Under the oppression of the state hierarchy in the Yuan Dynasty, the literati lost the possibility of participating in politics, and the ideal of "ruling the country and leveling the world" was difficult to realize. They had to retire to the mountains, send their feelings to calligraphy and painting, and accompany them when they are sitting in class, talking about calligraphy and painting, and having an elegant outing.

The appearance of linear incense in the middle and late Yuan Dynasty directly changed the way people burned incense, especially the way ordinary people burned incense. Traditional incense utensils, including incense burners and incense boxes, have also undergone great changes. In the incense using thread incense, the incense box is no longer needed, and the incense burner does not need a cover. The volume of the incense burner has also changed. Small incense sticks and barrels began to appear, making it more convenient for people to use incense.

In the early Ming Dynasty, the "sea ban" prohibited people from using incense goods, and the development of incense culture once fell into a trough; In the middle and late period, with the development of commodity economy, the sea ban was relaxed, and the ideological and cultural field called for personality liberation to gradually become the mainstream, and the fragrant culture returned to luxury.

During the Yongxuan period, Zheng He led a huge fleet of more than 20,000 people to the Western Ocean for seven times, and traded ginseng, musk, gold and silver, tea, silk and porcelain with countries along the way. In return, spices account for a large proportion. Include pepper, sandalwood, agarwood, borneol, frankincense, banksia rose, benzoin, myrrh, storax, etc. Most of these spices are sold all over the country, except a part of them are supplied to the palace.

Tu Long's Notes on Remaining Events records that the incense products made by famous incense households in Ming Dynasty were highly sought after by the imperial court and literati. Such as Dragon Louxiang, Furong Xiang, Wanxiang Xiang, Sweet Xiang, Black Dragon Gui Xiang and Black Sweet Cake are all famous. Liu He made sweet pods and black sweet cakes better, while the Inner Commandant (imperial court) made black dragon Gui Xiang, Dragon Louxiang and Wan Chunxiang better, and the sweet ones must have been made during the reign of Xuande.

There were a large number of exquisite incense burners, incense boxes, incense bottles, incense trays, incense candles and other incense utensils in the court of the Ming Dynasty. The incense used in the court is very particular about raw materials, formula, production and storage. In the third year of Xuande (1428), a skillful craftsman of Xuanzong in Ming Dynasty used tens of thousands of kilograms of high-quality air-milled copper from Siam as a tribute, and used gold, silver, tin, zinc and various precious stones to make a batch of exquisite and famous bronze incense burners, which is the Xuande furnace that was copied endlessly in later generations.

Xuande Furnace is a continuation of the style of antique kilns in Song Dynasty, mostly imitating the shape of ritual vessels in Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, but the reference books are archaeological maps of Song Dynasty and Xuanhe Bo Gu Atlas. Instead of catching up with the style of three generations, it is better to inherit the ancient charm of the Song Dynasty.

Scholars in the Yuan Dynasty were forced to wander the rivers and lakes, while those in the Ming Dynasty "descended" from the spiritual world to the secular world with a higher attitude. Carve stones to get water from the garden; Ji Ya fiddled with antiques; The artistry of study and furniture makes this era an era of elegant life.

Literati regard incense as an important symbol of celebrity life, and burning incense is an elegant and fashionable thing. They have a lot of research on spices, incense formulas, incense appliances, incense methods and incense products.

In the Ming Dynasty, Gao Lian wrote Eight Notes on Respect for Life, describing "burning incense and beating drums, planting flowers and planting bamboo". This book mentions the method of "burning incense to get fire", saying that "burning incense to get taste, not smoking, but smokeless." At the same time, Qu Xian also recorded in "Seven Essentials of Burning Incense", "Burning incense should be delicious, not smoked. If the smoke is very thick, the fragrance will spread and disappear in an instant. The taste is fragrant, but it can last and stay away from the fire. "

Wen Zhiming was a famous master of poetry, calligraphy and painting in Ming Dynasty, and also a master of incense. His poem "Burning Incense" says: Silver Ye Ming, smoke is motionless, water is heavy. The paper screen and bamboo couch are clear, and the drizzle is cold. The wonderful scenery may be seen from the nose first, and the amorous feelings are all washed away. I have been watching Southland since it was exhibited, and I feel carefree and interesting.