What exactly is Wenwan playing?

From pens, ink, paper, and inkstones to carrying caged birds, to stringing rosary beads, we use writing to play with and build relationships with each other.

Wenwan refers to the study utensils derived from the Four Treasures of the Study, making them art furnishings in the study room and on the desk. From the most basic traditional pens, ink, paper, and inkstones, until the Ming and Qing Dynasties, through improvements, supporting stationery was derived: pen holders, paperweights, ink beds, arm rests (commonly known as hand pillows), inkstone drops, pen washers, etc. (Pictures are arranged in order).

Derivatives of pen, ink, paper and inkstone:

Pen holder: a study utensil used to hold and hang brushes in ancient times, with a history of more than 1,500 years.

Paperweight: A stationery used to press down paper when writing and painting. It is also called a pressure ruler or a weight ruler. It has been in existence for more than 1,500 years.

Ink bed: Also known as ink stand and ink stand, it is a small case used to hold ink ingots in ancient times. It appeared as early as the Yuan and Song Dynasties, but historical materials are only recorded in the Qing Dynasty.

Arm rest: Commonly known as hand pillow, it was used by the ancients to rest their arms when writing and painting. It was invented in the Ming Dynasty to prevent the sleeves from being stained with ink and to relieve the pressure on the arms.

Inkstone drops: also known as water drops and book drops, are used to store inkstone water for grinding ink. Those with mouths are called "Shui Zhu" and those without mouths are called "Shui Cheng"

Brush Washer: A vessel used to hold water to wash brushes. It is a Han handicraft.

These study products range from wood products to porcelain products to jade and gem carvings. They were constantly updated and improved, and it was not until the Tang and Song Dynasties that they truly realized their due status and value, which was also the period when the art of calligraphy and painting became mature and perfect.

Birds fighting crickets in cages:

Birds fighting crickets in cages is known as the legacy of the Eight Banners. When the Qing soldiers attacked the Central Plains, in order to facilitate their command, the Qing emperor divided the Qing soldiers into eight banners (red, yellow, blue, white and red, yellow, blue, white). He led the three banners himself, and left the rest to his son. They lead. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, in order to reward the nobles of the Eight Banners, they were allowed to idle around all day and eat the imperial food forever. This led to the leisurely atmosphere of "carrying cages and racks to fight with crickets, and raising goldfish in the courtyard." Later, it evolved into a behavioral culture, mainly a hobby used by relatively well-off people to entertain and kill time.

Wenwan Walnuts:

Speaking of Wenwan, the most noteworthy thing is walnuts. Wenwan walnut, also known as "Zhangzhu", was called "hand-rubbing walnut" in ancient times. It originated in the Han and Sui Dynasties, became popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and became popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It has been popular for more than two thousand years and has become a unique walnut in the world. culture. Emperor Qi of tomorrow, Zhu Youxiao, not only kept walnuts in his hands, but also had an unofficial history of carving walnuts. During the Qianlong period, there were also eunuchs who specialized in dishing walnuts. There is an old saying in the late Qing Dynasty - "Master Beile has three treasures in his hands: walnuts, thumb rings, and caged birds." It can be seen that walnuts have great significance in the history of literature and entertainment!

Controversial cultural toys, Chao beads and snuff bottles:

Chao beads are derived from Buddhist beads and are a string of beads worn on court uniforms in the Qing Dynasty. There are a total of 108 beads, each There is one larger bead among the 27, and there are only four beads. Strictly speaking, Chao beads cannot be classified into the ranks of cultural toys, but the material of Chao beads is classified into the ranks of modern cultural toys. A snuff bottle, to put it simply, is an object for holding snuff, usually hung around the waist. The snuff bottle is an imported product and was introduced to China in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Its popularity in China lies only in its function and the identity it can reveal.

Derived from materials into cultural toys:

Later, easy-to-play bracelets, beads, hand-held items, etc. were all called cultural toys. The materials include: red sandalwood, huanghuali, Wooden products such as Thuja, seed cores such as King Kong and Star-Moon, and gemstones such as amber, turquoise, coral, etc. In the end, they all entered the ranks of cultural toys as materials.

Rapid Development of the Wenwan Category:

Nowadays, the Wenwan Category is developing very rapidly. No matter what the material is, no matter what category, as long as it can be used to play, it is called For fun. Therefore, the final definition of Wenwan can be summarized as follows: it has a certain historical significance, a certain cultural heritage, and a certain play value.

No academic research can give a sufficient explanation of Wenwan. As the times change, the original cultural concepts are more or less innovated in the process of inheritance. In the end, the explanation of Wenwan keeps pace with the times!

Ninghao Wenwan original article, reprinting requires authorization and indicating the source!