The historical and cultural background of the Chinese silver lock
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The Chinese silver lock has a rich historical and cultural background, which is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
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Origin and development:
- Predecessor "longevity strand": The predecessor of the silver lock can be traced back to the "longevity strand" in the Han Dynasty. During the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month every year in the Han Dynasty, every household would hang colorful silk ropes on the lintel to avoid bad omens. The five-color silk symbolizes the power of the five directions and has the meaning of expelling evil spirits. By the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, due to frequent wars and continuous plagues and famines, people wove the five-color silk into ropes and tied them on the arms of women and children to pray for driving away evil spirits, avoiding disasters, curing diseases and prolonging life, and living a long and healthy life. This is the early form of the long life lock and laid the foundation for the emergence of the silver lock.
- Forming "silver lock": In the Ming Dynasty, the long life lock was extremely popular as an exclusive accessory for children all over the country, and the silver long life lock gradually developed. It evolved from the previous "longevity strand", "hundred ropes", etc., and became a specific decorative object hanging on the neck of children.
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Cultural connotations:
- Praying for safety and health: The silver lock carries people's good wishes for children, hoping to "lock" life and let children grow up safely and healthily. Therefore, many children will hang silver locks soon after birth and wear them until adulthood. This cherishing of life and care for children is the core of the cultural connotation of silver locks.
- Symbolizing good luck and happiness: The words and patterns on the silver lock all have auspicious meanings. In terms of words, common ones are "live a long life of a hundred years", "live a long and wealthy life", "have a long and auspicious future", etc., expressing good expectations for the children's future life; in terms of patterns, there are mostly qilin, dragons, tigers, prosperous peonies, auspicious eight treasures, lotus bats, auspicious clouds and auspicious beasts, etc., as well as some related folk stories and mythological legends with auspicious meanings. The combination of these patterns and words further enhances the auspicious meaning of the silver lock.
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Material characteristics and significance:
- Convenient material acquisition: In ancient Chinese society, silver was widely used and directly used as currency and circulated in daily life. Therefore, it is relatively easy to obtain materials. People can find a silversmith and melt silver coins to make silver lock jewelry without affecting the continued use of silver as currency.
- Health care function: Li Shizhen, a medical scientist in the Ming Dynasty, described in "Compendium of Materia Medica" that silver has the functions of "calming the five internal organs, calming the mind, stopping palpitations, and removing evil spirits". The silver lock is considered to be able to ward off evil spirits and help children eliminate the "fetal toxin" in the body. It has a calming effect on children whose minds are not yet fully developed. Therefore, silver is a precious metal suitable for children to wear, which is both beautiful and has health care functions.
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Social and folk custom significance:
- Family inheritance: In some areas, silver locks are often gifts from family elders to juniors, representing family inheritance and the care and blessings of elders to juniors. This inheritance is not only reflected in the transfer of materials, but also in the continuation of culture and emotions.
- Folk customs: The wearing of silver locks is closely related to some folk festivals and ceremonies. For example, at important moments such as a child's full moon or hundred days, elders will put silver locks on the child to pray for the child's healthy growth. This folk custom is widely spread among the people and has become a part of Chinese traditional culture.
