Comb, also known as comb, is one of the eight hair accessories of ancient Han women in China, together with hairpin, bun, hairpin and step shake. There is a saying in Xu Shen's Shuo Wen Jie Zi in Han Dynasty: "Comb is also the general name of comb." The ancients had long hair, and a comb was a necessity for combing their hair every day. The pitch of the comb is loose, which is used to comb hair; The dense gaps between the teeth of the grate are used to remove dirt from the hair, keep the hair clean, and make people radiant. Combs can also stimulate scalp nerves, promote metabolism, prolong life, and can be inserted into hair for jewelry.
According to legend, after the death of Emperor Yan, Chiyou took revenge. Like many others, Changzhou Comb Craftsman Company also took part in the battle. In Zhuolu World War I, Chiyou was defeated by Emperor Xuanyuan, and Helian was captured and imprisoned. The bodyguard Huangfu learned that he could make a wooden comb, so he advised him to make one overnight and dedicate it to Empress Lei Zu to avoid death. However, before the pardon came, Helian Bobo's head fell to the ground. Xuanyuan Huangdi was very distressed, so he appointed Governor Huangfu to lead craftsmen to make as usual. Later, Helian and Huangfu were honored as founders by the carding industry. The founder of grate industry should be Chen Zizi. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Chen Zi became an official and was imprisoned for crimes. Due to the harsh living conditions in prison, Chen Zizi's head is covered with lice and itches terribly. Once, Chen Zizi was beaten by the jailer with a bamboo board and found that the bamboo board had cracked into a grate. After Chen Zizi tidied up and pressed it, he used it to remove dirt and lice from his head. This is the original fireplace. It is said that every year on February 18 and September 28th of the lunar calendar, the comb industry will hold ancestor worship ceremonies to pray for a prosperous business.
There is a saying in Jiangnan: Yangzhou rouge Suzhou flower, Changzhou comb first. Changzhou comb began in the Jin Dynasty (AD 265-420) and has a history of 1600 years. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal dug in the Sui Dynasty passes through Changzhou. At that time, the whole street on both sides of the canal was a comb workshop, so it was called Muqam Street and Biji Lane. Standing on Wenheng Bridge, with the bright moon overhead, eyes hanging down the streets and lanes, moonlight, lights and waves reflected, underwater sound, footsteps, oars and bamboo sounds played in unison.
In the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, there were countless patterns and colors of local combs, which were more than two feet long. Since the Northern Song Dynasty, the texture has become more and more valuable, and gold and silver combs are quite popular. Su Dongpo, a great writer, once wrote a poem, "When a mountain man is drunk, the iron crown falls, and when a woman laughs, the silver comb is low." In the Yuan Dynasty, Changzhou comb sailed from the canal to the sea via the Yangtze River and spread overseas along the Silk Road on the water.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there were more and more records about Changzhou comb in the literature. One of the eight scenic spots in the western suburbs of Changzhou in the Ming Dynasty, "Wen Crossing the Moon and Grate Lights", vividly depicts the night scene of Biji Lane on the bank of Zuoyun River. By the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Changzhou City was already a scene of "cutting bamboo into a grate" and "comparing households". During Guangxu period, officials of Suzhou Weaving Institute always went to Changzhou to customize 60 boxwood combs and 60 advanced combs with plum tree back ivory every July, and sent them to the Forbidden City with 6 sets of dragon robes and 600 palace flowers as tributes in 10. This is the origin of "palace combs".