Shubi (comb)

A fine fan shaped ivory comb with red, gold and black hand-painted decoration, gifted to Lady MacDonald in 1898 AD at Peking by the Dowager Empress, Cixi.

Shubi (Chinese: 梳篦), also called as zhi (Chinese: 栉), is a generic term used for Chinese combs in China, which includes thick-teeth comb shu (Chinese: 梳) and thin-teeth comb bi (Chinese: 篦).[1][2][3] Shubi originated about 6000 years ago in China during the late Neolithic period.[4][5] Some Chinese combs dating from the Shang dynasty were found in the Tomb of Fuhao.[6] In ancient China, Chinese combs had a high special status, a high artistic value, was an important form of hair ornament in Chinese history.[7][4] Chinese comb also had and continues to hold unique cultural meaning and emotional value.[8] Chinese combs in China were not used only for grooming purposes, they were also used holding and decorating hair.[9][4] Both Chinese men and women wore decorative combs in their hair in ancient China.[9] Chinese women often wore combs and fine-tooth combs in their hair buns.[7] Chinese comb-making was also an important form of traditional Chinese art and business industry.[9]

  1. ^ "Chinese Shubi [page 1]". en.chinaculture.org. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  2. ^ "Culture insider: Prettiest Chinese combs[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  3. ^ "A Study on the Diachronic Substitution of Shu(梳),Bi(篦)and Zhi(栉)--《Humanities & Social Sciences Journal of Hainan University》2009年04期". en.cnki.com.cn. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  4. ^ a b c "Tradition of China - Hair Ornament Culture | ChinaFetching". ChinaFetching.com. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  5. ^ Zhang, Linyi (2019). "Comparison of aesthetic styles of decorative combs in Japan and China". วารสารศิลปกรรมบูรพา. 20 (1): 374–384.
  6. ^ Higham, Charles (2004). Encyclopedia of ancient Asian civilizations. New York: Facts On File. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-4381-0996-1. OCLC 241301550.
  7. ^ a b "Chinese Shubi [page 3]". en.chinaculture.org. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  8. ^ "Agreeable and Comfortable—On Various Styles of Combs in Ancient and Modern Times--《Journal of Jilin College of the Arts》2007年06期". en.cnki.com.cn. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  9. ^ a b c Sherrow, Victoria (2006). Encyclopedia of hair : a cultural history. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 80. ISBN 0-313-33145-6. OCLC 61169697.