The Changzhou comb () is a type of hand-painted

comb A comb is a tool consisting of a shaft that holds a row of teeth for pulling through the hair to clean, untangle, or style it. Combs have been used since prehistoric times, having been discovered in very refined forms from settlements dating ba ...

produced in

Changzhou Changzhou ( Changzhounese: ''Zaon Tsei'', ) is a prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. It was previously known as Yanling, Lanling and Jinling. Located on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, Changzhou borders the provin ...

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. In

, combs are called shubi (梳篦). The combs were originally made for use by royalty and have been in production for over 2000 years.

Introduction

Comb is two kinds of utensils, namely wooden comb. Changzhou comb production technology was formed during the

Eastern Jin dynasty Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways * Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air ...

and has a history of more than 1,500 years. During the

Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

and

Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...

dynasties, the production process of Changzhou comb has reached a very high level, and the production scale has also exceeded the previous generations. The "Changzhou Fu" during the Qianlong period of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

stated: "Cut bamboo into, and all households in Chaojingmen." At that time, tens of thousands of people in Ximen and Nanmen of Changzhou were engaged in combing making, so Ximen had "Guiji Lane" , South Gate has "Mushu Street" as a place name. In the beginning of Guangxu period of the

, officials from the Suzhou Weaving House went to Changzhou every year to order a batch of fine combs, which were sent to the palace of the capital as imperial items. Changzhou Double-edged Fine-toothed Comb 01 2015-04

Changzhou Double-edged Fine-toothed Comb 01 2015-04

Development

In the past, the main unit of shop was household-side households scattered on the outskirts of the city. It seems to have been using the relatively primitive family life community as the basic unit of social production. With hereditary craftsmanship, the system characteristics of Changzhou comb grate industry with scattered and numerous grassroots are formed. These decentralized production methods are actually not conducive to process improvement and production efficiency. The lack of technical communication and cooperation leads to uneven product quality. It is not conducive to the development of the grate industry in Changzhou. Because of the reform and opening up, Changzhou comb industry has gradually formed a centralized comb manufacturer with Changzhou comb manufacturing factory as the center. The skillful folk craftsmen also gained the opportunity to show their talents.

History

Production of hand-painted combs in Changzhou dates from the

Eastern Zhou The Eastern Zhou (; zh, c=, p=Dōngzhōu, w=Tung1-chou1, t= ; 771–256 BC) was a royal dynasty of China and the second half of the Zhou dynasty. It was divided into two periods: the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States. History In 770 ...

(770-221

BCE Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the or ...

) (, also called The Transitional Period, ), the first master was Chen Qizi (). The hand-painted combs of Changzhou have been popular since the time of the

Southern and Northern dynasties The Northern and Southern dynasties () was a period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is sometimes considered as ...

. During the

, local officials would send the finest combs to the palace. An ivory comb made in Changzhou is still displayed in the

Forbidden City The Forbidden City () is a Chinese palace, palace complex in Dongcheng District, Beijing, China, at the center of the Imperial City, Beijing, Imperial City of Beijing. It is surrounded by numerous opulent imperial gardens and temples includ ...

Manufacturing processes

Production of Changzhou combs requires special skills and use of dedicated materials. The materials for combs can be bamboo, wood or animal bones. The bamboo is mainly from the south from

and the west of

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...

. The wood mainly stems from valuable types, such as mahogany wood, jujube wood, heather and boxwood. The production process of a wooden comb () contains 28 steps and a Bi (, a different type of comb, which has more teeth) requires 72 processes. The production of combs is very specific about the carving, painting, heating, engraving, grinding and other processes that are used, and which require traditional crafts. Since Changzhou comb is made with natural materials, they are often used for decorative purposes, while the use is also said to be good for the hair.

Honors

Changzhou combs have also won many awards. They were first exhibited outside China at the

Panama–Pacific International Exposition The Panama–Pacific International Exposition was a world's fair held in San Francisco, California, United States, from February 20 to December 4, 1915. Its stated purpose was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, but it was widely se ...

in 1915, where a Silver Award was received. In the following decades, several prizes were won inside and outside China. Changzhou combs were also presented as gifts of

Shanghai World Expo Expo 2010, officially the Expo 2010 Shanghai China, was held on both banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, China, from 1 May to 31 October 2010. It was a major World Expo registered by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), in the tr ...

to visitors. In 1926, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the independence of the United States of America, an international exposition was held in Philadelphia, and Changzhou Comb was awarded the gold medal. *The Southern Seas Industries Association () (1910): Gold Medal *Panama–Pacific International Exposition (1915): Silver Medal *The Philadelphia Exposition (1926): Gold Medal *The national light industrial export exhibition (1988): Silver Medal *Beijing International Exposition (1991): Gold Medal

References