In ancient times, "mat" as the earliest cushioning utensils used by human beings, lasted the longest and oldest in the history of furniture development in China. In the oracle bone inscription, the word "xi" is written as a rectangular pictogram with a weave in the middle. The word "Su" in the oracle bone inscription depicts a person lying on a seat in the house.
Oracle "seat".
Oracle "Suku".
Said Wen Towel Department": "Xi, nationality also." "The mat is a utensil laid by the ancients between the ground and the body to borrow the body, which can keep the sitting place dry and tidy by insulating moisture and dust. In 1986, during the excavation of the No. 1 tomb of Qin Gong, precious fragments of reed mats were also found, and their weaving techniques were similar to those of modern reed mats.
Fragments of reed mats unearthed from the No. 1 tomb of Qin Gong.
In ancient times, people had a lot of particularity about sitting on mats, and they couldn't sit at will.
Rites Qu Li": "Xi Nan Township (Xiang), Bei Township, to the West as the top;Dongxiang, Xixiang, with the south as the top. "When the mats are placed in the north and south, the west is the upper and the east is the lower. When the mat is placed in the east and west, the south is the upper and the north is the lower.
The Book of Poetry Xiao Ya The First Feast of the Bin writes "The First Feast of the Bin Bin Ranks", which means that the guests sit on the table, and the people on the left and right sides are seated in order (elder and youngest). It shows that the seats are respectful and inferior, elder and younger, that is, according to the upper and lower, left and right. The mat should also be placed in a proper manner.
The Analects of the Township Party said: "If the seat is not right, do not sit." A smooth mat is not only a sign of the host's heart, but also a sign of respect for the guests. In order to avoid being swept up when getting up and sitting down, he pressed the town in the four corners of it. The shape of Xizhen is becoming more and more exquisite, becoming a variety of animal or human sculpture pieces, unique in ancient arts and crafts, but also the highlight of Chinese interior furnishings.
Xi Zhen unearthed from the tomb of the Marquis of Haiding.
Since people spread their mats directly on the ground, they can't just walk into the house with their shoes on. If someone is going to enter the house, they should raise their voices to let them hear so that they can know. If two pairs of shoes are found outside the door, it means that there are two people inside, and the person who enters must make a notification, let them in, and if they are not allowed to enter, they cannot enter, so as not to affect the people in the house.
There are often a few on the table, which is equivalent to the current coffee table, which is used to place food. People can sit on mats and eat. However, when formally receiving guests, people should sit upright, not leaning on a table, lying there, and not talking to the person being received while eating. It is recorded in the "Zuo Biography": "If you don't follow a few points, you don't drink the jar." ”
Xi played an important role in ancient Chinese etiquette. Depending on the status, the rules for using the table will be different. For example, "the seat of the Son of Heaven is fivefold, the princes are threefold, and the doctor is heavy", while the commoners only lay one heavy seat. The large table can seat four people, the small seat can seat two, and the separate square seat is specially designed for His Holiness and the elderly, and is a "solitary seat" for only one person.
In addition, there is a set of complicated rules about the table in ancient times, such as men and women over 7 years old, married sisters and brothers, fathers and sons, these three conditions are not allowed to sit together, and at the same time, the "Book of Rites" also stipulates that if a group of 5 people live, the elders must have a seat, and more than 5 people must arrange another table separately. Gradually, the words "chairman" and "chief" came out of the etiquette system.
* |Qin Gong No. 1 Tomb.