Which dynasty was the Legend of Ban Shu from? Why did all women have combs on their heads? What did it represent?
The Legend of Ban Shu was a story in the novel Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. The story was about a woman named Ban Shu who met a Taoist priest because she dreamed of a ghost. The Taoist priest told her that she could reach an extraordinary realm through cultivation and gave her a Dharma name,"Ban Ruoyu". Ban Shu encountered many demons and ghosts in the process of cultivation, but she firmly believed in Taoism and finally succeeded in becoming extraordinary. The symbolic meaning of a woman's comb in the story was to represent the woman's lofty, pure, and unyielding spirit. Combs were a traditional female accessory that was often used with hair clips, hairbands, and other accessories. The appearance of a whole comb meant that a woman paid attention to details and pursued perfection. It also symbolized a woman's dignity, elegance and indomitable spirit. The material and style of the comb would also affect the symbolic meaning of the story. For example, a gold comb represented nobility, a gorgeous silver comb represented purity, elegance, and so on.