Red Sandalwood Chopsticks Inset with Gold and Jade

This pair of Red Sandalwood Chopsticks Inset with Gold and Jade features exquisite craftsmanship and gorgeous thread-shaped patterns formed by inlaid gold and silver wires. The gold and jade insets on the chopsticks are plain, without any decorative patterns. The jade lotus bud-shaped top showcases both the gorgeousness of gold and the elegance of jade.

Chopsticks are used to pick up food. Since ancient times, a variety of materials have been used to make chopsticks. Historical records show that ivory chopsticks had emerged in the late Shang Dynasty. Materials such as copper, bamboo, gold, and jade were used after the Han Dynasty.

In the Ming Dynasty, saying "zhu" (meaning "stop") was taboo among boatmen in Wuxian, today's Jiangsu Province. Because chopsticks were also called "zhu" in Chinese, locals began to call them "kuai" (meaning "fast") to pray for smooth sailing.

During the Qing Dynasty, chopsticks were used to symbolize blessings at weddings. When the emperor and empress were married, two pairs of chopsticks tied together with red threads would be placed in their wedding room, and they used the chopsticks to eat dumplings and noodles together, a practice conveying good wishes of conjugal felicity, plentiful offspring, health, and longevity.

This pair of chopsticks, featuring precious materials and exquisite craftsmanship, testifies not only to the craftsman's ingenuity, but also to the inheritance and development of Chinese culture.

紫檀鑲金嵌玉箸

紫檀鑲金嵌玉箸由紫檀與金、玉搭配制成。紫檀做工極其精致，以金、銀絲嵌入，勾勒出奢華的線狀花紋。箸身鑲嵌金、玉，均為素面不作雕琢，箸端鑲嵌蓮苞式玉頂，既顯金之富麗華美，又有玉之溫潤典雅。

箸專門用于夾取食物，自古以來，材質各有不同。據記載，商代晚期已有象牙箸。兩漢以后，銅、竹、金、玉等均可用于制箸。明代，江蘇吳縣船家外出時忌諱說“住”，因“箸”和“住”同音，便把“箸”稱為“快兒”，意為保佑航船快速到達。隨時間推移，“快兒”逐漸被“筷子”取代。清代，箸是新婚慶典的吉祥之物。帝后大婚設合巹宴，婚房內備有兩雙由紅線系在一起的箸，帝后以此共食子孫餑餑（餃子）、長壽面，表達夫婦同心、子孫滿堂、健康長壽等美好寓意。

小小一副箸，用材珍貴、工藝精致，既是別出心裁、獨具匠心的體現，又是中華文化發展傳承的見證。