Chapter 30 Also talk about the spittoon

Two days ago, Professor Liang Shiqiu wrote an article "The Spittoon" in this magazine, which brought back the 50-year-old phlegm in me.What kind of dynasty product the spittoon is, can't be verified for a while, in short, its origin is very ancient. In those days in the Mainland, regardless of the large or small households, there was always a spittoon or a pair of spittoons in the place where the guests sat up and down, for the guests to use for phlegm and ash.In front of the kang bed in the middle of the living room of the Guanguan family, a pair of two-foot-high white copper sputum buckets are indispensable utensils, or they can be called decorations. Without them, it seems to be shorter. As for the bedroom and study room, one or a pair is indispensable. Put it in place for use.

Whether Chinese or foreign, ancient or modern, people all have phlegm, but the methods of spitting are different.Foreigners show politeness by spitting sticky phlegm into paper, stuffing lumps into pockets, and throwing phlegm into trash bins. Although there is nothing wrong with it, it is not only inhumane to spit in a handkerchief and returned to Yi Xijun. It's also disgusting to think about.Back then, Fu Kaisen once said: "The Chinese are very clever at spitting in spittoons. If you are afraid of being unhygienic, sprinkle some disinfectant in the spittoon and add a cover, wouldn't it be perfect?" In the photo of the meeting between Nixon and Mao Zedong in Ju Ren Tang, there is an antique spittoon between them.

In the rich and wealthy homes in the Mainland, a pair of shining silver cupronickel spittoons are indispensable decorations in the living room, and there is also a pair of white enamel ones with blue borders that are very common.As for the colorful patterns, there are many enamel spittoons with different thicknesses, heights and shapes, and most of them are too vulgar.There was only one time when the author was walking through Luomashi Street, and encountered a dowry procession.One of them has a pair of enamel spittoons tied with pink silk. It is bright red in color, with gold-twisted double happiness characters on one side, and a picture of a unicorn giving birth to a child on the other side. The colors are soft and beautiful. They are the most outstanding pair of enamel spittoons I have ever seen. , I have never seen such fine and bright enamel goods since then.

In the living room of Zhu Erdian, the British Minister to China, there was a plain blue and white porcelain spittoon in the middle of the table, with a sparrow-feather tide fan inserted on it, obviously he used the spittoon as a vase.The bottom of the spittoon has neither an inscription nor an illustration. According to Minister Zhu Erdian, he bought it from a small ancient pit shop on Di'anmen Street.After being appraised by famous experts who have researched on porcelain, it was used by the emperor of the former Ming Dynasty. Because the spittoon is placed on the ground for spitting, it is a kind of filthy device, and it is not dare to burn the name of the year, so as not to pollute the sanctity.I don’t know if what I said is true, but when I visited the Forbidden City, I really didn’t see the right spittoon on display. Is it because the spittoon and drowning utensils were listed as dirty utensils and were not included in the exhibition? Spittoon?

Professor Liang also talked about a small spittoon, placed on the right side of the pillow, without the risk of overturning, and has the effect of accompanying attendants. Shejian called this exquisite spittoon a spit pot.There is a professional workshop in Beiping called Laotianli, which specializes in burning cloisonne. It is produced and sold by itself, with a deep color and rich inlays.His family has a pair of cloisonné spitting pots, the whole body is pure blue with a picture of longevity inlaid with gold and silver. The copper wire paint is seamlessly fused with the fetal bone, and it is carved and polished. Everyone believes that it is a master product of the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty, and the owner is not willing to show it easily. .The anti-Japanese army flourished, Beiping fell, and some cloisonne boutiques from Lao Tianli and Zhongxing were also seized by the Japanese army. The pair of authentic Ming Dynasty cloisonne 100-year-old spit pots were entrusted by the North China Garrison Army. Of course, this pair of treasures finally became the victory of the Japanese "Imperial Army".

Sheqin Liu Shiyan was born in Guichi, Anhui Province. He worked as a right counselor in the Rendu branch in the late Qing Dynasty. A big braid, just right.This old man has a habit of collecting small spit pots, which is rare and beautiful.There are probably more than a hundred pieces in his collection, inlaid with gold and jade, mother-of-pearl and red, and famous porcelains of past dynasties, which are not unusual.He has thirty or forty fine porcelain spit pots made in various European countries, with landscape figures, animals and birds, painted and carved, which are gorgeous and pleasing to the eye.Choose five before going to bed every night, roll them into a paper with a heart-mounted paper and put them in the pot, and wash and replace them the next day if they are soiled.What is puzzling is that Europeans and Americans spit phlegm into toilet paper and handkerchiefs. They have never seen them use large or small spittoons. How did the Liu family come up with some skills to make porcelain spit pots!Unbelievable.

In the past ten years or so, the architectural pattern of houses in Taiwan has changed with each passing day. There is no proper place for a spittoon in the living room, study room and living room.It is not pleasing to the eye to put it in any corner or wall, not to mention that there are few spittoons on the market, and some stores in many towns may sell them.Fortunately, the author has developed the habit of not spitting since childhood. When I catch a cold, the problem can be solved by going to the bathroom twice more.spittoon!spittoon!In another ten or eight years, I am afraid that it will become a term in history.