A sachet is a personal item that lovers often give to each other as a gift to express their love. In ancient times, when men and women communicated love, they also wanted love to sprout in a dark fragrance.
In “Dream of the Red Chamber,” there is a passage where it is written: Daiyu mistakenly thought that Baoyu had given the sachet she had given to someone else, which made her angry. She even wanted to cut off the one she was embroidering, every stitch and thread was a symbol of affection. Baoyu was not willing to give it to someone, but she was afraid that someone would take it away and wear it close to her. This shows her deep affection.
Silver sachets are a must-have for women, not only hanging on the body, but also placed in blankets and hung on bed curtains. Yang Guifei was also particularly fond of sachets. In “The Palace of Eternal Life,” it is depicted that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang rewarded Yang Guifei with a precious sachet due to the dance of Ni Chang and Yu Yi.
During the An Lushan Rebellion, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang led Yang Guifei and her group on a hasty western expedition, and the six armies on Ma Weipo did not deploy. Emperor Xuanzong sacrificed Yang Guifei’s life, leaving her to bear the responsibility for causing the country’s war on her own. After Yang Guifei was hanged, her body was hastily buried on the spot. After the recapture of the Western Capital, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang secretly sent someone to move and bury her body. The eunuch found that the body of the noble concubine was only covered in a translucent white bone, and only the sachet worn on her chest at the time of death was still as good as before. He took off the sachet and gave his order. The aging Emperor Xuanzong, upon seeing the sachet, longed for people. The joy of singing and dancing on Mount Li was present, and the strong love of Yi people only left behind this sachet in front of him! He put the sachet into his sleeve, tears streaming down his face.
The grape flower bird patterned silver sachet bears witness to the love hate relationship between Emperor Ming of Tang, Li Longji, and Yang Yuhuan.
