Candle beeswax, which appeared in the 3rd century BC, may be the embryonic form of candles seen today. In the west, there was a time when bees were kept in monasteries to make beeswax, mainly because Catholicism believed that beeswax was a symbol of the conception of the Virgin Mary, so it was regarded as a pure light and was enshrined on the altar of the church. According to the existing literature, the time of producing beeswax in China is roughly the same as that in the west, and this kind of candle was introduced from China in Nara period (AD 7 10 ~ 784).
The popularity of candles has gone through a long historical period. According to Xijing Miscellanies, there were candles in the tribute from South Vietnam to Gaudi in the Han Dynasty. Candles are expensive, and only nobles and senior government officials are qualified and financially able to use them. Businessmen are rich, but the ancient scholars, peasants, workers and businessmen rank last and have a low social status. They have the money to wear silk, but they dare not show off in silk. This is an ancient criminal act with strict law enforcement. So most businessmen wear them secretly in their own homes. Although farmers can wear silk, they have no money to buy silk. Therefore, in the end, only intellectuals can wear bright silk ... so can candles. The production process of ancient wax is complicated, and wax is very expensive, so it is often used as a tribute. Kou Zhun, Prime Minister of Northern Song Dynasty, lit candles in the toilet, which was called extravagance by later generations!
Kerosene lamps have been used in Baghdad since the 9th century, and the modern kerosene lamps were invented by the Polish inventor Ignacy Lukasiewicz in 1853.
But when it comes to the commonly used lighting tools in ancient times, that is "lamp", oil lamp. The fuel is mainly animal fat. This ordinary person also has it, and it's not expensive. Guan Gong has "reading candlelight at night", because he is Hou Ting of Han Shou, with status and status. Most importantly, he and Liu Bei, who sells straw sandals, are sworn brothers. Liu Bei is the king of Hanzhong and the emperor of Shu Han, so it is not surprising to use candles! But some poor scholars can only use lamps. There is a poem that says, "Beauty is angry and grabs the lamp. Ask Lang what time it is? " ! "This is a profound description of poor students studying hard all night and neglecting their wives.
1968 was unearthed in Lingshan, Mancheng County, Hebei Province. The height is 48 cm, and the human height is 44.5 cm. From the tomb of Dou Wan, the wife of Liu Sheng, the king of Zhongshan in the Western Han Dynasty, it was a kneeling maid-in-waiting holding a lamp, which was gilded and dazzling. Maids wear long skirts with wide sleeves, combs and towels; The lamp plate, the lamp holder and the right arm of the maid-in-waiting holding the lamp are detachable; Candles can be inserted in the center of the lamp plate, and the lampshade and the lamp plate can be rotated and opened, which is convenient for adjusting the brightness and angle of light. The right arm of the maid-in-waiting is the flue. After the smoke is filtered by the bottom water tray, there will be smoke without dust, which can reduce the indoor smoke and keep the room clean. There are 9 inscriptions on the lamp, including 65 words, including the word "Long Letter", which is the name of the palace where Dou Shi, the Empress of the Chinese Emperor, lived. Changxin Palace Lantern is a masterpiece of lamps in Han Dynasty, with beautiful shape and exquisite structure, which embodies the creative ability of ancient craftsmen and the scientific and technological level at that time. It is now in the Hebei Provincial Museum.