The symbolism of long nails and nail guards, from Confucius to Empress Cixi
In “Song in Midnight (《子夜歌》),” a verse by the female poet Chao Chai (晁采) of the Tang dynasty (618 – 907), a lonely woman leans by an open window, looks wistfully outside, and longs for the lover she hasn’t seen for an age. When contemplating how best to show her beloved the depth of her feelings, the narrator doesn’t resort to love letters or jewelry, but instead gives the most heartfelt gift of all—her well-groomed fingernails, trimmed off and sent to her lover in a delicate silk bag.
In ancient China, this was a serious display of affection, as fingernails carried great symbolism. The Classic of Filial Piety (《孝经》), a compilation of discussions between Confucius and his disciples about filial piety, attributed to Confucius and written in the Spring and Autumn period (770 – 476 BCE ), records that “the hair, skin, and body come from one’s parents and we must not harm them; this is filial piety.” Portraits of Confucius also often depict the famous thinker with extremely long nails.
Yang Tingting is a Chinese editor at The World of Chinese. Interested in telling Chinese stories, she writes mainly about culture, language, and society.
