Manchu Scented Sachets

Manchu Scented Sachets

　　Scented sachets, also known as scented bags or floral purses, are decorative items worn by Manchu women to hold fragrant spices and flowers. These sachets come in a wide variety of materials, including jade carvings, gold filigree, silver filigree, kingfisher feather inlays, and silk embroidery. They are commonly shaped into circles, squares, ovals, mitered corners, gourds, pomegranates, peaches, waist-rounds, and double-square emblems, among others. Most sachets consist of two halves joined together with an open hollow in between, while some are hollow with a narrow mouth. However, all must have small holes to allow fragrance to escape. The sachets are about ten centimeters long, five centimeters wide, and two centimeters thick. The top features a silk tassel for easy hanging, while the bottom is adorned with decorative knotted cords, colorful silk threads, or beaded tassels symbolizing good fortune.

　　During spring and summer when flowers are in full bloom, Manchu women gather white magnolia, jasmine, and Daidai flowers to place inside the sachets, which they wear on their person to enjoy the fragrance. In winter, when there are no blooming flowers, they fill the sachets with aromatic spices and herbs to invigorate the senses. Especially during the hottest days of the year—the dog days of summer—placing Purple Gold Pills in the sachets helps prevent heatstroke and epidemics, as well as keeps mosquitoes and insects at bay. Elderly people, aiming to maintain health and prevent illness, often prefer sachets shaped like plum blossoms, chrysanthemums, children riding fish, children holding roosters, or pairs of lotus flowers sharing a stem. These shapes symbolize a harmonious home filled with birdsong and floral scents, and signify good fortune and happiness. Children, on the other hand, favor animal-shaped sachets such as tigers, leopards, monkeys climbing poles, or roosters fighting rabbits. Due to the exquisite and beautiful craftsmanship of these sachets, Manchu women not only wear them but also hang them in their bedrooms. This not only serves a decorative purpose but also helps to perfume and purify the air, greatly benefiting both physical and mental well-being.