In the late old days, the fact that humans wore decorations has been confirmed by many unearthed objects at home and abroad. Among the naked women with Venus circular carvings unearthed in Willendorf, bracelets and other decorations are carved on the small wrist, which is out of proportion to the plump breasts and buttocks. In the bone carvings unearthed in Ituriz, there are also ornaments similar to bracelets. Among the objects unearthed in Maijin, Ukraine, there are exquisite bracelets with decorative patterns carved by mammoth ivory. Among the objects unearthed in Grimadi on the Riviera coast, besides bracelets made of fishbones, there are bracelets made of shells, oyster shells and animal teeth. The bracelets in the Neolithic age have been decorated to some extent, not only with smooth surfaces, but also with some simple patterns engraved on their surfaces. Archaeologists found ancient bracelet rings used to decorate wrists, such as pottery rings and stone bracelets, at Banpo site and Xiahou Neolithic site in Qufu, Shandong Province about 6,000 years ago. Judging from the unearthed bracelets, there are animal bones, teeth, stones, pottery and so on. The shape of the bracelet has a round tube, a ring and two semi-rings spliced together.
The bracelets in the Neolithic age have been decorated to some extent, not only with smooth surfaces, but also with some simple patterns engraved on their surfaces. From the Shang and Zhou Dynasties to the Warring States Period, bracelets were mostly made of jade. Whether it is bracelet shape or jade color, it is particularly rich. In this period, besides jade articles, metal bracelets also appeared.
After the Western Han Dynasty, influenced by the cultural customs of the western regions, the wind of wearing armbands prevailed. There are many styles of armbands, some of which can be extended freely. This armband can be adjusted according to the thickness of the arm. Shen Kuo, a poet in the Song Dynasty, wrote in Meng Qian's Bi Tan: "Jinling people climbed the tombs of the Six Dynasties, got jade arms and offered ghosts and gods." There is also a kind of arm ring called "tripping", such as spring-shaped, which is coiled in a circle, ranging from three times to more than ten times. Both ends are woven with gold and silver thread to adjust the tightness. This "jump-off" armband can be worn on the arm and wrist.
From Sui and Tang Dynasties to Song Dynasty, it was very common for women to decorate their arms with bracelets, which were called armbands. In the early Tang Dynasty, the painter Yan's "Walking Map" and "The Picture of Zanhua Ladies" clearly described the image of women wearing armbands. This is not limited to the court nobles, but also the common people. According to historical records, Cui Guangyuan led troops to crusade against Duan Zhangzhang, and soldiers plundered everywhere. When you see a woman, cut off your arm and take the armband. It can be seen that there were many women wearing armbands at that time. After the Tang and Song Dynasties, the materials and manufacturing techniques of bracelets have been highly developed, including gold and silver bracelets, jade bracelets and precious bracelets. Shapes are round, beaded, twisted, braided, bamboo and so on. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties and even the Republic of China, bracelets inlaid with precious stones in gold prevailed. The design and modeling of jewelry and the production of technology have made great progress.
Although bracelets are regarded as decorations of arms and the earliest hazy consciousness of loving beauty, many scientists believe that the initial appearance of bracelets is not entirely from loving beauty, but related to totem worship and witchcraft etiquette. At the same time, some historians believe that because men occupy an absolute dominant position in economic life, rings, bracelets and other accessories have a barbaric custom that metaphorically binds women and prevents them from escaping. This metaphor has existed for quite a long time.
Bracelets, like earrings, necklaces and rings, are being accepted and used by more and more people as a kind of jewelry, as a supporting decoration for clothing, as a means of decorating their own works of art, and as a means of dressing up their personal styles and hobbies. Wearing a bracelet, its aesthetic function is often the first.