About
The character 奁, derived from its traditional form 奩, originally referred to a woman’s cosmetic case used for storing items like mirrors, combs, and makeup. Its traditional structure combines the semantic radical 匚 (indicating a container) with the phonetic component 僉, while the simplified version stacks 大 above 区. Beyond denoting a physical box, 奁 expanded to mean a bride’s trousseau, the collection of personal belongings, clothing, and valuables she brought to a marriage. This term frequently appears in classical texts describing historical Chinese marriage customs and women’s domestic lives.