Hey Friends!
It’s Zani here. Cani and I are beyond excited to finally share our first-ever bag collection with you. This collection was inspired by an ancient Chinese myth: "The Butterfly Lovers." Today, we want to tell you that story and explain some of the ways its themes influenced us.
The Story
Legend has it, in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (around 265-420 AD), a young woman named Zhu Yingtai so yearned for knowledge that she disguised herself as a man to go to school. At school, she met and fell in love with Liang Shanbo, a male classmate. Zhu and Liang became inseparable, and Liang eventually fell in love with Zhu as well, despite believing she was a man.
After many misunderstandings and separations, Zhu eventually manages to reveal her true identity to Liang, and the two pledge their love to each other. However, by this point, Zhu’s father had already arranged her marriage to another man.
Heartbroken and unable to defy the rigid rules of classical Chinese society, Liang dies of despair. On her wedding day, Zhu steps out of the wedding procession to visit Liang’s grave, and in an act of defiance and love, she throws herself into the grave. Miraculously, the grave opens up, and the two lovers transform into butterflies, flying away to eternal freedom and union.
This story, first recorded during the Tang Dynasty in Xuan Shizhi, is potentially based on true events. Over the centuries, it’s been retold in countless forms, from operas to concertos to films [1].
The Butterfly Lovers and Feminism
It doesn’t take much squinting to spot the feminist themes in this story. Beyond the obvious nod to equal education among genders, the story portrays Zhu as possessing greater agency than her male partner, Liang. Zhu is the one who falls in love first and schemes actively to push their relationship forward emotionally and logistically. She pretends to be her own nonexistent sister to pique Liang’s interest, and she plans a trip for Liang to visit her family so he can “accidentally” learn her identity.
This subverts the expectations in classical China for women to remain unseen, their fates decided by matchmakers and families. Later, when faced with the reality that their love would require their families to suffer the stain of a reneged engagement, Liang quietly gives up and dies of heartbreak. Meanwhile, Zhu shrewdly plans one final demonstration against the societal rules that suffocated her love. She waits for the one moment when all eyes are on her to enact the most public and dramatic protest possible, ensuring that even in death her ideals would not be dismissed. Zhu, not Liang, elevates their story from a sad cautionary tale to a legend about freedom. Zhu, not Liang, is the true main character of this story.
Almost 2000 years after Zhu’s death, Cani and I faced our share of struggles being recognized as the main characters in our own stories while growing up as Chinese American women. Starting Zanicani Studio was one of our steps towards claiming greater self-determination. We channel this spirit into our designs, hoping the vibrant colors and bold shapes empower and inspire every woman to embrace her inner main character.
The Butterfly Lovers and the Pursuit of Happiness
The Butterfly Lovers story is set in a society with an extremely rigid structure. Who can go to school, who can live where, who can do which jobs, who gets to marry whom—all of that is determined by "LiJiao," Confucian ritual religion. Under this system, state-endorsed ceremonies, rituals, and rules ensure the sacrifice of individual desires and freedoms enables a strong, prosperous, and peaceful society. Personal joy is less than an afterthought [2].
Modern American society, born out of the ideals of the Enlightenment, places much greater emphasis on the personal pursuit of happiness. Still, there are certainly moments where it feels like one national or global calamity after another makes that elusive American dream much further out of reach.
The Butterfly Lovers made the ultimate sacrifice for their pursuit of happiness. While many of us are privileged not to face such a dramatic choice, we believe there is an opportunity to choose the pursuit of happiness every day.
Young adulthood has been a lesson in seeking the vibrancy in everyday life for us. We hope that your Zanicani handbag inspires you to take it on countless daily adventures—to the museum, to that restaurant you always wanted to try, on that date you were hoping would change everything, or wherever your heart desires.
The Butterfly Lovers and Queer Themes
Let’s talk about the rainbow elephant in this story. Liang falls in love with Zhu while believing she’s a man, revealing a degree of fluidity in his sexual orientation.
Historical texts indicate that homosexuality was generally tolerated in ancient China before the Tang Dynasty, when Western-influenced religions gradually cast some behaviors as unacceptable. Potentially, the Tang Dynasty writers who recorded this story were subtly commenting on this shift in contemporary morals [3].
While the intentions of ancient writers can only remain in the realm of conjecture, Cani and I choose to see a message of inclusivity in the story of the Butterfly Lovers. The constraints of the time forced the message to be highly veiled, but we are lucky to live in an era where support for love in all its forms is finally getting its veil lifted. At Zanicani Studio, we are so excited to be a part of this continuous process. Our designs are for everyone, transcending boundaries.
The Butterfly Lovers and an Artistic Legacy
The Butterfly Lovers has left an indelible mark on Chinese art across the centuries. From traditional regional operas to a haunting erhu concerto to a TV series, this story continues to inspire. Notable adaptations include a Yue Opera from the early 20th century, a 1954 Hong Kong film, and a 2008 television mini-series.
Cani and I are thrilled to add to this artistic legacy. Our bag collection incorporates the elegance of Chinese art and mythology into contemporary designs. Each designer handbag is a piece of wearable art, a tribute to this timeless story, ready to bring ancient culture to your everyday life.
The Butterfly Lovers and Zanicani Studio
At Zanicani Studio, we believe in the power of stories to connect and inspire. At the core, our brand strives to bring together two seemingly disparate elements: the elegance of traditional Chinese art and the audacity of the American spirit. We hope that telling this story, so rich in these themes, brings some tangibility and context to our goals.
To all of you who have read to this point, thank you so much for your interest in our first bag collection. Your support means the world to us. We hope you will give our designs a try and let them inspire you to embrace your vibrant, unique spirit.