A Tale of Choice and Trade-off
Buying the Casket and Returning the Pearl(买椟还珠)
The idiom “Buying the Casket and Returning the Pearl” originates from “Han Feizi·Upper Left of External Storage Sayings” by Han Fei of the Warring States period, and it tells the following story.
The story takes place in the State of Chu, where a merchant spent a fortune to acquire a luminous pearl from the South Sea, clear and translucent, worth a city’s ransom. However, despite the pearl’s excellent quality, it sat in his shop for many days without attracting any buyers. Puzzled, the merchant couldn’t understand why until one day he noticed a young nobleman, dressed in luxurious attire, lingering outside his shop, his gaze fixed on the sandalwood box that held the pearl.
The merchant had a sudden inspiration and, overnight, sought out the best craftsmen in the city to create an exquisitely beautiful box from the finest rosewood. Skilled artisans carved the box with intricate dragons and phoenixes, then inlaid it with precious stones and perfumed it with rare agarwood.
The next day, the young nobleman returned. Upon seeing the box, his eyes lit up, and without hesitation, he paid for it. The merchant secretly rejoiced, but the nobleman shocked him the next day by returning the pearl and keeping only the box.
“This box is truly exquisite, I am willing to pay double for it,” said the nobleman. “As for the pearl, I’ll return it to you.”
Only then did the merchant realize that the box he had so meticulously crafted was worth more than the pearl itself. From then on, the story of “Buying the Casket and Returning the Pearl” spread throughout the State of Chu.
This story teaches us that sometimes an excessive pursuit of external splendor can overshadow the true value of things. However, it’s undeniable that the box was indeed exquisitely crafted, which is why the nobleman couldn’t bear to part with it.
The boxes we sell on our website inherit the exquisite craftsmanship of the box from the story and have been a favorite for thousands of years. Whether as a collectible or a gift, they are an excellent choi
