流行於明清家庭的選擇通書《玉匣記》，於《紅樓夢》第四十二回現身，象徵著明清的家庭日常，以及當時普遍流行的擇日文化，而其源自於命名的玉文化符號，更是使其有別於其他選擇通書，得以列入紅樓玉系譜。曹雪芹充分運用了《玉匣記》夾帶的文化符號，從日用的角度，《玉匣記》被用來寫實呈現明清的家庭生活，並作為擇日文化的象徵，為小說塑造人物典型，或為人物與情節發展進行轉換階段的過渡儀式。從物用的角度，《玉匣記》作為玉的符號，和通靈寶玉在除祟、玉殮葬以及記錄職能上產生聯結，進而與「石上書」互文，呼應玉石成書之歷程，並以自身於小說中為女性與兒童所用之特質，為「石上書」替閨閣昭傳之關懷主題作下最佳注解。自日用之家庭常備選擇手冊，到物用之玉的象徵符號，《玉匣記》之於《紅樓夢》存在著不可替代的意義。;The day-choosing calendar “The Jade Casket” which is prevalent in family of Ming and Qing dynasty is shown in the 42 chapter of “the Dream of the Red Chamber”. It symbolizes the daily life in family of Ming and Qing dynasty and also the day-choosing culture that prevailed at that time. On the other hand, the jade culture symbol which is derived from name makes “The Jade Casket” different from the other day-choosing calendars and be included in the jade family of “the Dream of the Red Chamber”. Cao Xueqin fully utilizes the culture symbol of “The Jade Casket”. On the aspect of daily use, he makes good use of the symbol to realistically show the family life in Ming and Qing dynasty and to be an emblem of the day-choosing culture in order to establish the characters or be a transitional rite between the twists in the storyline. When it comes to the aspect of material culture, he takes “The Jade Casket” as a jade symbol and connects it with “magic jade” on dispeling the harms of witchcraft, the funeral culture of jade and the function of record. Further, the jade symbol of “The Jade Casket” has the intertextuality with “the story on the stone” and concerts with the progress of the written media transformation from stone to jade. Besides, “The Jade Casket” provides a good explanation of the theme in “the story on the stone” which concerning female by acting on children and female in the novel. Not only the aspect of daily use but also material culture, “The Jade Casket” has a special meaning to “The Dream of the Red Chamber” .
