Page 206 - Ming_China_Courts_and_Contacts_1400_1450 Craig lunas

10 Or, in the words of Qinghua Guo, ‘the module controls the scale’. Guang[zhou]. An official dispatched to collect the timbers would
Guo 1988, 6. not return to Beijing for four or five years’). For more on this subject
11 These calculations are based on Song dynasty measurements in see Zhou Qiwen 2012, 139. Ming records also reveal that it was
which one cun is roughly equal to 3.12cm. The modules also difficult for even 1,000 men to move a single felled timber: ‘一木初
correspond to the number of bays across the façade and to different 臥，千夫難移’. Another text mentions that 700 or 800 men were
building types. See Li Jie 2006, 24–5 for the original text outlining required: ‘拽運輒至七八百人’. Lan Yong 1994, 94. Eventually
the module ranking system. For this information organised into a Ming regulations specified the number of individuals required to
clear table see Guo Daiheng 2009, 642. move trunks of certain sizes. A trunk of nan wood seven zhang丈
12 Chen Mingda 1998. tall, and one zhang, two-to-three chi 尺in circumference, for
13 Fu Xinian 2001, 647. It may well be that because in the Tang example, required 500 men: ‘崇楠木一株，長七丈，圍圓一丈二三尺
dynasty builders did not yet have the technical means to fabricate 者，用拽運夫五百名。’ Gao Shouxian 2006, 28.
delicate timber-frame constructions they ‘over-dimensioned’ 36 For example, a text dating to 1431 mentions that Xuande issued an
everything in order to ensure structural stability. Nonetheless, the order to stop the waste of nan timber materials stored in the Beijing
Yingzao fashi clearly testifies to the perceived importance of the timber yards: ‘有不當用，切勿妄廢。若本大材而工匠斵小用之，罪
module size in determining the overall rank of a building. I would 亦不貸. When there are [timber materials] not being used, do not
like to thank Alexandra Harrer for bringing this point to my rashly waste them. If carpenters chop these large timbers for trivial
attention. ‘Over-dimensioned’ is Harrer’s terminology. purposes, they will be punished without pardon.’ See Jiang
14 Liang Sicheng 2005, 19–20. Shunyuan 2002, 244.
15 Sun Dazhang 2009, 399. These calculations are based on Ming 37 The formula used to calculate the number of tiers in a bracket set is
dynasty measurements in which one cun is roughly equal to the following: twice the number of projecting steps (2x chucaishu 出
3.175cm. See Guo Huayu 2005, 127. 踩數) +1 = a bracket set of y-cai 踩. Harrer 2010, 580.
16 Sun Dazhang 2009, 399. 38 Qi Yingtao 1992, 336.
17 See Pan Guxi 2009, 450–4 for an explanation of the major 39 Qiao 翹 are gong-shaped (gongxing 弓形) wooden members that
structural changes that occurred during the Yuan dynasty. project outwards from the central line of the block atop which they
18 Examples include Yonglegong Sanqingdian 永樂宮三清殿, five sit. It is the same thing as the Song dynasty huagong 華栱 (see
bays, 6.6 x 4.4 cun (20.7 x 13.5cm); Yonglegong Chunyangdian 永樂 footnote below). Wang 2006, 418.
宮純陽殿, five bays, 6 x 4 cun (18.0 x 12.5cm); Guangsheng Shang si 40 A so-called ‘false cantilever’ (jia’ang 假昂) refers to the result of the
Mituodian 廣勝上寺彌陀殿, five bays, 5.25 x 3.5 cun (16.5 x 11cm); end of a projecting bracket-arm (huagong) has been carved to look
Zhenrusi Dadian 真如寺大殿, three bays, 4.4 x 3 cun (13.5 x 9cm). like a true cantilever (ang 昂), but which, instead of serving a
Pan Guxi 2009, 452. structural function is merely decorative. In the early Ming it was
19 This point can be illustrated by comparing the three-bay wide common for buildings to have two false cantilevers.
Main Hall of Zhenrusi (1320) to the nine-bay wide Ling’endian. 41 Qi 1992, 335.
Despite their obvious differences in size and rank, both halls 42 Guo Qinghua 2002, 50.
employ modules of 3 cun. 43 Qi 1992, 336.
20 Bai, He and Wang 2009, 91. 44 Bai, He and Wang 2009, 92.
21 Bai, He and Wang 2009, 91. 45 The cantilever is a diagonal member resting on a fulcrum that
22 Bai, He and Wang 2009, 91; Wu Cong 1994, 39; and Qi Yingtao capitalises on the upward thrust created by the massive load on one
1992, 326. Guo Huayu provides different figures for the module end to support the weight of the roof eave on the other end. Lothar
widths of the three halls: Zixiaogong, 7.6–8cm/2.4–2.5 cun; Ledderose gives a very clear explanation in English of the
Ling’endian, 9.5cm/3.0 cun; Longguodian, 7.6–8.0cm/2.4–2.5 cun. cantilever’s function in timber-frame architecture. See Ledderose
Guo Huayu 2005, 128. I am following Bai and Wu’s figures because 2000, 122–3.
they are consistent with each other. 46 For more on liujin brackets see Guo Huayu 2002, 281–9.
23 The module size is an approximate figure based on the remains of 47 Pan Guxi 2009, 458–9.
this building. Bai, He and Wang 2009, 91. 48 ‘凡于闌額上坐櫨枓安鋪作者，謂之‘補間鋪坐。’當心間需用補間鋪
24 Bai, He and Wang 2009, 91. 坐兩枓朵，次間及梢間各用一朵’ (‘The bracket sets atop the cap
25 Bai, He and Wang 2009, 91. Guo gives 11.5–12cm/3.62–3.78 cun for blocks atop the architrave are called ‘intercolumnar bracket-sets.
the module width. Guo Huayu 2005, 128. The central bay needs two sets of inter-columnar bracket sets while
26 Guo Huayu 2005, 128. the flanking and corner bays each need one’). Li Jie 2006, 34.
27 Bai, He and Wang 2009, 91. 49 It is important to mention that the link between the bay width and
28 Qi Yingtao 1992, 326. the number of brackets may actually have been dictated by a
29 Qi Yingtao 1992, 326. structural problem. On account of the decreasing size of the
30 Qi Yingtao 1992, 326. module and the smaller bracket-arms that came along with it, the
31 See Pan Guxi 2009, 451 for a technical description of the ways in number of bracket-sets may have been increased in order to
which beams were used to support brackets. provide enough support for the heavy load of the roof: the larger
32 This does not mean, however, that bracket-sets became purely the building, the wider the bay spans, and the more bracket-sets
ornamental. Recent scholarship has demonstrated that Ming and required. Guo Huayu 2005, 142.
Qing brackets still served a structural function even though they 50 For more on this phenomenon see Zhang Shiqing 1999, 92.
had shrunken in size. Guo Huayu 2005, 142. 51 Zang Shiqing 1999, 92.
33 Yu Zhuoyun thus concluded that ‘…because [the forests in 52 Guo Huayu 2005, 49.
Sichuan] were so vast and the supply of wood plentiful, there was 53 Sun Dazhang 2009, 398–9.
an endless stream of timber travelling between the province and 54 Bai, He and Wang 2009, 88–9.
the timber yards in Beijing’. Yu Zhuoyun and Hutt 1987, 20. The 55 Guo Huayu 2005, 147.
60 massive nan wood pillars used at Ling’endian, which soar 13m in 56 Guo Huayu (2005, 140) gives 9.83m for the width of the
height and measure 1.17m in diameter, offer a glimpse of just how Ling’endian mingjian.
large the timbers used for imperial construction during the Yongle 57 No measurements provided.
reign could be. Nonetheless, the column dimensions at Ling’endian 58 No measurements provided.
should not be considered typical of all Ming buildings, but only the 59 See Zhang Shiqing 1999 for a detailed explanation of this
very highest-ranking ones. development.
34 Bai, He and Wang 2009, 93. 60 Guo Huayu 2005, 49.
35 For example, a Ming dynasty text records: ‘照得楠杉大木，產在川
貴湖廣等處，差官採辦，非四五年不得北京’ (‘The great nan and
shan timbers are produced in Gui[zhou], Hu[nan], and

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