Chinese Architecture and Metaphor: Song Culture in the Yingzao Fashi Building Manual

Chapter 5 The Yingzao Fashi Architectural Terminology (II): The Interplay of Literature, Arts, and Craftsmanship

5 The Yingzao Fashi Architectural Terminology (II) The Interplay of Literature, Arts, and Craftsmanship It is important to note that the architectural metaphorical system for bracketing in the YZFS—likening it to flowers and flowering trees—was well documented in contemporary literary texts and that the architectural conceptualization associated with it was shared by craftsmen and literati in China from the tenth to twelfth centuries. Our concern here is how craftsmen and scholars reached such an identical perception of particular architectural structures. Was there an interaction between professionals and the literati in the domain of architecture? Did these two social groups share architectural knowledge or vocabulary as well? Did they cooperate in the making and transmission of technical knowledge? Taking a closer look at the architectural terminology in the YZFS, it can be seen that a large number of refined, literary words are mixed with popular, vernacular language. In contemplating who was responsible for the employment of literary language in the nomenclature of architecture, the question of the level of literacy among craftsmen and the degree to which the literati knew architecture must be addressed. This will help in understanding the distinct roles that people of different social status played in the knowledge field of architecture in premodern China. In the following cases of technical terms in the YZFS, let us look at how literary and artistic practices affected Song craftsmanship, and how the learned and the “unlearned” contributed to the practical and theoretical realms of premodern Chinese architecture. CHINESE ARCHITECTURE AND METAPHOR 182 The Case of Linggong 令栱 (Shorter Arms) and Mangong 慢栱 (Longer Arms) What Are Ling and Man? In the YZFS, bracket arms are classified into five basic types: first, huagong, namely, protruding arms; and the others are four basic types of cross arms, which are introduced in the following order: nidaogong 泥道 栱 (literally, “mud-line arms”), guazigong 瓜子栱 (literally, “melon-seed arms”), linggong 令栱, and mangong 慢栱. A nidaogong sits directly in the opening of the cap block and thus is the lowest cross arm installed in the center of a bracket set. A guazigong is the first layer of cross arms installed on the end of a protruding arm when the protruding arm supports two layers of cross arms. This distinction is important because guazigong would otherwise be replaced by linggong (further discussed below). A mangong is mounted on top of the guazigong or the nidaogong and forms a second layer of cross arms. Modern scholarship explains linggong as a cross arm installed on the uppermost protruding arm of a bracket set.1 This explanation is based on the discussion in the YZFS on the manufacture of bracket arms under the major carpentry system, but the text also defines a linggong as being installed “under the joining point of two neighboring purlins inside a hall” (屋內槫縫之下)2 —in such a case, the linggong is not on top of any protruding arm but mostly installed on top of a block that is supported by a short post. When a linggong is placed on the uppermost protruding arm, it is also under the joining point of two connected eave purlins. In fact, throughout the YZFS, the linggong is seen to be the most versatile bracket arm. A linggong can actually be installed on any projecting arm, from the first “jump” to the last, replacing the two layers of cross arms constituted by the guazigong and the mangong. In addition, it can be used in the center of a set, replacing the nidaogong. When a bracket set is designed as a “double-layer cross-arm construction” (chonggongzao 重栱造), the two layers of cross arms installed on top of each protruding arm (except for the uppermost one, which accommodates a linggong) are made up of the guazigong on the bottom and the mangong on top. However, when a set is designed as a “single-level cross-arm construction” (dangongzao 單栱造), which includes only one layer of cross arm on top of a protruding arm, the linggong is the only kind of cross arm used. This principle is mentioned in the YZFS discussion on work limits for bracketing: THE YINGZAO FASHI ARCHITECTURAL TERMINOLOGY (II) 183 如單栱造者 、不用慢栱 、其瓜子栱並改作令栱 。 3 If [a bracket set is] of single-level cross-arm construction, mangong are not used, and all guazigong are replaced by linggong. Such a principle is consistent with the discussion in the YZFS on the building methods related to the guazigong, which clearly states that a...