Carpentry and building in late imperal China

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Considers the technical, religious, and ritual aspects of building, based on a manual that has not been used in scholarly studies before. The translation is preceded by a discussion of building materials, the life of laborers and craftsmen, the choice of favorable measurements, the ritual of raising the ridge pole, the use of sorcery by carpenters, and other aspects of building a house. The complete and annotation translation includes the original 80 illustrations. The manual explains building houses and other structures and furniture. Includes a facsimile of the earliest extant edition from around 1600. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.