bamboo and wood slips

Ingredients

bamboo, wood, binding string

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The manuscripts are constructed using bamboo or wood slips tied together. The authors identify a specific reconstruction technique called 'suozi kou fangshi' (literally 'chain-knot method'). In this method, wherever a binding string is attached to a slip, two lines of the string are visible on one side (typically the front/writing side), but only one line on the other side (p. 54-56). The orientation of these lines often forms an arrow-like shape, where the direction of binding is opposite to the direction of the arrow (p. 59).

Evidence

"After the proposal by Stein and Andrews, it seems to have taken ninety years before another detailed reconstruction of binding techniques was attempted in the lab report on the Qin manuscripts acquired in 2010 by Peking University. The authors refer to the technique as suozi kou fangshi 鎖子扣方式"

Remarks

The reconstruction of these Qin manuscripts (acquired in 2010) visually resembles a 'chain-stitch' sewing technique. The investigation notes that the orientation of binding traces allows for determining the sequence in which the slips were bound—either from the beginning towards the end (right to left) or vice versa (p. 55, 59). Evidence from the Yuelu Academy cache suggests that while the front side shows two lines of string, some slips show no traces on the back due to decay or removal during preservation (p. 58).