Chapter II · The Implements: a close reading of the whole chapter
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Chapter II · The Implements is a chapter about tea, tools, and judgment. Read it as a sequence of practical judgments.
Passage
“The ying — also called lan, long, or ju — is woven of bamboo. It holds five sheng, or one, two, three dou; the tea picker carries it on the back when gathering leaves.”
The passage is short. The judgment behind it is not.
Passage
“The stove should have no chimney; the cauldron should have a lipped rim.”
The passage is short. The judgment behind it is not.
Passage
“The zeng steamer is made of wood or earthenware, narrowed at the waist and sealed with clay. A bamboo tray serves as the grate, tied with bamboo strips. When steaming begins, the leaves enter the grate; when done, they are taken out.”
The passage is short. The judgment behind it is not.
Passage
“The pestle and mortar, also called dui, are best when they have long been in constant use.”
The passage is short. The judgment behind it is not.
Passage
“The gui mold, also called mo or quan, is made of iron, in round, square, or floral shapes.”
The passage is short. The judgment behind it is not.
Passage
“The cheng base, also called tai or zhen, is made of stone; otherwise of locust or mulberry wood, half-buried in the ground so that it will not rock.”
The passage is short. The judgment behind it is not.
Passage
“The chan cloth, also called yi, is made of oiled silk or worn rainwear. It is laid on the cheng base, and the gui mold set upon it to form the tea; when a cake is done, it is lifted and replaced.”
The passage is short. The judgment behind it is not.
Passage
“The bei drying-pit is dug two feet deep, two and a half feet wide, and one zhang long. Above it a low wall two feet high is built and plastered with clay.”
The passage is short. The judgment behind it is not.
Passage
“The guan skewer is cut from bamboo, two and a half feet long, for stringing tea cakes to roast.”
The passage is short. The judgment behind it is not.
Passage
“The chuan string is made in Jiangdong and Huainan from split bamboo, and in Bashan and the gorges from twisted mulberry-bark. In Jiangdong one jin is a large string, half a jin a medium, and four or five liang a small one.”
The passage is short. The judgment behind it is not.
Passage
“The yu storage cabinet is made of wood, woven of bamboo, and pasted with paper. It has a shelf inside, a cover above, a base below, and a door at the side, with one panel shut. Within is placed a vessel holding smoldering charcoal, kept gently warm. During the plum rains of Jiangnan, it is fired to drive off dampness.”
The passage is short. The judgment behind it is not.