Ziren yizhi 梓人遺制

Ziren yizhi 梓人遺制 "Traditional institutions of the joiner" was a book on carpentry written during the very late Jin period 金 (1115-1234) and under Mongol rule in north China, by Xue Jingshi 薛景石, courtesy name Shuju 叔矩, from Wanquan 萬泉 (today's Wanrong 萬榮, Shanxi). The book of an original size of 7 juan was finished in 1263. Only two parts of it have survived that are quoted in the Ming-period 明 (1368-1644) encylcopaedia Yongle dadian 永樂大典. The preface was written by Duan Chengyi 段成已.

The book presented once, in 110 articles, methods and dimensions for the processing of the parts of wooden objects. The text was accompanied by excellent illustrations which surpassed everything that had earlier been written on the techniques of woodwork. Each chapter introduced a type of woodenware, categorised and described them according to their use and application. The history of each type was outlined first, before individual parts ob the objects are introduced, with dimensions indicated exactly. The surviving parts of the Ziren yizhi include four types of carts (juannian 圈輦, kaobei nian 靠背輦, pingfeng nian 屏風輦, tingzi che 亭子車), four types of weaving looms (huajizi 華機子, lijizi 立機子, buwo jizi 布臥機子, luojizi 羅機子), and three other objects (fachuangzi 泛牀子, jingpaizi 經牌子, zhuoyue 掉籰).

Figure 1. Construction of carts shown in the Ziren yizhi 梓人遺制

Two modern editions with explanations have been published, namely Guo Lina 郭麗娜 (2016), Gufa jinguan: Ziren yizhi 古法今觀：梓人遺制 (Nanjing: Jiangsu kexue jishu chubanshe), and Zheng Juxin 鄭巨欣 (2020), Ziren yizhi tushuo 梓人遺制圖說 (Jinan: Shandong huabao chubanshe).