Table of Contents

Collected Illustrations of the Three Powers

Original: Sancai Tuhui (三才圖會), a famous Ming Dynasty encyclopedia compiled by Wang Qi and Wang Siyi.

Implements, Volume Nine

Page Three

Table of Contents


Peeling knife	Mulberry chopping block	Silk reel Mulberry tongs	Weft also	Cotton square	Boiled floss pulley	Cotton-bow and rolling mat	Cotton warping frame	Cotton gin
Shuttle	Winding machine also	Warping rack	Loom also	Ramie scraping knife	Large cotton gin	Cotton spinning wheel	Cotton thread frame	Spinning basket

This grid lists the technological infrastructure of a late-imperial Chinese household. The items move from primary fiber preparation to final weaving. The term Cotton (木綿) literally translates as "tree cotton," reflecting how cotton was distinguished from the "earth-born" silk of the time.

The Cotton-bow (彈弓) refers to a large bow used to "fluff" or "tease" raw cotton fibers by striking the bowstring, making them light and ready for spinning. The Cotton gin (攪車) was a hand-cranked machine used to separate cotton seeds from the fiber, a labor-intensive task before this mechanical innovation became widespread.

The entries for Loom (機) and Winding machine (絡車) are followed by the word "also" (又), indicating that the original text provided multiple variations or regional designs for these complex machines. This suggests the encyclopedia was documenting a diverse range of technological standards from across the empire.

Other specialized tools include the Ramie scraping knife (苧刮刀), used to strip the outer bark of the ramie plant to reach the fibers, and the Boiled floss pulley (煮絮滑車), which helped workers handle large, heavy batches of silk floss as they were degummed in boiling water.