Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms: Instruments, Volume 9

The Mulberry Net

The Mulberry Net is a rope pouch used for containing leaves. To construct it, one first creates a wooden hoop original: 圈木 (quānmù) to serve as the rim. Along this frame, ropes are interlaced to knit the netting original: 網眼 (wǎngyǎn). The net hangs down in a circular shape to a depth of more than three feet three feetIn the Ming dynasty, this would be roughly 90–100 centimeters, providing a significant volume for leaf storage..

At the bottom, a single cord is used to gather the mesh and tie it off, forming the base of the net. The mulberry harvester carries the net and places the gathered leaves inside. Once the "belly" of the net is full, the harvester returns to the rearing house and simply unties the bottom cord to pour the leaves out efficiently. This design shows a sophisticated understanding of labor efficiency; rather than reaching into a deep bag to pull leaves out, the bottom-release mechanism prevents damage to the delicate leaves and speeds up the processing time.