Wood

The crafts for working with wood include the wheelwright, the carriage-maker, the bow-maker, the spear-shaft-maker, the master-builder, the chariot-maker, and the cabinet-maker. The crafts for working with metal include the foundryman, the smelter, the bell-founder, the axe-maker, the forger, and the sword-smith. The crafts for working with leather include the armorer, the tanner, the quiver-maker, the leather-softener, and the furrier. The crafts for applying color include the painter, the embroiderer, the colorist, the basket-painter, and the feather-dyer. The crafts for scraping and polishing include the jade-worker, the comb-maker, the carver, the arrow-polisher, and the lithophone-maker. The crafts for working with clay include the potter and the earthenware-maker.

The shaft of the dagger-axeoriginal: "Ge" (戈). A signature weapon of ancient China consisting of a bronze blade mounted at a right angle to a long wooden shaft. is six chiAn ancient unit of measurement, often called a "Chinese foot." During the Zhou period, it was approximately 23 cm. and six cun in length. Once it is mounted [on the chariot], it is slanted; its height above the rear railoriginal: "Zhen" (軫). The transverse bar at the back of the chariot frame. is four chi. This is referred to as the "second grade."

The dagger-axe is a "short" weapon among those used on chariots, so it may be mounted at a slant. The other long weaponsReferring to the spear (mao), lance (shu), and other polearms that made up the "five weapons" of a chariot. are mounted vertically without a slant; therefore, the following sections only state the height of those weapons without mentioning a division for slanting. Why were all five weaponsoriginal: "Wubing" (五兵). Usually identified as the dagger-axe (ge), the halberd (ji), the spear (mao), the lance (shu), and the bow/arrow. mounted on the chariot? In ancient times, a war chariot held three people: the center occupant was the driver, the one on the left held the bow and arrows, and the one on the right, though primarily responsible for striking with hand-to-hand weapons...