This paper discusses the making and significance of ink lines on the sides of Han dynasty bamboo and wooden slips in the IHP’s Juyan collection. These lateral ink lines, together with the “measuring staff slip” (“biaochi jian”) show reference to two kinds of writing postures in the past: respectively, with elbow and wrist suspended when writing, and leaning towards the table to write. They demarcate the start and end of writing, limit a column’s range, ensure the neat and aesthetic arrangement of slips, and improve the efficiency in counting, summarizing, and searching for information. Moreover, for researchers, the positions of these ink lines aid in restoring the correct order of the slips, as well as provide clues to the ancient personal writing habits of the scribes who produced these slips.
slip lateral ink lines, measuring staff slip (biaochi jian), column writing, slip arrangement, writing posture and habits
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