cǎojià 草架
https://architecturasinica.org/keyword/k000183Note
As an architectural term, caojia (literally "draft frame," Kroll 2015, 34, 194), primarily appears in technical manuals such as Yingzao fashi (1103), Yuanye 園冶 (1631), and Yingzao fayuan 營造法原 (1959). It refers to the roof frame between the interior ceiling (pingqi 平棊 or caojing 藻井 in Yingzao Fashi and xuan 軒 or juan 卷 in mansion-hall (tingtang 廳堂) style architecture of the Jiangnan area during the Ming and Qing dynasties) and the roof, which is left rough (hence the term "draft") because it is not visible to the viewer (Chen 2010, 259; Yao 1986, 116).4
In addition, the term caojia zhuzi 草架柱子 in Qing dynasty documents has a similar meaning of a "rough pillar" because, like a draft, it was not meant to exposed (Gongbu 1734, 2.21a; Guan 1644-1911, 29; Li 1795, 17.6a).4
草架作為建築術語，主要出現在《營造法式》（1103）、《園冶》（1631）及《營造法原》（1959）中。指室內天花（即《營造法式》中的平棊或藻井； 明代江南廳堂中的軒（卷））與屋面之間的屋架（陳 2010，259；姚 1986，116），因不露明而加工簡略。3
此外，清代文獻中也有類似用法，以“草架柱子”表明其為不露明構件而做工簡略（工部 1734, 2.21a； 官 1644-1911, 29； 李 1795, 17.6a)。3
Works Cited
Any information without attribution has been created following the Syriaca.org editorial guidelines.
- 1 漢語大詞典編纂処. 2008-2011. 漢語大詞典
- 2 GUO. 2002. A Visual Dictionary of Chinese Architecture, 21.; FU. 2017. Traditional Chinese Architecture: Twelve Essays, 350.
- 3 KROLL. 2015. A Student's Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese, 34, 194.
- 4 陳. 2010. 《營造法式》辭解, 259.; 姚. 1986. 营造法原, 116.; 清工部. 清雍正十二年（1734）. 工程做法則例, 2.21a.; 1644-1911. 圓明園內工則例, 29.; 李. 1795. 揚州畫舫錄, 17.6a.
Broad Match: building frame
External relationships (1)
How to Cite This Entry
Bibliography:
BAI Ying 白穎 et al., “ 草架 cǎojià.” In Architectura Sinica, edited by Tracy Miller. Entry published April 8, 2021. https://architecturasinica.org/keyword/k000183.About this Entry
Entry Title: 草架 cǎojià
Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:
- Tracy Miller, editor, Architectura Sinica
- ZHUGE Jing 諸葛净, associate editor, Architectural Terminology
- BAI Ying 白穎 and MIAO Tongxi 繆彤茜, entry contributors, “ 草架 cǎojià”
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- Website coordination by Yuh-Fen Benda
- Preliminary research CMW 2021
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- English proofreading by Aurelia Campbell Tracy Miller
- Chinese proofreading by ZHUGE Jing 諸葛净 ZUO Lala 左拉拉
- Data entry and adding notes and citations by MIAO Tongxi 繆彤茜
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