Anatomical measurements, supine figure, Chinese woodcut

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Anatomical measurements, supine figure, Chinese woodcut. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain Mark. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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Description

From an edition published in 1537 (16th year of the Jiajing reign period of the Ming dynasty). The illustration shows a supine human figure; the distances between anatomical locations are inscribed on the body (see Lettering). NB. There are close similarities between this image and L0034732.

Lettering

Picture title: Measurements [chicun] on the supine body. Other lettering: From the front of the ear to ermen (the Ear Portal) is 1 chi 3 cun in width. The distance between the cheekbones (quan) is 7 cun. The circumference of the chest is 4 chi 5 cun. From the Adam's apple (jiehou) to quepen (the Broken Basin -- supraclavicular fossa) is 4 cun. Descending from quepen to the chest, the width of the breasts is 9½ cun. From jiuwei (the Turtledove Tail) to tianshu (the Celestial Pivot -- depression beside the umbilicus) is 8 cun. From tianshu to henggu (the Transverse Bone -- top of the symphysis pubis) is 6½ cun. From henggu to the top of the tibia (neifu) is 1 chi 8 cun; the length of henggu is 6½ cun. From bishu (Ham Pivot -- the trochanteric region) down to the middle of the knee is 1 chi 9 cun. From the top to the bottom of neifu is 3½ cun. From the knee to nehuai is 1 chi 6 cun. From fushu (the instep) down to the ground is 3 cun. From neihuai down to the ground is 3 cun. The foot is 1 chi 2 cun in length and 4½ in breadth. Moreover, people differ in build and stature. With proportional body measurement units (tong shen chicun, if a person is tall, the measurement unit (cun) is longer; if he or she is short, the cun is shorter, and the same goes for adults and children.

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