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introduction
Nowadays, the window styles of home decoration can be said to be dazzling, and there are all kinds of them.
And it is also very wind-resistant and soundproof, like the usual wind and rain is basically inaudible.
There are also a variety of colors to choose from, not only transparent, but now many are anti-peeping.
But in ancient times, not to mention the style, there was not even glass, and it was basically a thin layer of paper paste.
But if this is normal life, once it is windy and rainy, how will they deal with it?
When did window paper start to be used in ancient times
Generally, everyone's understanding of ancient windows is seen from pictures or film and television dramas.
And most of them are observed from ancient dramas, and the window paper in ancient times broke as soon as it was stabbed.
Especially in certain sitcoms, such as when a burglar enters the house, they just need to lick their fingers and then they can poke the paper on the window and observe the inside of the house.
Some can even pass through this small hole to deliver poison gas to the inside, stunning the people inside.
But generally when seeing such a scene, some people may feel that most of the film and television dramas are not exaggerated in this way, just take a look at it as a story.
And some people will feel that the security awareness of the ancient people is too poor, the window is pasted with a layer of paper, what can be used for it, any day when it is windy and rainy, not all of them are blown out, and it is estimated that there will be no need for thieves to do it themselves, and even a little evidence of crime will not be left.
But in fact, film and television dramas do have exaggerated elements, but they are also adapted from the real situation in ancient times.
At least this is true of the fact that in ancient times windows were made of papier-mâché.
And before there was no glass, the windows of that dynasty were basically made of paper, but it may be that the materials used in each dynasty are different, and the paper-making technology is different.
However, in the beginning, there were no windows in the places where the ancients lived, and it was not until later that they felt stuffy and breathable, so they had this design of windows.
And when designing, the windows are open on the top, if it rains, just find something to cover.
But I didn't live like this for long, and in the end, because of the poor sealing and easy rain leakage, I changed it to one side.
But even on one side, it is inevitable that there will be rain.
Especially in some violent storms, not only does the temperature in the house decrease, but it also needs to be cleaned afterwards.
And from the perspective of the structure of the house, the protruding empty window is very ugly, so some ancients began to use some grass or wooden planks and other things to cover it.
When you need to pass through the light during the day, put the plank down, and close the plank when the temperature drops at night, but this repetitive and cumbersome operation actually brings a lot of inconvenience, and it is not a long-term solution.
But at that time, paper books had not yet appeared, and the ancients began to choose to use animal skins as window paper, which was lightweight, easier to care for, and had good sealing.
But at the same time, another problem arises, a whole animal skin is not easy to obtain, can use animal skin to make "window paper", basically some rich and noble families, they will hunt from time to time, but also through money to buy animal skins.
But for some poor families, they have no experience in hunting prey, let alone the assets they can get their hands on to buy animal skins, and in the end they can only use thatch to simply cover the windows.
This phenomenon did not change until after the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Because after the papermaking technology, the ancients began to think of using paper to paste windows.
At that time, the paper used was basically a thin sheet, and some people still used paper to practice calligraphy, so can the paper they use withstand the arrival of strong storms and rains?
Can it withstand strong storms and rains?
And judging from the above point alone, in fact, you can also know that the window on the paper paste must not be able to withstand the particularly heavy wind and snow, and it seems that it can be blown through if you blow hard, let alone be in the cold storm and snow for a long time.
Therefore, at that time, many wealthy merchants directly used cloth to paste on the windows to ensure the warmth of the house.
At the same time, there is no need to worry about being punctured or constantly blown by wind and rain.
But this choice is not really universal to every household, and many ancient people are still using window paper that has been torn.
Therefore, based on this, when the ancients made paper, they added some raw materials such as reeds, hemp rope, rags, etc.
The main process is to chop these raw materials and melt them, then fix them, and then soak them in water for a few days, then take them out for drying process, and then brush a layer of tung oil on the surface to play a waterproof role.
This point is actually recorded in the "Tang and Song Dynasty Bai Kong Six Posts".
This kind of improved window paper is actually completely different from the paper used in writing, which can not only be waterproof and moisture-proof, but also block a certain amount of wind and snow.
This kind of paper was later also used as a paper umbrella, which would not be wet by the rain in a short time, and later this paper industry was called "hairy paper" by the ancients.
Of course, this kind of paper is not like glass, it is always long-lasting, and it will definitely wear and tear over time, so it should also be replaced regularly.
However, in addition to the improvement of paper, the ancients also greatly avoided the situation that the window paper was broken through the design of windows and beams.
This can actually be found in ancient buildings, because in the past, when the ancients designed the eaves, they would specially widen the outer circle, and not only set up one layer of eaves, but some houses were even covered with two or three layers of cornices.
The purpose of this is to better prevent rain from hitting the windows.
At the same time, when designing the windows, the ancients also adopted the form of invagination, even if it rains and does not hit the window directly, but falls on the window sill outside the window.
When these two are combined, it is actually a good guarantee that the window paper will not be attacked by wind and rain.
And if you add special paper, it can be said that there are three layers of protection.
But in addition to these two designs, there is also a window lattice on the window, most people may think that this kind of window lattice is only used for beauty and beautification of the window, but in fact, it is also to block part of the wind.
Although it looks like a hollow design, it actually reinforces the window on the other hand, and at the same time makes the window paper more firmly pasted on the window.
In fact, from these points, we can also see why the ancients did not worry about the rainy season when they used paper to paste the windows.
But in fact, the ancients used other materials besides paper.
Other special materials
In fact, there is a record of the appearance of a "cold cloth" in the "Qing Barnyard Banknotes", which can also be said to be a screen window used to prevent mosquitoes in summer.
At that time, the color of this cold cloth was turquoise, but it was also a thin layer, which was not good compared to paper, in fact, it was somewhat transparent.
Although it looks a little green in general, if you look inside from the outside, you can see exactly what the people inside are doing.
At that time, in order to ensure their privacy, the ancients also deliberately added an extra layer of roller blinds to the windows.
The aim is to be able to better protect yourself with ventilation.
epilogue
All in all, although the windows of ancient times were made of paper, the ancients avoided many situations that were easily wet by rain in different ways, from improving the paper to designing the eaves and windows, in fact, they all saw the knowledge of the ancients.
Even in the absence of glass, it can protect one's life very well, and when you look at the past houses from the current perspective, it actually brings people a lot of different feelings.