Annotation: "Here several workers are unloading a barge at the direction of the seated man. There is a striking difference in..." (Annotation)

Annotation: "Here several workers are unloading a barge at the direction of the seated man. There is a striking difference in..."

d06f37b7-34cb-48a8-b653-943f21268ed2

Here several workers are unloading a barge at the direction of the seated man. There is a striking difference in the scant clothing worn by the hatless workers in contrast to the robe and cap worn by their overseer, testifying to an awareness of substantial differences in wealth during the Song, while the seated individual’s imperious gestures likewise testify to considerable differences in social status. The fact that the cargo has been stored in sacks which have been placed on the ground implies that individually, each sack of cargo is not very valuable, which suggests that the sacks are grain or potentially another foodstuff such as soybeans. While rice generally appears to have been the preferred staple for many Northern Song elites, a variety of other grains including millet and wheat were also transported by boat. The circumstances suggest that the seated individual is an official in charge of storing grain in a warehouse located near the riverfront (or alternatively, it is possible that the grain will be transported to the palace). The smaller size of the boats from which the grain is being loaded (when compared with the boats to the left) reflect that the varying water level of the canals in the Northern Song’s capital of Bianjing over the year sometimes required vessels with a smaller draft than the vessels which plied their way on the Grand Canal. The boats are not necessarily government property and could be privately operated. During the Northern Song foodstuffs intended for sale on the private market (in addition to grain taken by the government as tax and shipped in its own boats) were frequently shipped to the capital by owners of such private boats. For instance, rice produced in Suzhou would often be pooled by several farming households in a granary and then an agent (taking a commission of between five to ten percent of the value of the goods) would arrange to transport the rice by river to its final destination (D. Kuhn, The Age of Confucian Rule (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2009), 218-19). Such activities were facilitated by the fact that Bianjing was situated alongside the Grand Canal. The seated official is accompanied by a man who is standing (albeit hunched-over) and holding what appears to be a book (indicating the widespread literacy during the Song) and which could consist of a record of grain shipments. Whether or not the holder of the book is assisting the seated man to keep track of the delivery, the evident decision of the latter to take charge of the delivery rather than delegate it is consistent with the reputed deceitfulness of grain suppliers during the Song, who are known to have on occasion adulterated grain with sand (as for instance is recorded by Hong Mai 洪邁in his Yijianzhi 夷堅志).