Bound volumes were typically preserved by first rolling them up and then placing them in either a cabinet or case. The knotted hemp cord in the end of volumes allowed for the text to be hung. Some volumes were knotted on both ends so as to hang the text horizontally for easy reading. Considering the difficulty in reading the work when hung vertically, it is believed that volumes with only one knotted end were hung this way when stored, evidenced in part by images of vertically hung volumes of slips in Han pictorial resources.
Rolled Up and Hung Bound Volumes (replica)
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