The Philosophy of “Body and Use”: The Appropriate Use of Bodies in the Tea Space of Ming and Qing Dynasty Literati Paintings

Abstract

As an aspect of garden space, tea space is an important part of traditional culture and inherited culture. This paper takes 210 representative literati painting images of Ming and Qing dynasties as the research object, combining historical materials, the analysis of painted images and mathematical statistics to transform the representative paintings into visual plan form, and then identifies and extracts the environmental elements and behavior activities in the paintings to build the factor base. It is determined that the main sources of tea activities are Hall Style, Water Pavilion Style, High Pavilion Style, Grass Pavilion and Terraces Style and Combination Style. The analysis results show the following: (1) The tea events mainly occur in outdoor gardens and indoor and outdoor spaces, with windows as climate boundaries. (2) Regarding the use of furniture, indoor spaces tend to use wooden furniture, while outdoor spaces use stone furniture and natural stone, or portable wooden furniture. (3) In terms of indoor and outdoor spaces with tea activities, indoor and outdoor spaces often borrow landscape elements from each other, and screens and partitions are often used as a means of space division in terms of space separation. The findings of this study lay a theoretical foundation for the design of traditional garden tea spaces, and provide a reference for the fine design of contemporary architecture and garden tea spaces.

1. Introduction

Tea space, as a delicate component of garden design, is an important spatial carrier for passing on traditional Chinese culture. In garden design, tea spaces are often cleverly integrated into natural landscapes, using elements such as mountains, water, plants, and architecture to create the sense that “although created by humans, it seems to bloom from heaven”. These spaces are either hidden in the mountains and forests or placed on water pavilions, allowing people to enjoy the beauty of nature while sipping tea, achieving physical and mental pleasure and relaxation. The connection between tea space and gardens is largely promoted and passed on by literati and scholars [1]. In the life of the literati cluster in the late Ming Dynasty, tea tasting and gardening were two prominent activities that influenced and connected with each other, becoming important sources of refuge for the literati [2]. The relationship between garden architecture and tea space was mentioned by Yang Shen in his book Yinlinfashan (Appendix A) during the Ming Dynasty, where he wrote that “The tea house in the temple is called “Chaliao (茶寮)” [3]. The term “Chaliao” originated from the small chambers where monks drank tea. Tu Long clearly stated in Teashuoc (茶说) that the tea house is a building space for brewing tea: “It is a chamber, adjacent to a mountain hut, with tea utensils inside, and teaches a child to specialize in tea service, providing a place for long conversations” [4]. Although there is no fixed standard for the size of a chamber, according to the interpretation of Zen Buddhism, the human body can meditate and reflect in this smallest space. Compared with drinking tea alone in a quiet environment, most Chinese people drink tea in pairs or in groups. Drinking tea is not only a process of personal cultivation, but also a way to exchange information through communication with others. The places where it occurs are also diverse [5].

In the late Ming Dynasty, tea tasting and gardening were popular, while literati gardening emphasized the importance of “the suitability of borrowing”. The theory of “using objects” in Chinese gardens is condensed from Ji Cheng’s Yuanye (园冶), which describes “skillful adaptation and borrowing, refining on appropriate body”. “Yin Jie (因借: adaptation and borrowing)” refers to the introduction of landscape, architecture, skyline, and other landscapes outside the garden into the garden, so that the scenery outside the garden echoes and integrates with other landscapes and expands the vision and level of the landscape. And “Ti Yi (体宜: body suitability)” refers to suitability and rationality, including suitability with the natural environment, suitability with the user’s needs, and more emphasis on “human feelings” [6]. In the field of landscape architecture, many Chinese scholars have discussed the application of the “Yin Jie” technique in the fields of architecture, planning and landscape, and Japanese and Korean scholars in the East Asian cultural circle often discuss the traditional gardens of their own countries [7,8,9]. But few scholars discuss the two expressive techniques of “Yin Jie” and “Ti Yi” in a specific space type at the same time. In particular, there is a lack of discussion on “body suitability” in garden tea space. As for the “body suitability” of garden tea spaces, the design of tea spaces needs to ensure that people maintain a comfortable posture while drinking tea. At the same time, the layout of the tea space needs to fully consider human body size and movement habits. The arrangement and spacing of seats need to be designed reasonably to ensure that people have enough space for communication and activities during tea tasting. The size, material, and shape of household items also need to be designed reasonably according to ergonomic principles to ensure comfort and convenience in use. It can be seen that the organization of tea spaces is directly related to the bodily movements of the participants, which is in line with the principle of “the suitability of borrowing (因借体宜)” (Appendix B) in Chinese garden design. Based on this, this study takes the representative literati paintings of Ming and Qing Dynasties as the research object, and discusses the following three issues:

• What are the types of tea spaces in Ming and Qing cultural paintings?
• What are the characteristics of the indoor and outdoor spaces matching the tea activities in the Ming and Qing cultural paintings?
• What is the relationship between the body of tea activities and furniture objects in the Ming and Qing cultural paintings?

In summary, the reason that the article discusses “borrowing” and “suitability” in tea space is because tea space and garden space are interrelated and influenced by each other. As a part of the garden space, the tea space itself is isomorphic to the garden space, so the design of garden spaces is also applicable to tea spaces. The principle of “the suitability of borrowing (因借体宜)” emphasizes the importance of adapting to local conditions, borrowing scenery to create emotions, and arranging and measuring appropriately, and also has important guiding significance in the design of tea spaces.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Interpretation of the Connotations of Tea Space

Tea space generally refers to the external expression of the tea ceremony, tea culture, and the emotions of tea drinkers, and is an exclusive space for tea drinking activities. Its spatial scope can be a room, a yard, or another environment. A tea space emphasizes atmosphere creation, creating an elegant environment through the arrangement of objects and space. The tea drinking culture in China has a long history, and the popular saying “Fried Tea in Tang Dynasty, Whisking Tea in Song Dynasty, Brewing Tea in the Ming and Qing Dynasties” reflects the differences in tea drinking behavior among different dynasties in China. The period when drinking tea was truly regarded as an elegant art was after the Song Dynasty, and especially in the late Ming Dynasty, when the prominent way of drinking tea was “boiling tea”. It represents the act of brewing tea, and the literati community endowed tea drinking with an elegant artistic taste, gradually making it an important part of their daily life in garden spaces. The “literati” in ancient literati gardens refers to an intellectual class group with high cultural accomplishment, profound artistic attainments and unique esthetic taste. The literati pay attention to the external spatial environment when drinking tea, including features such as bright windows, pine breeze, bamboo moon, etc., and require comfort and convenience when drinking tea in various body postures, such as lying at a desk, leaning against a railing, and lying on the ground, accompanied by suitable utensils for matching. In addition, emphasis is placed on having tea drinking companions, being accompanied by beautiful women, chatting with visiting friends, or participating in literary gatherings [10]. At the same time, the functions of tea drinking and serving are clearly divided, and the focus of literati painting is on the diverse tastes of tea drinking behavior in the rich external environment. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, local tea activities were close to being finalized, with significant differences in methods compared to previous generations. The tea life of the literati was used as a painting subject in literati paintings [11], providing valuable materials for interpreting the spatial characteristics of ancient Chinese literati tea.

Literati painting is a comprehensive art that integrates philosophy, literature, and esthetics, and is an important material for studying ancient space. The academic exploration of the “space” in ancient Chinese painting has achieved certain results [12,13,14]. However, to date few scholars have focused on studying the relationships between various elements of tea space in Ming and Qing Dynasty paintings. In fact, the various elements in the tea space do not exist independently, but are interconnected and influenced by each other, forming a spatial organizational system centered on character activities of “body behavior home furnishings external environment”. This system gradually took shape during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Compared with the research on tea space in neighboring countries such as Japan and South Korea [15,16], the esthetic system of tea space in China is more systematic and complex, and presents certain paradigms and universal characteristics [17,18]. In general, the shaping of tea spaces depends on the body and behavior, and the comfort of the body depends on the space. This system is both ritual and cultural, as well as physical and sensory, which also explains the cultural significance of exploring tea spaces in literati paintings during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The images in this article are all sourced from national and local libraries, as well as official website databases of relevant departments. The research material is mainly based on scrolls, with a total of more than 210 paintings from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1570–1840) selected. The research focuses on participants in tea-related activities in paintings of Ming and Qing literati, covering indoor and outdoor environmental elements such as objects, furniture, screens, railings, and tea mats. The article comprehensively adopts methods such as graphic and textual verification, historical analysis, and case interpretation to systematically analyze the development process of tea culture in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Relevant materials such as paintings are collected for graphic and textual comparison, and representative cases are selected for argumentation. Starting from the posture of the “people” themselves, then moving to the “objects” in gardens, and finally to the surrounding environment, the theoretical connotation of tea space in Ming and Qing literati paintings is analyzed considering to the appropriateness of borrowing.

2.2. Classification of Tea Space Types in Ming and Qing Dynasty Literati Paintings

Song Dynasty paintings extensively depict rich social scenes of tea drinking, tea selling, and “Dou Cha (斗茶: tea competition)” among various social classes, while Ming Dynasty literati paintings mainly focus on dynamic gatherings of literati. According to the classification of the number and forms of the main tea activity performers in the paintings of the Ming and Qing literati, they can be divided into “literati tea activities alone” and “tea activities with two or more literati” (Figure 1).

Whether for separate tea activities or tea activities with two or more literati, the natural environment is predominant in the tea gathering environment, followed by the architectural space. This article will divide the architectural space forms into Hall Style (厅堂式), Water Pavilion Style (水榭式), High Pavilion Style (高阁式), Grass Pavilion and Terraces Style (亭台式), and Combination Style (组合式) based on the participating subjects, number of participants, activity space, and activity behavior (Figure 2), focusing on the natural environment and analyzing the relationship between the tea space and the surrounding environment, as well as the relationship between the indoor space layout and character behavior.

The analysis results show that among 210 paintings of the literati in Ming and Qing dynasties, there are 86 paintings, accounting for 40.5%, in which the literati carry out individual tea activities. There are 125 paintings of tea activities with two or more literati, accounting for 59.5% (Figure 3 and

Table 1. Classification of tea space types in literary paintings (Appendix A).

Main Types of Tea Spaces	Author and Work Title	Content Summary
		Environmental Factors	Behavioral Activities
Hall Style (厅堂式)	Pincha Tu (品茶图)	lush trees, flowing water, tea table, hall	sipping tea and chatting (two elegant scholars), boiling water and preparing tea (tea assistant)
	Zhen Shang Zhai Tu (真赏斋图)	hall, with books and paintings placed on the bookshelf	chatting (two elegant scholars), boiling water and preparing tea (tea assistant)
Water Pavilion Style (水榭式)	Yu Di Tu (渔笛图)	pavilion, mountain, bed, several books on the table	sitting on a water pavilion (one elegant scholar), boiling water and preparing tea (tea assistant)
	Lan Ting Tu (兰亭图)	mountain streams, curved water	sitting by the railing (one elegant scholar), boiling tea, delivering tea (tea assistant)
High Pavilion Style (高阁式)	Guilin Qiuyue Tu (桂林秋月图)	woman, pavilion	drinking tea and admiring the full moon
Grass Pavilion and Terraces Style (亭台式)	Huishan Chahui Tu (惠山茶会图)	pine forests, thatched cottages, springs, wells	sitting around the well, taking a walk in the woods, enjoying the scenery while chatting (several elegant scholars), boiling water and preparing tea (tea assistant)
	Songting Shiquan Tu (松亭试泉图)	grass pavilion, the Songxi River, tree in front of the pavilion, a set of tea stoves and pots, tea jars, tea cups, etc.	leaning against the railing and leaning near the stream (one elegant scholar), fetching water and preparing tea (tea assistant)
	Qingming Shanghe Tu (清明上河图)	a high platform, tea set	gathering on a high platform (several elegant scholars), preparing tea in a corner of the platform (tea assistant)
Combination Style (组合式)	Tao Gu Zengci Tu (陶穀赠词图)	Tao Gu and the woman, screens, rockeries, plantain leaves	listening to the Guqin (Tao Gu), preparing tea (tea assistant)
	Qiushan Gaoshi Tu (秋山高士图)	the autumn river, the mountain	watching the waterfall or playing chess (several elegant scholars), preparing tea and delivering it to a pavilion (tea assistant)
	Dongyuan Tu (东园图)	hall, water pavilion, bridge, flowing water	gathering in Dongyuan (several elegant scholars), preparing tea (tea assistant)
	Chunquan Xiyao Tu (春泉洗药图卷)	spring flowers, magnolias, peach blossoms, pear blossoms, and bamboo groves	resting in plant space (one elegant scholar), behind a small hill and heading to serve tea (tea assistant)

The contents of Table 1 and Figure 2 and Figure 3 come from national and local museum materials; the planar graph was drawn by the author.

). Whether for a solo tea activity or one with two or more people, the Hall Style accounts for a high proportion, accounting for 40% and 37.6%, respectively. This is followed by Water Pavilion Type, High Pavilion Style, Grass Pavilion and Terraces Style, and Combination Style. It can be seen that the tea activities of the literati in Ming and Qing dynasties preferred outdoor gardens, or chose buildings with open doors and windows, or near the water source, or were in the pavilions that could look out at the distant landscape, etc. This analysis result is also in line with the construction concept of “the suitability of borrowing” often advocated for in the construction of traditional Chinese gardens.

3. Results

3.1. “Yin Jie (因借: Adaptation and Borrowing)” in Ming and Qing Dynasty Literati Paintings

In the paintings of the literati in the Ming and Qing dynasties, tea spaces were usually closely connected to the natural environment. The selection of tea spaces was based on the concept of “Yin Jie (因借: adaptation and borrowing)” to create the external environment of tea spaces. Natural conditions such as terrain and landforms were cleverly utilized in the design of tea spaces, with mountains and waters at the back, capturing the charm of the mountains and waters. Additionally, indoor household items are moved to outdoor spaces, and movable partitions such as screens were used for spatial division. This layout of outdoor tea spaces not only meets the functional requirements of indoor tea spaces, but also reflects the designer’s respect for and utilization of the natural environment. Not only that, indoor spaces are good at borrowing from the surrounding natural scenery to enrich the external environment of tea spaces. The distant landscape is introduced into the tea space through open windows, creating a landscape effect that blends the inside and outside. This borrowing technique not only expands the spatial sense of the tea space, but also enhances the layering and three-dimensional sense of the picture. At this time, the indoor tea space introduces outdoor natural environmental elements, making the indoor space more outdoor-oriented. It can be seen that tea activities, as a medium, involve the interaction and overlapping use of indoor and outdoor spatial “elements”, blurring the boundary between outdoor and indoor spaces, forming the characteristics of “using indoor spatial elements for outdoor space design” and “using outdoor spatial elements for interior space design” in tea spaces.

3.1.1. “Using Indoor Spatial Elements for Outdoor Space Design” in Matching Tea Event Activities

The concept of “using indoor spatial elements for outdoor space design” cleverly utilizes the natural environment and artificial barriers to form different spatial fields. Screens, as a quasi-architectural form, occupy a certain three-dimensional space and divide the three-dimensional space they are in. They are not only a physical object, but also a painting medium and a painting image [19]. The introduction of screens gives a wall a sense of landscape, spatializing and scenarizing the boundaries [20]. Screens are often used as spatial partitions in outdoor tea events, such as in Qiu Ying’s “Zhuyuan Pingu Tu (竹院品古图)”, where the outdoor space is enclosed by two huge screens, forming an exclusive space for the literati. There are five tables of different sizes in the interior space of the screen, including a large painting table, two flat tables, a flat bar table, and a small kang table. The large painting table, which three literati sit around, is the main scenic area of the interior space of the screen. Compared to the flat table, the height of the table makes it a suitable place for the literati to sit and appreciate paintings for a long time. In terms of seating furniture, rattan drum piers and rose chairs were used, respectively. The rose chair has backrests and armrests on both sides, making it more suitable for prolonged sitting. The lightweight and mobile nature of the rattan drum piers makes it easy for the literati to take and place them at will. The literati sitting on the rose chair generally have higher qualifications and grades than those sitting on the drum mound. The space for the literati to move their bodies is relatively limited compared to that for the attendants, and the flow of the attendants’ space follows the call of the subject and guest. The “corner” space, which is eschewed by the literati, forms a service space for brewing and preparing tea. The four boys each perform their duties and serve the literati, while the two female attendants also hold tea cups behind the literati. The red tea tray and covered tea bowl held by the female attendants are significantly different from the tea utensils used by the tea boys outside the screen for brewing tea. The tea utensils on the service space stone table are antique and could be roughly concluded to be tea utensils used in general life, while the red tea utensils held by the maids were not used in daily life and were mainly used by the literati for appreciation (Figure 4).

In addition to screens serving as partitions for outdoor spaces, elements such as pine trees, banana trees, natural rocks, and garden rockeries also frequently appear in the scenes of literati gatherings. In the painting “Tao Gu Zengci Tu (陶谷赠词图)” by Ming Tangyin, from the composition of the painting, it can be seen that in the courtyard space, under the moon and flowers, green trees are hidden, and two inclined screens, rockeries, and plants together enclose a semi-open private space, giving the entire space a sense of security and privacy (Figure 5a). In the enclosed “small space”, a plain screen merges with a bed, on which tea cups and paper pens are placed. In the lower left corner, a tea boy is preparing tea, implying the occurrence of private tea tasting and writing activities in this private space. The tea activities in private spaces establish a soothing tone for the body posture of the literati, and the internal activities of the space can be instantly slowed down by the intervention of tea activities, whether the characters’ behavior involves spoken dialog or eye contact.

In Ding Yunpeng’s “Yuchuanzi Zhucha Tu (玉川子煮茶图)”, the courtyard is surrounded by environmental elements such as rockeries, bananas, bamboo chrysanthemums, and natural rocks, creating a “private space”. The large plantain leaves highlight their protective function, providing a sense of security for people living in enclosed spaces and offering a comfortable microclimate environment (Figure 5b).

3.1.2. “Using Outdoor Spatial Elements for Interior Space Design” in Matching Tea Activities

The concept of “using outdoor spatial elements for interior space design” is mainly achieved through doors, windows, openings, and diverse indoor furnishings. Firstly, door and window openings enhance the integration effect between indoor and outdoor spaces, promoting communication between them. Taking Wen Zhengming’s works as an example, in a hall-style tea space where two people have fun drinking, outdoor environmental elements are introduced into the interior through door and window openings, and the indoor space is expanded by extending the human line of sight. At the same time, the literatis’ living rooms often display landscape paintings or landscape partitions or screens, and objects are even endowed with natural associations, such as Boshan stoves, Shanzi pen holders, or cloud screens, to create an association with natural landscapes. Regarding the design of doors, windows, and openings, taking the landscape painting window as an example, “For houses with this window, the space needs to have depth, so that guests need to stay slightly away from the window when enjoying the external view. In that case, the outer contour of the window is a painting, and the inner contour of the painting is a mountain. The mountain and the painting are connected without distinction, and the viewer knows it as a natural painting without asking.” It can be seen that the external environment is introduced into the indoor space in various forms, allowing the indoor and outdoor spaces to interact and achieving visual extension of the indoor and outdoor spaces, thereby achieving psychological comfort.

In terms of interior decoration and layout, Qingyi Garden and Qichun Garden Qingkexuan have a certain representativeness (Figure 6). According to the “Qing Ke Xuan Chen She Qing Ce (清可轩陈设清册)” (Appendix A), in the 18th year of the Jiaqing reign, the interior of the Qing Ke Xuan (清可轩) was equipped with furniture as well as tea sets, incense burners, flower baskets, glass dressing mirrors, and other objects [21]. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the interior space of the elite class tended to place the functionality of various objects in an open view, without obvious partitions [22]. The flexible form layout of each object is aimed at pursuing the overall integrity of indoor space and the combination of “symmetrical” and “asymmetrical” form layouts of objects. And in order to better utilize the space, attention has also been paid to the “vertical” utilization of the space, such as through the use of tea trays, which have both storage and display functions. The indoor furnishings have both symmetrical and asymmetrical arrangements, expressing their respective relative importance. In addition, natural tree roots are applied to the interior space, highlighting the use of natural materials [23]. These concepts are directly applied to indoor spaces to enhance natural attributes. In short, indoor display objects weaken the interface of indoor space separation through flexible and varied layouts, giving the space a multi-layered sense, in order to achieve a practical and artistic esthetic realm of life.

3.2. “Body Suitability” in Ming and Qing Literati Paintings

Wen Zhenheng emphasized the importance of using “Ti Yi (体宜: body suitability)” objects in the living space at the beginning of “Zhangwu Zhi (长物志)” (Appendix A). In ancient times, although the length, width, and narrowness of the objects were not uniform, when placed in a study room, they should be elegant and lovely, and comfortable to sit and lie on. Reference [24] described the functionality of Jita (几榻), which is related to the two body postures of “sitting” and “leaning”. Characters can lie on Jita or rely on it as a railing. At the same time, Li Yu’s “Xian Qing Ou Ji (闲情偶寄)” (Appendix A) describes garden objects as having “body suitability”: “If a stone like a fist also needs money to buy, then this object can also be useful for people. How could it only have ornamental value? If it is flat and can be sat on, it is equivalent to a chair or bed; if it is slanted and can be leaned on, it is in line with the railing.” According to [25], small flat stones can be scattered, so people can sit on them, and stones can also be leant on, similar to the function of a railing. It can be seen that the physical behavior of characters in a garden space has a close relationship with household items, and the comfort and convenience of the body and household items are emphasized.

3.2.1. The Relationship Between the Physical Activity of Characters and the Use of Tabletop Furniture

The tea drinking space of the literati is first in line with the ritual system, solemn and full of ritual sense, and is often situated out indoors. When the literati drink or engage in tea activities with visitors indoors, they often use wooden bar tables, and the associated objects on the table are relatively simple, usually including books, vases, teapots, and other objects. The postures of the literatis’ bodies are in an appropriate relationship with the table, and the accumulation of books on the wooden shelf behind them implies that the main function of this house is for reading, and it also serves as a literati tea room. In the painting “Zhulu Shanfang Tu (竹炉山房图)” by Ming Shen Zhen, a scene is depicted where people inside the house sit opposite a Zen master and enjoy tea. In addition, in Wen Zhengming’s “Pincha Tu (品茗图)” and “Huxi Caotang Tu (浒溪草堂图)”, table furniture in the indoor space is placed in the house, with the owner sitting on a stool or a couch, with their body facing the door and window openings, allowing for a distant view of the scenery. But at the same time, there are differences; both face open doors and window openings, and the orientation of the wooden bar table is slightly different, which also determines whether the figure is facing the external natural environment or focusing on communication with the guests sitting opposite. The placement of parallel doors and windows provides a more spacious space for the owner to communicate with the outside world, and also brings a sense of comfort. When the table is placed diagonally, the host focuses more on dialog with the guests, while also implying an equal relationship between the host and guest without losing priority [26,27] (Figure 7). Due to its light weight and strong mobility, wooden bar tables are often used for long-distance socializing and leisure activities in suburban areas. For example, in Xie Huan’s “Xingyuan Yaji Tu (杏园雅集图)”, there are a large number of indoor wooden bar tables in suburban gardens, which have thin tabletops and slender legs (Figure 8).

Tea-related activities also often occur in natural environments, where etiquette gives way to sensory pleasure, but the spatial arrangement is still similar to indoor tea tables. Whether featuring a literati drinking alone or a tea-tasting activity with two or more people, the material of the selected table is stone, or a processed flat and stone table, or natural mountain stones, which have the common feature of being large in shape and slightly bulky. The body of the literati is in harmony with the stone table, and their body posture is accompanied by a series of elegant activities such as “reading books”, “writing poetry”, “playing the Guqin” and “tasting tea”. The tea drinking space also presents various forms. Although tea tasting is not the core of elegant activities, it runs through the entire activity and is a necessary part of literati gatherings. The table furniture used by tea drinkers is mostly strip stone tables, which are significantly lower in shape and grade than the master’s table. For example, in Qiu Ying’s “Yudong Xianyuan Tu (玉洞仙源图)”, “Donglin Tu (东林图: Picture of Donglin)”, and “Jiaoyin Jiexia Tu (蕉阴结夏图)”, and Tang Yin’s “Qinshi Tu (琴士图)”, strip stone tables are mainly used, accompanied by flexible and movable natural stone tea tables and vermilion lacquer wood tea tables as auxiliary furniture (Figure 9).

3.2.2. The Relationship Between the Physical Activity of Characters and the Use of Seating Furniture

In the tea scenes depicted by the literati in the Ming and Qing dynasties, various types of seating fixtures appear, including beds, stools, and seats. In the previous section, the study summarized the spatial characteristics of the ritual system and the sense of ceremony in table furniture, while seating furniture and table furniture were essentially interrelated and share similar features [28].

Taking Fang Shishu’s painting “Jiuri Xing’an Wenyan Tu (九日行庵文宴图)” (Figure 10) as an example, the various types of seating furniture in the painting are diverse, and the shape and height of the seating furniture often represent the identity and level of the literati. Literati sit on the bed with both hands resting on their knees, or on the armrests of chairs in a relaxed posture, or sit cross-legged on a square stool to appreciate poetry and literature, or casually place their feet on a vine ring stool with both hands twisting their whiskers and talking to the literati sitting opposite them. The entire picture shows the interaction between the literati’s body and the seat, showcasing a rich range of body postures.

Seating furniture also has characteristics of casualness and flexibility, and these functional objects often imply the occurrence of a certain body posture. And this body posture often occurs in a relaxed and comfortable environment, usually using casual “seating”. In Wen Zhengming’s painting “Qiaolin Zhuming Tu (乔林煮茗图: Picture of Qiao Lin Boiling Tea)”, the literati’s body naturally leans on the tree trunk to listen to the water and observe the rocks. One of the literati’s legs naturally rests on the other leg, and the other hand is supported by the tree trunk, with a relaxed body posture. In Xu Zhizhen’s “Hengshan Xiansheng Tingsong Tu (衡山先生听松图: Picture of Hengshan Listening to Pine Trees)”, the literati sit on the natural rocks of Matsushita, with their bodies seemingly completely integrated into the rocks, without any sense of dissonance (Figure 11). In general, the literati use natural terrain or mountains, rocks, and trees as “supports” for their bodies, making these resemble a part of their body extending outward, demonstrating “the suitability of borrowing (因借体宜)”. Compared to immovable or heavy-weight seating furniture such as beds and chairs, smaller and more mobile seats such as stools and seats are more often preferred. In terms of material and function, in addition to using materials such as animal fur or large Plantain leaf as separate surfaces, the surface of the seats also serves as a tea mat. Taking You Qiu’s “Yuanzhong Minghua (园中茗话: Tea Talks in the Garden)”, Wen Zhengming’s “Chaju Shiyong Tu (茶具十咏图: Picture of Ten Poems Related to Tea Set)”, and Ding Yunpeng’s “Lutong Zhucha Tu (卢仝煮茶图: Picture of Lu Tong Boiling Tea)” as examples (Figure 12), the literati sit on the ground, cross-legged on the mat, with tea sets placed beside them. The simple tea sets contrast with the gorgeous fabrics, fully demonstrating the ceremonial and practical characteristics of literati tea tasting.

4. Discussion

The tea space construction in the literati paintings of the Ming and Qing dynasties embodies the essence of traditional Chinese architectural esthetics, and its spatial wisdom of “the suitability of borrowing” has important implications for the protection and digital reconstruction of contemporary architectural heritage. Through the analysis of imagology and spatial topology, this paper finds that literati tea spaces construct multiple artistic concepts, involving both material function and cultural metaphor, through both virtual and real interface processing and the symbolic translation of natural elements and the fluid visual narrative. This composite spatial structure of “physical scene–situation–artistic conception” provides a value cognitive framework beyond the material form for contemporary architectural heritage protection.

In the field of modern architectural conservation, the thinking of “borrowing scenery to create environment” contained in tea space suggests that we need to reconstruct the conservation paradigm. Traditional protection mainly focuses on the preservation of architectural entities, but the spatial wisdom of scholars indicates that the value of architectural heritage lies not only in the material carrier, but also in the place spirit and spatial narrative it carries. For example, in the protection of Jiangnan gardens, the divided spatial conception can be reconstructed by restoring the borrowing axis and sight corridor. In the dimension of digital heritage reconstruction, the visual translation mechanism of tea space provides a methodological reference for virtual reconstruction. The immersive picture of literati paintings constructed through scatter perspective and poetic white space is isomorphic to the multi-dimensional space narrative required by digital modeling. In summary, this study can be used as a theoretical basis for future modern architectural protection and digital heritage reconstruction, but at the same time, the limitation of this study is that it does not explain in detail based on actual project cases. In addition, the form of the tea space is affected by different historical and cultural backgrounds, so the discussion of tea space design should also be placed in a specific historical context. There is no doubt that contemporary residents have also changed their preferences regarding the use of tea space, which is also a research theme that researchers have paid attention to in the later period: “Research on the relationship and influence mechanism between the environment of traditional garden tea space and contemporary tourists’ behavior based on multivariate data”. In future research, I will focus more on using more advanced or intelligent tools to collect data, such as virtual reality, or on comparative studies including modern tea spaces in China. This study is the theoretical basis for later research, and the relevant content will be continuously improved upon in subsequent research.

In summary, contemporary architectural heritage protection is facing a paradigm transformation from “solid preservation” to “living inheritance”. The organic holistic view and the generative mechanism of artistic conception presented by tea space in Ming and Qing dynasties provide a historical reference for the construction of protection theory with cultural subjectivity. Digital technology should not stop at form reproduction, but should become a medium for traditional spatial wisdom translation, and continue passing on the spiritual genetics of cultural heritage through the fusion of virtuality and reality. This practice path of ancient and modern dialog may reshape the value cognition and inheritance mode of architectural heritage in the digital age.