Chinese Materia Dietetica, Ming: Summer ice

Illustration of summer ice from Shiwu bencao (Materia dietetica), a dietetic herbal in four volumes dating from the Ming period (1368-1644). The identity of the author and artists is unknown. It contains entries on over 300 medicinal substances and is illustrated by almost 500 paintings in colour. Summer ice (xiabing) refers to blocks of ice cut out of rivers and lakes in the winter, and deposited in ice stores for use in the summer. The illustration depicts two men removing blocks of ice from an ice store, and breaking them up into smaller pieces with a chisel for transportation on shoulder poles. The location of the ice store is indicated by a corner of a courtyard wall. Trees in full leaf beyond the wall show that the season is high summer. The text states: Summer ice is sweet in sapor, extremely cold in thermostatic character, and non-poisonous. It eliminates heat and distress (fan). When eaten in the summer months, it acts in opposition to the effects of the season; cold and heat contend in the belly in an undesirable way. It can only be consumed alternately, because of its cold Qi. If it is eaten crushed, it is refreshing in the short term, but over the long term it causes illness.

Xiabing (summer ice)