Doufang is just a general term for square size. It doesn't have to be square to be a square. This title was handed down from the history of calligraphy and painting, and later became a conventional title.
Doufang means that the long side of rice paper is folded in half and then cut from the middle. After the long side is folded in half, it becomes a square, so it is called Doufang. Such as: three-foot bucket: 55x5(cm), four-foot bucket: 69x68(cm), five-foot bucket: 84x77(cm), six-foot bucket: 97x9(cm). Because the manufacturers may not be completely in accordance with the national standard production, the size is slightly different.
the size of the bucket is approximately square, which is half of the whole paper, so it is called a bucket. Because the size and width produced by the manufacturer are not produced by integral multiples, it is not completely square.
Extended information:
Doufang is one of the basic forms of Chinese painting, which is roughly different from other forms of Chinese painting as follows:
dou Fang: refers to a painting, calligraphy or poem page one or two feet square. Small scale, generally refers to 25-5 cm square paintings and calligraphy works.
the vertical shaft is the most common one in China, and it is generally based on a straight painting heart. If the painting heart is 4' 3 or 4' 6, it will be priced at 3 square feet or 1/2 square feet. If it exceeds these two specifications, it will be priced at the actual area.
the shape of the cross-dressing is that the painting center is vertical and short, and the horizontal length is generally 1 foot, and the horizontal length is not more than 4 feet. Because it is more suitable to be arranged in modern rooms, it is usually used to hang on the sofa in the living room, so it is more popular with people.
whether it is a Chinese painting or a calligraphy work, the conversion of its basic area is similar to that of a banner, but the price is about 2% higher than that of a banner with the same area.
banners are calculated according to their length; if the width is less than one foot, it is calculated according to one foot; if it is more than one foot, it is calculated according to the actual area; Generally speaking, couplets are calculated according to the width, which is almost the same as that of banners, but the relationship between the number of couplets and the price is that the number of words is higher.
The square feet of banners are determined by their length. If the width is less than 1 foot, it is still calculated as 1 foot; if it is more than 1 foot, it is calculated as the actual area; if it is 3 feet long and 8 inches wide, it is calculated as 3 square feet; 4 feet long and 1.5 feet wide, calculated at 6 square feet.
Couplets can be hung independently or simultaneously with large-scale nave paintings, which is a form deeply loved by the public, especially the literati. Generally speaking, according to the width, its square feet are equivalent to the banners with the same width. For example, the square feet and prices of 4-foot couplets and 4-foot banners are basically the same. However, it should be noted that the number of words on couplets is directly proportional to the price. For example, the price of 4-foot-7 couplets is about 2% higher than that of 4-foot-5 couplets.
generally, the sector is calculated by one and a half square feet, the fan is calculated by two square feet, and the round fan is calculated by the diameter; The hand roll is calculated by the horizontal length, and the longer the horizontal length, the greater the level. However, it must be understood that the price of hand scrolls is obviously different from that of other formats if calculated by the ruler: the price per ruler is about one and a half to two times the price of other formats (referring to works of the same painter, same period, same theme and same quality).