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...presents... Chinese Glonous History and Cultual
The Lineage and Development of the Modern Chopsticks Wrapper
by DilDog
__//////\ -cDc- CULT OF THE DEAD COW -cDc- /\\\\\\__
Est. 1984 \\\\\\/ cDc paramedia: text #383-03/11/2004 \////// Est. 1984
___ _ _ ___ _ _ ___ _ _ ___ _ _ __
|___heal_the_sick___raise_the_dead___cleanse_the_lepers___cast_out_demons__|
Chinese restaurants abound in the United States, with names like
Hunan Garden and Bamboo House, serving combination plates C1 through C20,
as well their Chef's specialties, hot and sour soup, and General Gau's Chicken
with pork fried rice. Take out, or dine in, you're bound to find yourself
with a styrofoam container, a plastic spoon, a few plastic buckets of dipping
sauce, and a set of splintery, poorly made chopsticks. As mundane and
stereotypical as these offerings may seem to the naked eye, attention to
details quickly reveals critical differences in the Chinese food experience
from one restaurant to another.
Be it subtle changes in a recipe, utilizing peanuts instead of bamboo,
or the replacement of fried rice with white, or the selection of soups
available, the Chinese food experience varies greatly from one restaurant to
another. One quickly discovers that food such as "General Gau's Chicken"
varies so greatly from one restaurant to another that it becomes a curious
thing how so many different types of food may still be called the same thing.
In the olden days of China, recipes were handed down from parents
to their children, who made them very similarly for their children, and their
children's children. Nowadays, recipes are borrowed from the restaurant down
the street, or simply improvised based on educated guesses. This leads to a
natural, almost genetic, development of a wide variety of recipes for a
single dish, where only the tastiest versions survive.
This genetic inheritance and variance is also recognizable in other
aspects of the Chinese food experience. Most notably, in the names of the
restaurants, and their decor. But there is also a relatively unsung element
that generally goes unnoticed, except to an observant few. The poorly carved
chopsticks that you get in the take-out bag show a very wide range of
genetic variance, and prove to be both intriguing and humorous.
The Chinese chopsticks wrapper is an amazing piece of genetic
development. Over the years, various chopstick producing companies borrowed
the design of the chopsticks wrapper and produced their own variants, each
inheriting bits and pieces of the design of the ancestral wrapper, and
adding their own changes. This has resulted in a 'family tree' of sorts for
the modern chopsticks wrapper. And, as with any geneological study, once
genetic patterns are identified, it becomes a quest to determine the
beginning of a particular trait, and how it is carried through the lineage.
This document is the result of an indepth geneological study of
particular chopsticks wrapper traits, based on thirteen different specimens
taken from arbitrary Chinese food restaurants in the Boston area over the
last two years. High resolution scans are available by clicking on any of the
pictured wrappers for enhanced detail observation.
Much of the lineage ordering of these wrappers can be determined
by examining the text on the wrappers and analyzing which mistakes were
fixed in which order. Also, the company producing the chopsticks generally
places its symbol or name at the top of the wrapper, on the front side near
the opening. This allows us to determine who inherited the design from whom.
Although, the most common symbol is not a company name, it is the symbol for
'happiness' printed twice. Literally, 'double happiness'. Appropriate for a
pair of chopsticks.
Identifier: CS-A (4)
Generation: 1
Image:
Front Description:
Company symbol at top, followed by four shrines with tassels
each with a different Chinese symbol. Text is printed at the
right side in a serif font.
The English text reads:
-------------------------------------------------
Welcome To Chinese Restaurant.
please try your Nice Chinese Food With Chipsticks
the traditional and typical of Chinese Glonous history.
and cultual.
BAMBOO CHOPSTLCKS
PRODUCT OF CHINA
-------------------------------------------------
Back Description:
Decorative border and three images depicting the holding
and usage of chopsticks. Also a circumscribed 'S' is
in the upper left hand corner. It appears as if the 'S'
is rotated 180 degrees.
The English text reads:
-------------------------------------------------
Learn how to use your chopsticks
Tuk under thurnb
and hcld firmly
Add second chcostick
hold it as you hold a pencil
Hold tirst chopstick
in originai position
move the second one up and down
Now you can pick up anything:
PRODUCTOF
CHINA
-------------------------------------------------
Notes:
This design is the most popular, and contains the most spelling
mistakes passed down to other wrappers.
To note, most of the spelling mistakes are due to some English
characters looking like a combination of other characters. For
example, in 'thurnb', the characters for 'r' and 'n' when placed
close enough, form the 'm' character. It becomes apparent that
the text was typed in by someone who had a printed or handwritten
copy of the text, but did not know enough English to type it in
correctly.
Identifier: CS-B (2)
Generation: 2, Parent=CS-A
Image:
Front Description:
Same as parent
Back Description:
Same as parent
Notes:
The opening cut is is diagonal, while its parent's is curved.
The same company symbol is used, so it is inferred that it was
probably faster to produce the diagonally slotted opening
rather than the curved one, and hence this design
developed economically.
Identifier: CS-C (1)
Generation: 3, Parent=CS-B
Image:
Front Description:
Same design as parent, but the 'shrines' were re-drawn for clarity
(most notably in the bases, but also in the tassles, and the tops).
The spelling of "CHOPSTLCKS" was changed to "CHOPSTICKS". Also,
the letter "p" in "please" was capitalized to "Please". And the
period "." was removed from after "glonous history."
Back Description:
Same figure drawings as parent. Type was re-set slightly smaller,
thicker ink was used, and the border was re-drawn, this time
without shadowing, and slightly different corner-pieces. The
spelling and justification are the same as the parent.
Identifier: CS-D (3)
Generation: 4, Parent=CS-C
Image:
Front Description:
Company name is printed as 'GOLDENSMELL' within circular icon
featuring a boat and three characters. Otherwise the front
of this wrapper is no different than its parent.
Back Description:
Same as parent.
Notes:
One should note the reversion to a semicircular cut-out in the
opening, as opposed to the diagonal cut of the parent.
Identifier: CS-E (10)
Generation: 2, Parent=CS-A
Image:
Front Description:
Company name is same as parent, but has top bar of kanji split.
Design is the same, but it has been completely redrawn, and
re-typeset. The shrines contain the same characters, but the
design of the tassles have changed considerably. The text has
been changed to a sans serif font.
The English text reads:
-------------------------------------------------
Welcome to Chinese Restaurant.
please try your Nice Chinese Food with Chopsticks.
the traditional and typical of Chinese glonous history.
and cultual.
PAMBOO CHOPSTICKS
I ODUCT OF CHINA
-------------------------------------------------
Back Description:
Completely redrawn. Same design. Better details in the hands,
and the wonton being picked up in the third frame appears
more plump. The mysterious circle-s is present in the upper right,
also in a sans-serif font.
The English text reads:
-------------------------------------------------
Learn how to use your chopsticks
Tuck under thurnb
and hold firmly.
Add second chopstick
hold it as you hold
a pencil.
Hold first chopstick.
In original position
move the second
one up and down
Now you can pick
up anything.
PRODUCTOF
CHINA
-------------------------------------------------
Notes:
Periods have been added everywhere in the text. Most lines end with
a period now. The "p' in please was decapitalized again though.
Spelling errors such as 'tuk', 'chcostick', and 'originai' were
fixed. "PAMBOO" and "I ODUCT" appear to be spelling mistakes
and not printing errors, strangely enough.
Identifier: CS-F (8)
Generation: 2, Parent=CS-A
Image:
Front Description:
Company name was changed to an icon of a tree with three characters.
The 'shrines' are the same as the parent. The text has been modified
with crude overlay cut-and-paste using a slightly different font.
'glonous' was changed to 'glorious', and 'and cultual.' was changed
to 'and cultural'. Also, 'CHOPSTLCKS' was corrected to 'CHOPSTICKS',
as the entire lower right corner was retyped in the newer font.
Back Description:
Back completely redrawn. Hands have less detail, border is thinner,
wonton looks smaller. The circle-s is there in the corner. All spelling
mistakes are fixed,
The English text reads:
-------------------------------------------------
Learn how to use your chopsticks
Tuck under thumb
and hold firmly
Add second chopstick
hold it as you hold
a pencil.
Hold first chopstick
in original position
move the second
one up and down.
Now you can pick up anything
PRODUCT OF CHINA
-------------------------------------------------
Identifier: CS-G (12)
Generation: 2, Parent=CS-A
Image:
Front Description:
A red-on-white variant of its parent, enlarged.
The company name has changed to a diamond icon with two
characters in it. It appears that the 'shrine' artwork
is the same, but flipped over the vertical axis (except
for the characters) and slightly retouched. Probably laid
out with a computer rather than carved ink-blocks.
The English text reads:
-------------------------------------------------
Welcome to our restaurant.
Please try to use chopsticks.
the traditional eating utensil
of Oriental cultures in the
Far East
-------------------------------------------------
Back Description:
The circle-s has mysteriously disappeared from this version.
The border appears the same, but cleaned up a bit. The
artwork is the same for the three hand pictures, but the
text has been changed. Also, this wrapper being slightly
longer than its parent has the name and phone number of
the import company printed on the far right.
The English text reads:
-------------------------------------------------
Learn how to use your chopsticks
Tuck under thumb
and hold firmly.
Add second chopstick
hold it as you hold
a pencil
Hold first chopstick
in original position
move the second
one up and down.
Now you can pick
up anything!
-------------------------------------------------
Notes:
This a very 'Americanized' version of the original chopsticks
wrapper. Any and all references to 'China' have been removed from
the text, and the language has been generalized to all 'Oriental
cultures'. This is clever marketing, but obvious changes to an astute
chopstick geneologist.
Identifier: CS-H (6)
Generation: 3, Parent=CS-E
Image:
Front Description:
Wrapper is slightly damaged, and it is unclear who the distributor
was. There is text at the left that says 'BAMBOO CHOPSTICK' in white
handwriting. The shrines were completely redrawn with different
Chinese characters as well, possibly the same characters, using a
more block-style rather than a script form.
Text is in same font, but has spelling errors corrected. Also,
a nationalistic pitch is made with by changin 'Product of China'
to read 'Product of the People's Republic Of China'.
The English text reads:
-------------------------------------------------
Welcome to Chinese Restaurant.
please try your Nice Chinese Food with Chopsticks.
the traditional and typical of Chinese glorious history
and culture.
PRODUCT OF THE PEOPLE'S
REPUBLIC OF CHINA
-------------------------------------------------
Back Description:
Text is the same as parent, but "PRODUCT OF CHINA" has been removed.
A period was removed, and one was changed into an exclamation point
at the end. The circle-s was also removed. The border was
re-drawn thinner, and with a shadowing. The hand-figures
were also redrawn, with careful precision to look almost exactly
like the parent design.
Identifier: CS-I (13)
Generation: 4, Parent=CS-H
Image:
Front Description:
Design of shrines appears more like a shrunken version of its grandparent
, CS-E, but the characters inside are obviously taken from CS-H. Also, a diagonal
cut was added. All text was removed from the front, and the name of the company
was added at the bottom (HAILIN), along with an icon featuring a globe in
front of an "H" symbol, with two character above and below.
Back Description:
The back is white with red writing. The border was changed to resemble
a series of flying birds. The back was completely changed to humorous
poem, with no description of how to use the chopsticks (or pictures)
whatsoever.
The English text reads:
-------------------------------------------------
Two little sticks
They're made out of wood
And they help you
To pick up your lunch
Your lunch
And if you practice
Then you'd get good
And you'll find you can pick up
A bunch to munch
Eat noodles with chopsticks
Eat dumplings with chopsticks
Eat sushi with chopsticks
That's fish!
Don't eat soup with your chopsticks
That's no good with chopsticks
And jello with slide off
Your dish
I eat with chopsticks
Can you eat with chopsticks
Doctor told us
Be intell eat by using chopsticks
Lots of people use chopsticks
So try eat your chopsticks
Right Now
-------------------------------------------------
Other wrapper designs and variants:
Generic wooden chop stick wrapper CS-WOODEN1 (11):
Din How chop stick wrapper CS-DINHOW1 (14):
Black variant of CS-C (probably due to lack of yellow ink) CS-C2 (9):
Variant of CS-A with semicircle cut on other side CS-A2 (7):
Full Lineage Diagram:
* = Variants Found
CS-A*
________/ | \____ _________
/ | \ \
CS-B CS-E CS-F CS-G
| |
| |
CS-C* CS-H
| |
| |
CS-D CS-I
.-. _ _ .-.
/ \ .-. ((___)) .-. / \
/.ooM \ / \ .-. [ x x ] .-. / \ /.ooM \
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/lucky 13\ / \ / `-(' ')-' \ / \ /lucky 13\
\ / `-' (U) `-' \ /
`-' the original e-zine `-' _
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(_/ CULT OF THE DEAD COW is a registered trademark of oooO
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