西周銅器の研究

Abstract

The method of study on ancient Chinese ritual bronzes has been divided in two; one is the epigraphical method, and the other is the archaeological method. The former deciphers the meaning of their inscriptions, and bronzes of the Western Chou period, with their long inscriptions, are most useful for dating of the bronzes. The latter seeks for types and designs, and needs the definite materials which give informations on the conditions of discovery. The real method, I think, must integrate these two methods into one. In last ten years, a great number of ancient objects have been discovered at many sites in China. Among them, there are some bronzes of the Western Chou period. To effect the above-mentioned integration of method, we had best begin with these Western Chou bronzes, which have both long inscriptions and clear informations on the conditions of discovery. I took several sets of bronzes for consideration. ('A set' means a group of bronzes which were found at the same site.) I) the Early Western Chou period 1. Bronzes from Ling yüan 凌源, Liao ning 遼寧 This group contains bronzes made in Yen 匽 and Ts'ai 蔡, two feudal states during the Chou Dynasty. The inscriptions of these bronzes will fill the vacancy of the history of the beginning of the Chou Dynasty. 2. Bronzes from Tan t'u 円徒, Chiang su 江蘇 One Kuei has the most important inscriptions dated at the period Cheng Wang 成王 or K'ang Wang 康王, This vessel was made by I Hou Nie 宜侯矢 who made also the famous bronzes : Ling Kuei 令殷 and Ling I 令彝, and was appointed the first feudal king of Wu 呉, 3. Bronzes from I ch'eng 儀徴, Chiang su 江蘇 4. Bronzes from T'un ch'i 屯溪, An hui 安徽 5. Bronzes from Chang hsing 長興, Ch'e chiang 浙江 The above four groups have been found in Southern China, showing different types from those of Central China. II) the Middle Western Chou period 6. Bronzes from P' u to ts'un 普渡村, Chang an 長安 7. Bronzes from Mei hsien 郿縣, Shen si 陝西 III) the Later Western Chou period 8. Bronzes from Lan tien 藍田, Shen si 9. Bronzes from Chi chia 斉家, Hsing p' ing 興平, Shen si 10. Bronzes from Jên chia 任家, Ch'i shan 岐山, Shen si These three groups have the important inscriptions. Kuei of Hsün 詢殷 from Lan tien was made by Hsün 詢, the same person that made Kuei of Shi Hsün 師詢殷, and his father made Kuei of Shi Yu 師酉殷, which seems to have some relation with Ting of Mao Kung 毛公鼎. Ting of Yü 禹鼎 from 岐山 has the same shape and the same design with Ting of K'o 克鼎, which suggests that these two bronzes, though belonging to different owners, were originally made by the same maker. As a conclusion of my study, I should like to make the following points. 1) Among the Western Chou bronzes, the shapes like Ting, Kuei, Li, Hsien [ ], Hu, and P'an were used throughout the whole period of the Chou Dynasty. Chŭeh 爵, Chüeh 角, Chia 斝, Ku 觚, Chih 觶, Tsun 尊, Y u 卣 and Kuang 觥 were popular in the Early Western Chou period, but disappeared Later. Fu 簠, Sü 盨, Tou 豆, and Ih 匜 appeared in the Later Western Chou Period. It means that wine vessels which had been very popular in the Early peroid became few in the Later period. 2) Ting and Kuei were the most popular among ceremonial bronzes during the Chou period. We can realize the change of the types of bronzes by making the lists of Ting and Kuei. The standards of patterns in each period are as follows: Early period: Animal triple band, Kuei wên with spiral body, Short Kuei wên with turned head, Eye pattern with four petals, Whorl medallion, Small bird. Middle period: Large luxurious bird, Kuei wên with curved body. Later period: Deformed design of Tao t'i'eh, and K'uei wên, Scales pattern. 3) The distribution of the sites, where the Western Chou bronzes were found, shows the extent of the cultural circle of that period. We can also surmise the local characters inside this circle, and the relationship between this circle and its neighbouring cultural areas. In the western and northern borders, there was no influence from outside, but in the southern part, two different elements mixed : the Central Chou culture and the geometrical pattern pottery culture. This local type may belong to the Hu shu 湖熟 culture. 4) Results of a study by the integrated, method suggest that the beginning of coinage system in China, must be placed much earlier than Warring States period. 5) The owners of Chou bronzes changed from kings and feudal princes to lower officials, and their character changed from that of public ceremonial objects to that of private treasures.