漢鏡2期における華西鏡群の成立と展開

Abstract

Han mirrors are highly appreciated by Chinese archaeologists, for they are particularly useful for chronological studies. Twenty five years ago, I classified the Former Han mirrors into four periods, of which Han Mirrors Period II can be dated approximately to the latter half of the second century B. C. Recently, there were two important discoveries of Han Mirrors belonging to Period II in China. One is that many Han mirrors were excavated from the Han tombs around the Chang'an capital site at Xi'an. The other is that a lot of casting mold fragments of grass leaf design mirrors were collected at the Linzi city site in Shandong province. Based on these new discoveries, I once again attempted, using a typological method based on the analysis of attributes, a detailed classification of the following four types of Han Mirrors Period II :(1)grass-leaf design mirror ; (2) inscription mirror with concave rim; (3) inscription mirror with the linked-arc rim; and (4) Chi dragon design mirror. I also suppose a parallel relationship between the mirror types and establish a systematic chronology of this period. On the basis of this chronology, I classify Han Mirrors Period II roughly into two phases, the earlier phase probably dating from the 130s B.C. to the 120s B. C., and the latter phase may be identified with the 110s B.C. It can be concluded that the four types of Han Mirrors Period II were produced consistently in the Chang'an capital, and then in the latter phase, some of the craftsmen migrated from the Chang'an capital to Linzi city to produce only the type of grass-leaf design mirror. Therefore, the mirror casting at Linzi city was in operation only a short time, merely for about ten years.