關(guān)于璽印的起源
Origins of Seals
西周 散氏盤拓本
西周 毛公鼎拓本
中國先秦兩漢的典籍中,涉及璽印起源的記載不多。出現(xiàn)于周秦間的《逸周書·殷祝篇》所載是古人有關(guān)天子璽印及印章起源的描述:“湯放桀,取天子之璽,置天子之坐前”,提出商王湯取代夏王桀時(shí)已經(jīng)有了作為君權(quán)象征的“天子之璽”。漢代的兩種緯書《春秋運(yùn)斗樞》和《春秋合誠圖》也都將天子的璽印說成來自神的授予,如《春秋運(yùn)斗樞》說“皇帝時(shí),黃龍負(fù)圖,中有璽章,文曰'天王符璽’”,《春秋合誠圖》說“堯坐舟中與太尉舜臨觀,鳳凰負(fù)圖授堯,圖以赤玉為匣,長(zhǎng)三尺八寸,厚三寸,黃玉檢,白玉繩,封兩端,其章曰:'天赤帝符璽’”。這些是以秦漢時(shí)代的帝璽之制編繪三皇五帝時(shí)代獲得符璽的情形,并無實(shí)物可據(jù)。但是這些說法間接地反映了璽印在戰(zhàn)國至漢代國家制度中的地位。
The Yi Book of Zhou(逸周書),written during the period of the Zhou (11th century B.C.-256 B.C.)and Qin dynasties mentions the “Xi of the Son of Heaven”, a symbol of the authority of the emperor at the time when Emperor Tang of the Shang Dynasty overthrew and supplanted Emperor Jie of the Xia Dynasty (c. late 21st century B.C.-early 17th B.C.). Yun Dou Shu of the Spring and Autumn(春秋運(yùn)斗樞)and He Cheng Tu of the Spring and Autumn(春秋合誠圖)also claimed that the xi of the Son of the Heaven was bestowed by God. For instance, the Yun Dou Shu of the Spring and Autumn states “in the time of the Yellow Emperor , there was a yellow dragon carrying a painting with a xi drawn in it. Its words read 'the xi of the Emperor of the Heaven '.” These records on the obtaining of the Three August Ones and Five Sovereigns were invented according to the system of the imperial seals during the Qin and Han dynasties, and there is no physical evidence to rely on. However, these quotes do indirectly reflect the status of xi in the time from the Warring States Period to the Han Dynasty.
六朝 隋造像及鐘鼎拓本屏
六朝 隋造像及鐘鼎拓本屏
南朝范曄所撰《后漢書·祭祀志》中的一段話揭示了璽印在中國產(chǎn)生的社會(huì)背景及其功用:“嘗聞儒言,三皇無文,結(jié)繩以治,自五帝始有書契。至于三王,俗化雕文,詐偽漸興,始有印璽以檢奸萌?!比适侵?jìng)髡f中的伏羲、神農(nóng)、皇帝時(shí)代;三王是指夏、商、周時(shí)代。范氏說杜絕“詐偽”、用于取信的璽印在三王時(shí)代已經(jīng)出現(xiàn),是他聽儒者口傳的,具體哪一時(shí)期存在璽印,在范氏時(shí)代已經(jīng)難以考究。
The Later Chronicles of the Han Dynasty: Records of Sacrifice Ritual(后漢書·祭祀志)written by Fan Ye in the Southern Dynasty (398-445)reveal the social context of the production of seals in China and their main characteristics: It was said that the use of seals started in the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties for the purpose of preventing fraud.
商代的甲骨文和西周金文中,沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)當(dāng)時(shí)使用璽印的跡象。商周時(shí)代“國之大事,在祀與戎”,甲骨文和金文資料中未及璽印是不難理解的。這可能也表明,商和西周時(shí)代印信尚未形成普遍或穩(wěn)定的社會(huì)功能,還處在形成、發(fā)育過程之中。做出這一判斷,與目前發(fā)現(xiàn)的實(shí)物比較吻合。
No traces relating to seal use can be found in Shang Dynasty oracle bone inscriptions or in Western Zhou Dynasty bronze inscriptions. During the time of the Shang and Zhou dynasties “the most important events of the empire are sacrifices and wars.” It is understandable that no mention of seal use occurs in the brief records of the oracle bone and bronze inscriptions. Physical evidence discovered to date indicates that seals in the Shang and Zhou dynasties were still in a developing stage and did not have widely –accepted or stable social functions.
六朝 隋造像及鐘鼎拓本屏
隋造像及鐘鼎拓本屏
本文節(jié)選自孫慰祖:《中國印章-歷史與藝術(shù)》,外文出版社,2010年。
Sun Weizu: The History and Art of Chinese Seals, Foreign Languages Press, 2010
責(zé)任編輯:戴夢(mèng)嵐
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