从金文看西周的媵婚制度

The Matrimonial System of Accompanying Concubinage in Western Zhou Dynasty Observed in the Inscriptions of Bronze Wares

西周时期,作器者分别以七种名义为出嫁女铸媵器。有些器铭虽无“媵”字,但从内容上基本可以推定为媵器。西周时期的媵器,基本上是一器铭一女,这说明西周时期以两国通婚为主;与春秋时期一器兼铭两女,三国通婚相对比,反映出西周时期列国结成婚姻政治政治联盟的必要性尚不迫切。以父的名义为出嫁女作媵器居绝大多数,这说明此时期父权特别强大。从器铭反映的婚姻关系可见,此时期贵族通婚实行等级内婚制;相邻之国往往结成婚姻之国。

In Western Zhou Dynasty, producers of bronze objects cast bronze wares for females to be married under seven premises. In the inscriptions of some wares there is no character ＂媵＂ （ dowry） , but it can be concluded that these wares were dowry ones based on the content of their inscriptions. Most of the dowry wares in Western Zhou Dynasty are inscribed with the name of one female, which indicates that matrimony across nations was predominant then. Compared with the dowry wares with more than one females name produced in Spring and Autumn Period reflective of matrimony among three countries, the wares of Western Zhou Dynasty reveal that the desire for countries of that time to form political alliances via matrimony was not that urgent. The fact that most wares for females to be married are cast in the name of the father shows that patriarchy was predominant at that moment. The matrimonial relationship viewed from the inscriptions of wares demonstrates that the then matrimony between nobilities was conducted in a social estate system, and neighboring countries tended to form an alliance through matrimony.