公匣制度与明清徽州民间文书的保存

Xia System and the Preservation of Folk Document in Huizhou

"匣"是一种藏物器皿,其本源于民间生活实际。明清时期,徽州民间广泛用匣以保存文书等重要记录和凭据。尤其是徽州宗族组织普遍建立的公匣制度,其严格的管理机制是徽州民间文书大量遗存的重要因素之一。

Xia, a kind of household utensil for storage, was once a commonplace in ancient civilian societies. In Ming -Qing dynasties, people tended to use it for preserving key trading records and proofs such as written contracts and relevant documents. As time went on, a preservation system called Xia system was widely established in all clannish societies in ancient Huizhou. It had a strict mechanism in management, and becomes the key factor for the reason why there are so many contracts and documents remained today in Huizhou.