青铜器名“舟”探解

A New Research on the Zhou-vessel

"舟"作为青铜器器名,至少在西周中期即已出现,春秋时期的楚器蔡侯申盘、战国时期楚地出土的遣册资料,仍保留着这一名称。《周礼》将承载尊彝用的器物称为"舟",与出土资料相合,可见其记载的可靠。从出土资料来看,称为"舟"的这类器物,形状多为盘形,其功能是起承载的作用,在盥洗器中与盉、匜配套,用以承接流水;在酒器中,用以承载尊彝;在灯器中,用以承载火烛。其之所以被称为"舟",应是出于其起承载功能的考虑。

The word Zhou used to be a name of a kind of bronze in the inscriptions on the Jinweifu pan-vessel.In the same case,Caihoushen pan-vessel also called itself as Zhou.Zhouli recorded the word Zhou as a name of a kind of bronze which be used to be nother bronze.Pan-vessel was called as zhou because this kind of bronze was used to hold out a container for liquid being poured into it.