浇纸法与抄纸法——中国大陆保存的两种不同造纸技术体系

Fixed-mould Papermaking Method and Movable-mould Papermaking Method:Two Different Papermaking Method Systems Conserved in China's Mainland

为研究中国造纸术的源流,文章以实地调查资料入手,对中国近十个少数民族的传统造纸工艺进行了工艺分析。从造纸的各个步骤分析比较后认为,中国的传统手工造纸有两种不同的造纸法:一是抄纸法造纸,二是浇纸法造纸。这两种造纸方法在技术工艺和关键步骤上截然不同,所造出的纸也有明显不同的特征,应分属不同的造纸技术体系。通过对陕西、甘肃、新疆等地的古纸进行实地考察和分析,发现两种造纸方法有不同的源流和外传路线,其中浇纸法为非蔡伦系的造纸法,抄纸法为蔡伦系的造纸法。直到现代,这两种造纸方法的遗存仍有不同的地理分布。

Based on historical and field survey materials, this paper aims to make a technological analysis of ten Chinese minority nationalities＇ traditional papermaking methods. After doing analysis and comparison of the papermaking process steps, I conclude that there are two different traditional papermaking method systems in China： One is the movable-mould papermaking method, and the other is the fixed-mould papermaking method. Papers made in these two different ways have distinctive shape features. Made by using the fixed-mould papermaking method, papers are thick, rough, with uneven distribution of fibers and no lines on paper surface while papers made through movable-mould papermaking method are thin, smooth, with uniform distribution of fibers and lines on paper surface. Therefore, the two ways of papermaking belong to entirely different method systems, but they both originated from China's Mainland. The earliest ancient paper samples were preserved in China, which indicates that China is indeed the country that invented papermaking method. By doing scientific research on archaeological materials, I maintain that fixed-mould papermaking method is the earliest invented papermaking method of China, which was an non-Caihin＇s papermaking method oriented in Western Han dynasty, while movable-mould papermaking method probably belongs to Cailun＇s papermaking method, which was created after Eastern Han dynasty. The two papermaking methods exist in different regions around the world. Now the fixed-mould papermaking method can be widely found in Southwest and Northwest China and Southeast and South Asia while the movable-mould papermaking method is very popular in China's Mainland, East Asian and Western countries. They were spread abroad at different periods. Fixed-mould papermaking method spread to Xinjiang district in Eastern Han dynasty and Xizang in Tang dynasty whereas movable-mould papermaking method was introduced to Vietnam and Korea in Jin dynasty and to Japan in Tang dynasty. Later on, it was spread to Middle East area, further to Europe and Africa and finally spread around the world. This papermaking method also had the greatest impact on the world and became the most widely circulated method in history.