中国彩色宝玉石使用的三次高潮及其与古代丝绸之路关系探索

Three Climaxes of Colored Gems & Jades Utilization in Ancient China and Their Relations with Ancient Silk Roads

基于中国古代彩色宝玉石的大量考古发现并结合文献研究成果,探讨了中国古代彩色宝玉石使用3次高潮的形成及其与古代丝绸之路中外文化交流的关系。中国古代彩色宝玉石使用的第一次高潮发生在汉魏时期,考古发现的彩色宝石包括蓝色绿松石、青金石、红色宝石、珊瑚、琥珀、玛瑙等;第二次高潮延续在唐宋(辽),考古发现的彩色宝石除了第一次高潮常见宝石外,出现了真正的红宝石、蓝宝石和托帕石;第三次高潮主要出现在明清,重要的彩色宝石种类包括红宝石、蓝宝石、祖母绿、猫眼、青金石、碧玺和绿色翡翠。第一次爆发和中国人沿北方丝绸之路对中亚的探索及其文化交流有关;第二次爆发则和唐宋时期非常频繁的中西方贸易及互动性的民族文化交流融合有关;第三次爆发的原因比较复杂,分别和明朝主动通过海上丝绸之路打开中国通往西方之门及清朝被西方用武力打破封闭,西学东渐,导致西南丝绸之路带来绿色翡翠打破本来由和田玉主导的白玉文化有关,前期是中国主动和国外进行商品贸易的产物,后期则是外国坚船利炮带来的副产品。考古证据显示,中国古代彩色宝玉石文化的形成是丝绸之路上中西方文化碰撞和交流互动的结果,但古代多数重要的彩色宝石主要来自境外,因此,某种意义上来说,首符次德的彩色宝玉石文化是一种舶来文化。

Based on abundant archaeological findings as well as documentary records,three climaxes of colored gems and jades utilization were indentified in Chinese history,which were naturally formed in the communication between Chinese and foreign cuture along ancient silk roads.The first climax occurred in Han-Wei Period with colored jewelries such as turquoise,lapis lazuli,red gems,coral,amber,agate, etc.in the archaeological findings.The second climax were in Tang-Song （Liao）Dynasty being accom-panied by the utilization of the most precious gems like ruby,sapphire and topaz as well as those in the first climax.The third climax occurred in Ming-Qing Dynasty with important gems＆amp;jades such as ruby, sapphire,emerald,cat’s eye,lapis lazuli,tourmaline and green jadeite.The first peak utilization of col-ored gems and jades is initiated by Chinese people exploring central Asia through Northern Silk Road. The second is rooted in the prosperous Sino-western commercial and cultural connections during Tang-Song （Liao）Dynasty.The third climax,being born with relatively complex reasons,first derived from the active goods trade in Ming Dynasty along the Maritime Silk Road because of China’s open to the west, and finally formed in the military pressure from western countries in the Qing Dynasty.In the third cli-max,introduction of green jadeites along Southeast Maritime Silk Road led Chinese jade culture into a new period with a transition from nephrite-dominated to jadeite ＆amp;nephrite-dominated jade culture.Ar-chaeological findings reveal that China’s colored gems ＆amp;jades culture was developed in the communica-tion between Chinese and western culture along ancient silk roads.In the meantime,major colored gems and jades were imported from overseas countries.So the colored gems＆amp;jades culture in China,valuing more color rather than texture,is a kind of exotic culture.