孔雀与六到十二世纪的东亚外交世界——以中日两国为中心

Peacocks and the Sixth to Twelfth Century East Asian Diplomacy

六至十二世纪的东亚处于古代中国构建的宗藩体系中,国家间的往来伴随着各类动物的赠送,是当时国际关系的重要环节。这一时期,孔雀一方面得益于自身的外在特性,另一方面借助佛教东传,成为颇具宗教内涵的符号性动物,被视为动物赠送中的代表之一。以古代国家间的孔雀馈赠为线索,有助于帮助探究其在东亚各国关系中的政治地位、文化内涵,明晰当时的东亚国家外交特性。

From the sixth to the twelfth century, East Asia international relationship was strongly influenced by a tributary system dominated by China. In this period, thanks to its particular visual appearance and its connection to Buddhism, the peacock became a symbolic item of tribute presented in East Asian diplomatic ccasions. By exploring the role of the peacock in international communications, this paper reveals some of the characteristics of the then East Asian diplomacy.