清宫编钟形制及其功能考辨

A Study of the Application of Chime Bells in the Qing Dynasty Court

编钟是先秦以来历代宫廷雅乐必备的"编悬"乐器,被奉为"八音纲纪",也是清朝宫廷礼乐的重器。编钟专用于清宫礼乐规制最高的中和韶乐,是天地尊神和帝后皇权至尊身份的象征。为此,清朝宫廷不惜重金、不计成本,大规模地铸造编钟,并根据各处坛庙、宫殿不同的场所和使用功能,在材质、规格、纹饰上进行了区分,有清一朝更有着历时性的变化。然而,一则由于编钟实物或流散四方或深藏禁宫,世人难以一睹真容;一则由于《律吕正义》及后编、《皇朝礼器图式》《钦定大清会典图》等清朝礼书存在着失载、误载之处,编钟究竟是如何具体使用的,长期以来不为人所知。本文通过细致辨析现存编钟实物,并与清会典、造办处档案等文献记载相互印证,揭示清宫编钟使用的真相,订补文献记载的不实之处。

Since the pre-Qin period, chime bells had been an important suspended musical instrument in court music performance. In the Qing dynasty, they possessed an esteemed position in court music, exclusively applied in sacrificial rites, morning meetings and banquets and were a solemn tribute to the god of heaven as well as to the emperor and empress. The Qing court manufactured, regardless of the expense, a large amount of chime bells with different sizes, mediums and decorations in accordance with the application occasions. The chime bells also varied in different periods of the Qing dynasty. However, the application of chime bells has been long unknown to the public as common people had little opportunity to see chime bells and records in related literature were sometimes incomplete and erroneous. This article studies the extant chime bells and consults records in Qing regulations and archives of Imperial Workshop to clarify the application of chime bells and correct erroneous records in literature.