明代的“白牌”

On the “White Board” of the Ming Dynasty

明代史料中经常出现的"白牌"是指白色的木质"信牌",其作为一种官文书,广泛用于催督公事、拘提人犯、传递政令,同时也是使用驿递的凭证。明代中后期,随着纸牌、信票及火牌、火票的广泛使用,"白牌"的使用范围逐渐减少。入清代以后,"白牌"退出了历史舞台,在行政事务中,"白牌"被纸质的信票、宪牌取代;在驿递中,"白牌"被"火牌(票)"取代。

The term“white board”appeared frequently in history documents of the Ming Dynasty.It referred to an official documentary form that was white in color and made of wood,which was used widely for governmental orders and legal summons,and also served as a certificate that permitted the holder to use the dynastic post system.The paper replaced wood as the favored medium for official orders,and other forms of verification grew more prevalent,and the use of“white board”had gradually decreased in the mid-late Ming Dynasty.The paper forms of verification replaced the“white board”in administrative contexts;the“urgent-as-fire”letter of authorization replaced the white-board within the dynastic post system in the Qing Dynasty.Thus,the“white-board”,which had been used extensively during the Ming Dynasty,quietly slipped into oblivion.