“错金银”新论

Some new thoughts about the technologies of “Cuojinyin”

对"错金银"的定名,学界素有争议,令人对错金银的认识更加疑惑,因此有必要对"错金银"再作探讨。为此,本研究从跨学科的多元视角,结合中国境内和中亚草原出土的"错金银"文物和相关文献,对战国秦汉时期"鎏金"、"嵌错"和"贴金"等工艺的技术特征和工艺内涵进行探讨。对一些出土文物的检测结果表明,这一时期传统的贴金工艺出现"敷金"、"汞贴金"等新的应用。此外,通过与中亚草原同类器物比较,发现甘肃张家川马家塬墓地发现的饰金铁器采用了集嵌错和贴金为一体的综合技术,为草原文化影响下的本土创新。这类出土文物将是今后研究的重点。在欧亚大陆物质文化交流的大背景下,这一时期的金属工艺既有传统技术的革新,同时也有新技术的输入。

The definition and interpretation of "Cuojinyin"-gold and silver inlay and overlay remain debatable in the field of early metallurgy. The research described here takes an interdisciplinary approach and discusses the technical features and characteristics of "fire gilding","gold inlay" and "gold plating" that prevailed during the Warring States Period, Qin and Han Dynasties(5th-1st centuries BCE), based upon the excavated objects and historical texts. Scientific analyses have shown the emergence of some new applications of the traditional "gold plating" technology, such as the "diffusion bonding" and "cold mercury gilding" techniques. Furthermore, comparison with the samples from Central Asia, reveals that the iron chariot and horse ornaments from the Majiayuan Cemetery(4th-3rd centuries BCE) at Zhangjiachuan, Gansu province, represented a new method for surface decoration-the joint use of gold/silver inlay and plating technologies-which could be considered a local innovation under the influence of steppe culture. Excavated objects such as these deserve greater attention in future work. The Warring States Period witnessed new developments of some traditional metal working technologies while some new technologes were introduced into China in the context of extensive material culture contacts in ancient Eurasia.