从海昏侯墓衣镜看西王母、东王公图像的出现及相关问题

When and How Did Images of Xiwangmu and Dongwanggong Appear?Reflection on Dressing Mirror Unearthed at Tomb of the Marquis of Haihun

海昏侯墓出土的衣镜上的东王公图像和镜掩墨书文字是迄今所见最早的东王公图像和文字记载,据此可推断连云港双龙汉墓出土的木尺两侧凭几而坐的人物为西王母和东王公。西王母信仰早期流行与上层贵族对得道长生的追捧密切相关,之后西王母具有更多神性和职能,开始流行于社会下层。东王公图像只见于社会上层和东部近海区域,可能与西汉时期上层社会热衷的东海仙境有关。

The image of Dongwanggong(the King Father of the East) was noticed on a dressing mirror unearthed from the tomb of Liuhe, the Marquis of Haihun. Some texts, written in black ink and covered by the mirror, were also noticed, which mentioned the name of Dongwanggong. The image and texts have remained so far the earliest records about Dongwanggong. Given the discovery of dressing mirror,the present paper proposes that the two figures-sitting face to face-on two sides of a wooden chi,which was unearthed from a Han tomb at Shuanglong in Lianyungang City, should represent Xiwangmu(the Queen Mother of the West) and Dongwanggong, respectively. It is proposed that the belief in Xiwangmu was so popular because of the upper class of society’s frenzy about becoming immortal. More roles and responsibilities were assigned to Xiwangmu in later times, possibly the reason for the popularity of Xiwangmu among the underclass of society. As for images of Dongwanggong, they were always associated with the upper class of society or noticed in coastal regions of the East, which may be explained by the Han elite class’ s frenzy about the Wonderland of the East.