故宫“总工”蒯祥史实正误三题

Three Questions on the Historical Facts of Kuai Xiang,Chief Engineer of the Imperial Palace

明代蒯祥在我国建筑史上有着重要地位和影响,但因古代工匠地位不高,典籍对他的记录较少,加上家谱已毁,有关他的家世、生平、地位等众说纷纭,错误较多。现据蒯祥祖父蒯明思墓表等原始资料,以及明代文学家王穉登《王百穀集八种•金昌集》等文献,结合蒯氏后裔口碑、考古资料等,对蒯祥父亲名字、蒯家从事木工的历史、蒯祥在香山帮工匠中的地位进行考证和分析,以正本清源。

Kuai Xiang in the Ming Dynasty has an important position and significant influence in the history of architecture in China.However,due to the low status of ancient craftsmen,few records of him in ancient books,and the destruction of his genealogy,there are many different opinions and mistakes about his family background,life and status.According to the original materials such as Kuai Mingsi’s grandfather’s epitaph,the Ming Dynasty writer Wang Chendeng’s Eight Books of Wangbaigu Ji:Jinchang Ji,and other documents,combined with the word-of-mouth and archaeological data of Kuai’s descendants,this paper does textual research and analysis on the name of Kuai Xiang’s father,the history of Kuai’s carpentry,and Kuai Xiang’s status among the Xiangshan Craftsmen Group,so as to retrieve the correct source of information.