中国古代的侯

The Meaning and Model of Target in Ancient China

"侯"的本意是射箭用的靶子。中国宗法制度早在商周成熟,严密的等级制度规定了衣、食、住、行、用的等级界限,作为礼器的侯必然因等级不同而形制各异。射侯是先秦最重要的礼射内容之一,射礼是五礼六艺中最重要的礼仪制度,后世出土的有关射侯的青铜礼器较多,甲骨文、金文及传世的经书类文献也庞杂了相关内容。前代学者从文字训诂学层面上对侯的起源多有论述,但就其形制的变迁及使用细节等鲜有涉猎。结合考古资料和《考工记》"梓人为侯"篇,对中国古代侯的使用及演变进行了系统地分析和整理。

"Hou"(Target) was originally intended as a target for archery.The patriarchal system of China was mature as early as Shang and Zhou Dynasties.The strict hierarchical system stipulated the hierarchical boundaries of clothing,food,living,transportation and utensil.As ritual vessels,Hou were bound to have different shapes and systems due to different grades.Shooting ceremony is one of the most important contents of ritual and archery in the pre-Qin dynasty,and it is the most important ritual system among the five rites-six arts.There are many bronze ritual vessels related to archery unearthed in later times,and there are also a lot of related contents in oracle bone inscriptions,gold inscriptions and classics handed down from generations.Scholars of previous generations have discussed the origin of Hou from the perspective of textual exegetics,but little on the changes of its form and structure and the details of its use.Based on the archaeological data and document literature in Kao-gong Ji,this paper systematically analyzes and sorts out the use and evolution of Target in ancient China.