论殷墟文化的镶嵌绿松石青铜器——从中国国家博物馆收藏的镶嵌绿松石方缶和兵器谈起

Turquoise-Inlaid Bronzes of the Yinxu Culture:In the Example of the National Museum of China Collection

中国国家博物馆收藏有殷墟文化时期的镶嵌绿松石方缶、钺与戈等兵器,这几件器物反映了殷墟文化时期镶嵌绿松石青铜器多为兵器、车马器等器类的特征。殷墟文化时期的绿松石镶嵌工艺既有精细、粗糙之别,也有等级高低之分。较高社会等级所使用的器物,其绿松石嵌片往往更为精制讲究。但绿松石镶嵌并不代表较高的社会等级,或者作为表达较高社会地位的必选物。这反映了镶嵌绿松石青铜器在中商文化之后已经失去礼器地位,绿松石成为青铜器的装饰品。

The National Museum of China has a collection of turquoise-inlaid bronze weapons such as square fou[缶],yue[钺],and ge[戈],which indicates that most of the turquoise-inlaid bronzes of the Yinxu culture period were weapons and horse and chariot devices.Some of the turquoise inlay craftsmanship of the Yinxu culture period was exquisite,while others comparatively rough,and there was also a difference in their ranks.The turquoise inlays were often more refined and elaborate for objects used by higher social classes.But turquoise inlay itself did not represent a higher social class,nor the necessary choice of those with a higher social status.This suggests that turquoise-inlaid bronzes lost their status as ritual objects after the mid Shang culture and that turquoise became a mere ornament for bronze wares.