大河口墓地所出顶盘铜人探析

Discussion on bronze figures with plates from Dahekou cemetery

山西翼城大河口墓地M1与M1017分别出土有一件顶盘铜人,关于铜人的身份与功用,学界尚有分歧。顶盘铜人不是实用器,它们既非灯具,亦非卣盖置架。两件顶盘铜人各自与同墓出土的青铜盘形成呼应,据霸伯盘铭文,M1017:20铜人正如晋侯铜人,表现的是淮夷战俘,或即淮夷之君厌师。该器需要联系西周、春秋时期流行的以人物为器足的现象,铜人顶盘应非实际情形的写照,而是含有压制、羞辱异族俘虏的寓意。M1:271-4铜人并非出自淮夷,可能是墓主人的近臣或侍从,也有可能是异族俘虏。

Two bronze figures with plates on their heads were unearthed in M1 and M1017 of Dahekou cemetery in Yicheng,Shanxi Province.There are different opinions about the identity and function of the figures.The figures are not a practical tools.They are neither lamps nor racks for the cover of you vessel.The two figures form a corresponding relationship with the bronze plates unearthed from the same tomb.According to the inscription of Babo plate,like the bronze figure of the Duke of Jin,figure M1017:20’s identity points to Huai Yi prisoners of war.He is likely to be the king of Huaiyi,who is named Yanshi.This figure needs to be connected with the popular phenomenon of taking figures as feet of tools in the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn period.The figures with plates on their heads should not be a portrayal of the actual situation,but contain the moral of suppressing and humiliating foreign prisoners.The figure M1:271-4 is likely to be an alien captive as well,but not from Huaiyi.