敦煌文献所见锁具及锁匠

Locks and Locksmiths in Dunhuang Documents

敦煌文献中有若干锁具和锁匠的记载。锁具既是安全工具,在敦煌寺院管理和地方事务中起着保护公私财产与人身安全的作用,同时也作为公私财产的一部分,被贮藏、维护、争夺和传承。这样的双重属性是其他物品所不具备的。锁具在敦煌有着较大的需求和保有量,足以支持锁匠以制造和修理锁具为生。他们内部存在着等级和分工,有着专门的设施和店肆,凭借专业技术赚取雇价。

There are several records related to locks and locksmiths in Dunhuang documents. Locks were not only a security tool used to protect public and private property, and to ensure the safety of Dunhuang temples, but were also important items that had to be stored, maintained, contended for and inherited. Very few items were imbued with such importance in historical Dunhuang society. Locks were in such high demand in Dunhuang that a group of locksmiths ran a thriving trade by manufacturing and repairing locks. There was a hierarchy and division of labor among these locksmiths, whose trade required special facilities and storefronts, and they often earned hiring fees by means of their professional equipment.