汉魏六朝尚方职能及其与皇权关系

The Function of Shangfang(尚方)and Its Relationship with the Imperial Power in the Han,Wei and Six Dynasties

汉晋时期,尚方隶属少府,主要为皇帝和宫廷制器。南北朝时期,尚方机构及其职能发生变化,但南朝与北朝又有差异。南朝左尚方负责王朝军械制作,右尚方仍为宫廷制器。左尚方制军械,改变了尚方的“私奉养”性质。北朝自魏孝文帝以来,尚方改隶太府,被纳入朝廷财政体系,制器不再仅供皇帝和宫廷使用。南北朝尚方及其职能变化,虽不尽一致,但尚方“私奉养”色彩皆渐淡化。不过,汉晋六朝尚方一直具有为皇帝和宫廷制器的职责。尚方制器被称作“御器物”“禁器物”,成为皇帝与臣民身份差异的外在体现,堪称皇权的物质象征。历朝通常禁止臣民私求或仿造尚方器物,但魏晋以降,因皇权衰落,管控力度减弱。

During the Han and Jin Dynasties,Shangfang(尚方)was subordinate to Shaofu(少府)and mainly produced artifacts for the emperor and court.During the Northern and Southern Dynasties,the institution and function of Shangfang changed,and there were differences between the Southern and Northern Dynasties.The left Shangfang of the Southern Dynasty was responsible for the production of military equipment,which changed the nature of Shangfang's “private support”,the right Shangfang still made artifacts for the court.Since Emperor Xiaowen(孝文)of the Northern Wei Dynasty,Shangfang had been transferred to Taifu(太府)and incorporated into the imperial fiscal system,and it's products were no longer used only by the emperor and court.Although the changes of Shangfang's functions in the Northern and Southern Dynasties were not consistent,the color of “private support” of Shangfang gradually faded.Nevertheless,Shangfang of the Han,Jin and Six Dynasties had always been responsible for making artifacts for the royal courts.The artifacts made by Shangfang were called “imperial object” or “forbidden object”,and became the external embodiment of the difference between the identity of the emperor and his subject,which could be called the material symbol of imperial power.In previous dynasties,the subjects were usually forbidden to solicit or imitate the artifacts made by Shangfang without permission,but after Wei and Jin dynasties,due to the decline of the imperial power,the control was weakened.