“秦子”诸器的年代及有关问题

目前带'秦子'铭的铜器有兵器、容器、乐器三类。兵器包括4戈1矛:(1)广州市博物馆藏'公族'戈一件,铭两行十五字,'秦子乍造,公族元用,左右市(?),用逸宜。'铸于胡部(《集成》17·11353)。(2)故宫博物馆藏'中辟'戈(《集成》17·11352)。(3)1994年西安市公安局缴获的'秦子元用'戈[1]。(4)澳门珍秦斋藏一件'左辟'戈,全铭为'秦子乍造,左辟元用,左右市(?),用逸宜。'[2](5)《三代》20·40·3著录的一件秦子矛.

Currently,bronze vessels with the inscriptions’Qinzi’秦子all can be dated to the late phase of the Early Spring and Autumn Period.The word’shouming’受命in the inscriptions on the lid of the gui簋vessel of Qinzi indicates that Qinzi might be one of the kings of the Qin State instead of the Prince Jinggong静公who had never ascended the throne.According to the record in Qinshihuang benji of Shiji,only the King Chuzi出子had the title’zi’.Hence Qinzi must refer to him.It is a clever political strategy of King Chuzi to use the low-rank tile Qinzi instead of the high-rank tile Qingong秦公.The inscriptions’Qinzi’and’Ji’姬on the lid of this gui vessel might be the abbreviation names of Chuzi and his mother whose family name is Ji.The place name’Jialing’嘉陵in the inscriptions on the bell of Qinzi refers to the Xiling西陵settlement where Chuzi lived.