“金镶宝玉闹装绦带三台”考

A Study of the Buckles or Clasps on Court Clothing

宋至明的朝服与燕服所用之系带分别为革带和绦带,二者之带头不同,革带之带头称为”三台”,绦带之带环称为“绦环”,其尾缀一钩,可称为绦钩。绦环之称谓不应包括绦钩,须分别定名。明帝王生前所用绦带头类似革带之玉铸三台.笔者暂借以称之为玉绦带三台。

Belts worn with court apparel from the Song to the Ming Dynasties and with Yan apparel were divided into leather belts and silk woven belts, and the clasps at the ends of these types of belts also differed. Those on leather belts were called santai, while those on silk belts were called taohuan ('silk ring'). The latter type of belt was also fitted with a hook, but the term taohuan did not include the hook or clasp; therefore the name taohuan is an inappropriate term for the end fitting of a silk belt. The silk belts worn by Ming Dynasty emperors were fitted with jade clasps like those on leather belts, and so the author proposes that, for convenience, clasps on such silk belts be termed yutaodai-santai, to indicate their similarity with leather belt-clasps.