중국 초기 청동 용기의 쓰임과 장식문양의 성격 -이리두문화 청동기를 중심으로-

Abstract

The bronze vessels excavated in the area of the ErLiTou Culture(二里頭文化) has no big difference in the appearance with the earthenware and the kinds are limited to only 5 to 6 ones belonging to only an alcoholic bronze vessels. So it doesn’t reach the 20 kinds of earthenware and the numbers are confined to just 30 to 40. But it takes the partial decoration being different from the overall decoration of earthenware and the kinds of the pattern are using round shape pattern, teat pattern, eye pattern, and net pattern, which are different from straw rope pattern, bamboo basket pattern, and bowstring pattern of earthenware. Its appearance is not different from earthenware but seems to have more interests in delivering the meaning than decorating by confining the decoration in the decided space. And Though animal pattern that was the popular motif of the late bronze vessels had already appeared in those days, it doesn’t use this motif at all. these animal patterns are found to have been used in piece of earthenware and ornamental woodenware with the meaning of blocking evil spirit(辟邪). This fact makes the guessing that the surface decorating of bronze vessels of the ErLiTou site(二里頭遺跡) has no close relation with the use of blocking evil spirit The ErLiTou site which had made bronze vessels at first make the appearance of a large size plaza or the architecture and corridors or burial of the living with the dead so that it makes it clear that the political and economical differentiation was in the more deepening stage. But bronze vessels have been being excavated mostly only in the graves, different from bronze armors and tools being excavated widely in cellar, underground and grave. So It appears to have been used only in the private spaces. Because the social structure had been changing much more than LongShan Culture(龍山文化), bronze vessels are expected to have had its own position by doing many roles. But the aspects supporting that kind of role don’t appear superficially. The kind is limited to alcoholic vessels, different from earthenware and the excavated amount is just small so that it is hard to expect the various usage in the official space. The size is so small that the possibility is too low to be used in the events like the banquets, reflecting the political and social meaning. It seems to have been only used as the ceremony vessels(禮器) in pouring liquor at the private sacrificial rites and funerals. The aspect that the fine mud used in the process of casting is on the inside part of bronze vessels supports the unpractical usage. Therefore the surface decoration of bronze vessels of the ErLiTou site is thought not to be ones of blocking evil spirit, but to be the motif in order to make more smooth communication with the various gods including their ancestor gods or the motif directly related to the their whishes. The geometrical pattern is the main one so now it is not easy to figure out the meaning of the decoration pattern. But the fact that fortunetelling bone(卜骨) used in the communication with the god in the ErLiTou site was made through the shoulder bone of the cow, pig and sheep and the turtle shell can’t be ignored being related to the character of the motif of bronze vessels decoration of the ErLiTou site.