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Shang dynasty bronze inscriptions longer than three or four
characters are extremely rare. This exceptional ding vessel is
cast with a six-character inscription reading Quan zuxin zugui
Xiang, written in a vigorous manner that exudes the beauty
of the ancient pictographic characters. The present vessel is
most remarkable, however, for the content of its inscription.
The inscription identifies that Quan was the person who
commissioned the vessel, and zuxin and zugui were the
ancestors to whom ritual offerings were made. The last
character, xiang, should be a clan emblem, which can also
be seen on other Shang bronzes. The quan (dog) character
on Shang dynasty bronzes may refer to the title of an official
responsible for organizing hunts, who also participated in
warfare (see Chen Mengjia, p. 514); it may also be the name
of a clan, in which case the owner the present ding would
have belonged to the Quan clan, with its related clan being
Xiang (see Yan Zhibin, p. 296).
Ding are among the most significant ritual vessels associated
with authority and supremacy. Owners of ding were of elite
social status, such as high officials or clan leaders. Late
Shang dynasty oracle bone inscriptions record a person
named Quan Hou, who was an important noble of the period.
Quan Hou was likely a senior military leader who had served
in the Shang king’s conquest of the enemy tribes. Ding Shan
suggests that Quan Hou was the houya, a minister of the
Shang inner court (see Ding Shan, p. 116). Yan Zhibing has
further proposed that Quan Hou was in fact the leader of the
Quan clan (op. cit., p. 116).
Fig. 1 An archaic bronze ritual food vessel (ding), illustrated in
In his series of studies of oracle bones, Liu Huan has Xiqing gujian, vol. 1, 1755, p. 28
reconstructed the lineage of the Quan clan. Initially, the 圖一 青銅鼎 錄於《西清古鑑》，卷1，1755，頁28
Quan clan was an enemy of the Shang state, as documented
in an oracle bone inscription reading Jiyou bu, zhen: Que
wang zheng Quan, which clearly records that the Shang
kingdom sent Que to attack Quan (see Guo Moruo, no. 本鼎器形雄渾莊重，紋飾遒勁剛毅，鑄銘文兩行六字
6979). In another oracle bone inscription, reading Zhen: 「犬 祖辛祖癸 享」，筆法粗曠有力，有一種象形文
wei bei Quan pu, the diviner inquired about punishing the 字之美，古韻悠然。商代帶銘青銅器多為單名、族徽
slaves of the Quan clan (ibid., no. 565). See also the oracle 或祖先祭名，超過三或四字的實屬鳳毛麟角，稀罕至
bone inscription reading Yimao bu, yun, zhen: Ling Duozizu 珍。然而此器最為重要之處在於其銘文內容。此鼎銘
bi Quanhou kou Zhou, Yewang shi, which records that 中的「犬」字，表作器者，「祖辛」及「祖癸」則為
the Shang king ordered the Douzi clan and Quan Hou to
attack the Zhou tribe (ibid., no. 6812). By the time this last 作器者所祭之祖先，全銘最後的「享」字，按金文格
oracle bone was produced, the Quan clan had submitted 式屬族徽，相同族徽銘亦可見於其他商代青銅器之
to the Shang dynasty and become one of its major military 上。商代青銅器銘「犬」者，或為官名，屬田獵之
forces, with Quan Hou as its leader. In a further oracle bone 官，亦參加征伐之事（見陳夢家，頁514），或為族
inscription, reading Xinyou zhen: Quan shou nian, the diviner 氏名，意犬族，本鼎之「犬」若為族氏名，「享」則
asked about the harvest in Quan lands, which indicates
that the Quan clan was also responsible for agricultural 為其複合族氏（詳見嚴志斌，頁297）。
production, in addition to their military duty (see ibid., nos
9793 and 9794; for additional details, see Liu Huan, pp 1-2). 商朝時青銅鼎器絕非常人可以擁有，其主人必定社
The territory of the Quan clan is a subject of much scholarly 會地位顯赫，如高級官員或族氏首領等。通過商代
debate and remains an open question. Yan Zhibin has 末期的甲骨卜辭可知當時有名犬侯者，應是一位重
summarized the various theories (see Yan Zhibin, pp 297- 要的軍事首領，曾經作為主力幫助商王征戰外敵方
298). Some scholars, including Hu Houxuan and Chen 國。丁山先生認為犬侯為商朝內服的侯亞（丁山，
Mengjia, hold that the Quan clan hailed from west of the
Shang state, i.e., present-day Shaanxi and Shanxi. Chen 頁116）。嚴志斌博士認為犬侯即為犬族的首領（前
Fangquan, Yu Taishan, and others believe the Quan clan 述出處，頁297）。
originally lived east of the Shang. Some scholars locate its
lands in present-day Shandong. Others position them at the 關於犬族，劉桓先生曾通過研究一系列自武丁時期起
intersection of Shandong, Henan, and Jiangsu and argue that 的甲骨刻辭，分析梳理了其族氏脈絡。犬族最初與商
the Quan clan later migrated westward and settled in the 王朝為敵對關係，甲骨卜辭中可見「己酉卜，貞：雀
west of the Shang empire.
往征犬」（郭沫若，編號6979），此刻辭清楚記錄了
Yang Shuda identifies the Quan clan as the people 商朝曾派遣雀前往征討犬。另見卜辭記「貞：惟備犬
alternately referred to in the historical record as Kunyi or
Hunyi, and as Quanyi or Quanrong (see Yang Shuda, p. 62). 僕」（上述出處，編號565），可理解為貞人問對於
Liu Huan, who shares the same opinion, has furthermore 犬方奴隸施用某類刑罰。又見有卜辭記「乙卯卜，
demonstrated that Quanrong was also called Xianyun (see 允，貞：令多子族比犬侯寇周，叶王事」（上述出
78 SOTHEBY’S COMPLETE CATALOGUING AVAILABLE AT SOTHEBYS.COM/N10748
Liu Huan, pp 3-4). The name Quanrong is well known from 處，編號6812正），意為商王命令多子族與犬侯攻打
the famous story of King You of the Western Zhou dynasty 周方，由此可見此時犬族已經歸順商王朝，並成為了
ordering beacon towers lit and panicking the nobles simply 商王朝的一支重要軍事力量，其首領即為犬侯。再見
to make his concubine Baosi laugh. According to ‘Zhou Benji’
[Annals of Zhou] in Shiji [Record of the Historian], ‘King 卜辭「辛酉貞：犬受年。」（上述出處，編號9793及
You elevated Guo Shifu to the post of minister … causing 9794），意為貞問犬地莊家的收成情況，可見其亦有
grievance throughout the populace … King You also demoted 農耕生產 （詳見劉桓，頁1至2）。
Shen Hou (Queen Shen)… Shen Hou (Marquis Shen),
incensed, aligned with the state of Zeng and the western 關於犬地之所在目前學術界多有討論，但至今尚未有
Quanrong to attack King You. King You had beacons lit to 定論。嚴志斌曾在其文中列舉各家學說（嚴志斌，頁
summon his troops, but the troops did not come. Shen Hou
then killed King You on the foothills of Mount Li.’ This battle 297至298），目前一部分學者認為犬地當位於商王朝
resulted directly in the fall of the Western Zhou dynasty, 之西，具體在今陝西、山西一帶，持此說者見胡厚
signifying the importance of the Quanrong and the Quan clan 宣、陳夢家等；另也有學者如陳方全、余太山等認為
in Chinese history. 犬族最早居地在商之東，有學者認為其地位於今山東
Aside from the importance of its inscription, the present 省，亦有學者認為應在山東與河南、江蘇交界一帶，
ding is notable also for its unusual combination of decorative 後犬族向西遷徙，最終定居在了殷西一帶。
motifs. The primary motifs are large taotie masks, and
the neck of the vessel features serpent and whorl flame
patterns. Such a combination is extremely rare, although 楊樹達先生認為犬族即為昆夷或混夷，又作畎夷或犬
a very similar vessel with the same decorative elements 戎（楊樹達，頁62）。劉桓先生同持此觀點，並加以
is known. See a bronze ding originally in the Qing imperial 論證犬戎亦名玁狁（劉桓，頁3至4）。犬戎之名因西
collection, included in Xiqing Gujian [Xiqing catalogue of 周幽王為博褒姒一笑烽火戲諸侯的典故深被人們所
ancient bronzes] (fig. 1), and later entered the collection of 熟知，《史記•周本紀》中記：「幽王以虢石父為
Wu Dacheng (1835-1902), who transcribed its inscription in
his Kezhai jigu lu [Kezhai’s compendium of ancient bronzes] 卿……國人皆怨……又廢申后……申侯怒，與繒、西
and reproduced a full-figured rubbing of it in his Kezhai jigu 夷犬戎攻幽王。幽王舉烽火徵兵，兵莫至。遂殺幽王
tu [Kezhai’s illustrations of ancient bronzes], published in 驪山下……」。此戰的結果直接導致了西周王朝的覆
Zhou Ya, ed., Kezhai jigulu jianzhu [Annotated edition of 滅，可見犬戎乃至犬族在中國歷史上的重要意義。
Kezhai’s illustrations of ancient bronzes], Shanghai, 2012,
p. 54. Other comparable vessels usually feature the more 此鼎除銘文極為重要之外，紋飾組合也尤為特殊。本
generic dragon patterns on the neck, such as one example 鼎主題紋飾為大獸面紋，頸部輔以蛇紋、火旋紋，此
excavated from a Shang tomb in Luoshan county, Henan, in 類紋飾組合極其罕見，故倍加稀珍。可參考一極近
1980 and published in Wu Zhenfeng, Shang Zhou qingtongqi
mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of inscriptions 鼎例，清宮舊藏，收錄於《西清古鑑》（圖一），
and images of bronzes from Shang and Zhou dynasties], 後入吳大澂收藏，銘文拓本見《愙齋集古錄》，全
vol. 2, Shanghai, 2012, no. 00884. Another example, in 形拓見《愙齋集古圖》，載周亞編，《《愙齋集古
the collection of the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas 圖》箋注》，上海，2012年，頁54。其他近似鼎例頸
City, is published in Robert Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes 部多見飾龍紋者，如見一例，1980年河南羅山縣商墓
in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Washington, D.C.,
1984, p. 466, fig. 86.1. A third example, in the collection of 出土，載吳鎮烽，《商周青銅器銘文暨圖像集成》，
the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, U.K., is published in 卷2，上海，2012年，編號00884；亦見一例，藏納爾
The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social 遜-阿特金斯藝術博物館，堪薩斯城，錄於羅伯特•
Sciences, ed., Yin Zhou jinwen jicheng [Compendium of Yin 貝格利，《Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler
and Zhou bronze inscriptions], Beijing, 2007, no. 01085. Collections》，華盛頓， 1987年，頁466，圖86.1；另
LITERATURE
Chen Mengjia, Yinxu buci zongshu [A Survey of Divinatory 見一例，藏劍橋菲斯威廉博物館，刊中國社會科學院
Inscriptions from Yinxu], Beijing, 1956. 考古研究所編，《殷周金文集成》，北京，2007年，
Ding Shan, Jiaguwen suo jian shizu ji qi zhidao [Noble clans 編號01085。
mentioned in Oracle Bone inscriptions and the nobility
system], Beijing, 1988. 參考書籍
Guo Moruo, ed., Jiaguwen heji [Compendium of Oracle Bone
inscriptions], Beijing, 1999. 陳夢家，《殷墟卜辭綜述》，北京， 1956年
Liu Huan, Jiagu, Jinwen zhong suo jian de Quanrong yu Xianyun 丁山，《甲骨文所見氏族及其制度》，北京，1988年
[Quanrong and Xianyun mentioned in Oracle Bone and bronze
inscriptions], Yindu Journal, Issue 2, Henan, 1994. 郭沫若編，《甲骨文合集》，北京，1999年
Yan Zhibin, Shangdai qingtongqi mingwen yanjiu [A Study of 劉桓，〈甲骨、金文中所見的犬戎與玁狁〉
Bronze Inscriptions of the Shanghai Dynasty, Shanghai], 2017. ，《殷都學刊》，第2期，河南，1994年
Yang Shuda, Jiweiju Jiawenshuo: Buci suoji [Jiwei Studio 嚴志斌，《商代青銅器銘文研究》，上海，2017
on Oracle Bone inscriptions: assorted records of divinatory 楊樹達，《積微居甲文說：卜辭瑣記》，卷下，北
texts], vol. 2, Beijing, 1954.
京，1954年
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