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positions as high officials and military generals. It is also believed the Qu family was of royal lineage.
According to Tongzhi [Comprehensive records] written by the Song dynasty (960-1279) historian
Zheng Qiao (1104-1162), Xia (d. 699 BC), son of King Wu of Chu (d. 690 BC), was rewarded the territory
of Qu. He adopted Qu as his last name and became Qu Xia, the progenitor of the Qu family. Given
the importance of the Qu family and its connection to the Chu court, the identification of Qu Shutuo
contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the Chu history.

The research of these scholars was, however, limited to a certain degree because an essential
character—the first name of Qu Shutuo’s grandfather—is illegible in some of the published rubbings
and drawings of this halberd. Perhaps the most widely accepted theory regarding the identity of the
halberd’s owner was developed by He Hao (b. 1929), a historian specializing the Chu state. In his paper,
‘Chu Qu Shutuo Ge kao [Study of the halberd blade of Chu Qu Shutuo]’, Anhui wenxue [Literature of
Anhui], vol. 1, Hefei, 1985, pp 56-59, He Hao notes the name Qu Shutuo is not recorded in any of the
pre-Qin dynasty (221-207 BC) texts. He posits that ‘Shutuo’ is in fact the zi of Qu, and therefore, there is
a possibility that Qu Shutuo may have been recorded in the historical texts under a different name. He
Hao then proposes a candidate, a royal guard of Chu named Qu Dang, who is recorded in the Zuozhuan
[The Commentary of Zuo] to have participated in the Battle of Bi.

目前所見關於本戈戈主身份的研究大多基於此前所出 二字或乃屈氏之表字。故此史書或以屈叔沱之另一名
版的銘文資料，然而在出版資料裡的拓本或線描圖中 字記載其事跡。何氏認為，屈叔沱應為參與楚、晉兩
屈叔沱祖父之名模糊難辨，故此對相關研究設置了障 國邲之戰的屈蕩。《左傳》宣公十二年載楚、晉邲之
礙。在諸多推論當中，目前普遍被接受的理論是由楚 戰：「楚子（楚莊王）為乘廣三十乘，分為左右…許
史專家何浩所提出。何氏在其論文〈楚屈叔沱戈考〉 偃御右廣，養由基為右；彭名御左廣，屈蕩為右。乙
（《安徽文學》，期1，合肥，1985年，頁56-59） 卯，王乘左廣，以逐趙旃，趙旃棄車而走林，屈蕩搏
中表示，先秦史籍中並無名屈叔沱者，故「叔沱」 之，得其甲裳」。

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