Page 93 - Sotheby's NYC September 20 2022 Forging An Empire Bronzes

Fig. 6 A rubbing of the Yi Yu Gong cover’s inscription illustrated
in Zhang Tianen, Shaanxi jinwen jicheng [Compendium of bronze
inscriptions from Shaanxi], vol. 3, Xi’an, 2016, no. 287
圖六 馭觥蓋銘文拓片錄於張天恩，《陝西金文集成》，卷3，西
安，2016年，編號287

According to the timeline constructed by Wang Qi (2016, pp 50-51), on the 17th year of King Zhao, the
king ordered his general Nan Gong to conquer the Hufang, a hostile tribe in the south that had betrayed
the Zhou empire. Some scholars believe that Hufang was located near the Han River (see Zhang
Maorong, 1992, p. 21 and Yang Kuan, 2003, p. 556). In the same year, the king started to plan a grand
inspection tour to the south. He first sent his generals to the south to prepare his temporary palaces.
Officials were also dispatched to inspect and inform the vassal states along the travel route to ensure
the safety of the king. By the 18th year, King Zhao began his trip from Chengzhou to the south. The king’s
inspection tour was successful, but the unexpected happened on the return journey. In the 19th year,
while crossing the Han River, King Zhao and his soldiers tragically fell into the river and drowned. This
catastrophic event was described in Zhushu jinian as “The heaven was obscured; the pheasants and
hares were shaken. The Six Armies were lost in the Han River” and “The light of five colors penetrated the
Ziwei star at night. This year, the king never returned”.

並如夏含夷所述，昭王殞命對周朝國運影響極大 視察，以保天子周全。十八年，昭王自成周起駕，
（1999年，頁322）。 南巡一路順遂，然歸程遭變；十九年，渡漢水，昭
王全軍落江，六師喪，王罹難。《竹書紀年》曰：
「夜有五色光貫紫微。其年，王南巡不返」
「天大曀，雉兔皆震，喪六師於漢」，又記「夜有
《竹書紀年》 五色光貫紫微。其年，王南巡不返」。
按王祁所列排譜（2016年，頁50-51），昭王十七 李學勤考《水經註》，論述昭王渡漢水溺亡之處應
年，王命將軍南宮討伐虎方；虎方亦為南方部落， 在沔 (後因昭王之死稱死沔) ，即今湖北境內天門東
違叛周室，經學者考究，虎方應毗鄰漢水（見張 南（2016年，頁352）（圖五）。昭王因何落水至
懋鎔，1992年，頁21，及楊寬，2003年，頁556） 今成謎。《呂氏春秋》言昭王涉漢時，因橋崩而落
。同年，昭王同時籌謀南巡，先遣將官赴南地備行
A rubbing of the present lot’s inscription illustrated in Hu Xiaoshi, Jinshi fanjinji dier [Sequel to 入漢水，辛餘靡背負昭王屍身上到北岸；《帝王世
the collection of various archaic bronzes], 1918, p. 14. 宮，又派官員去往南巡沿路各封地傳達王命，兼作
本拍品銘文拓片錄於胡小石，《金石蕃錦集第二》，1918年，頁14

90 POWER / CONQUEST: THE FORGING OF EMPIRES