Page 36 - 2020 Nov 30 Christie's Hong Kong Scholars Art Of China

fig. 4 The ‘Qi Bo An Fu’ yi vessel, rubbing of inscription and transcription fig. 5 The ’Qi Bo An Fu’ pan vessel, rubbing of inscription and transcription
圖四 山東黃縣南埠村出土的＜㠱伯垵父匜＞，銘文及釋文 圖五 山東黃縣南埠村出土的＜㠱伯垵父盤＞，銘文及釋文

bronze-script scholar Fang Ruiyi (1815-1899) offers a more period, all of the five hundred surnames included were
substantial theory with his research on bronze scripts. His supposedly ‘descended from the Eight Great Surnames of
research shows that Qi ( 杞 ) state was formed by the Si Antiquity’. Ancient Chinese societies were matriarchal,
Clan, while the Qi ( 㠱 ) state was formed by the Jiang and the character for ‘surname’, xing ( 姓 ), is written
Clan, so are therefore two separate states. His study of the with the particle nü ( 女 ‘woman’) and sheng ( 生 ‘to give
‘Wangfu’ yi vessel in the Shanghai Museum concludes that birth’ ), just as all Eight Great Surnames are written with
Qi ( 㠱 ) is actually synonymous with Ji ( 紀 ) in the Classics. a nü particle. There are two groupings of Eight Great
Unfortunately his book was not published until 1935, so his Surnames, the first: Ji ( 姬), Jiang (姜), Si (姒), Ying (嬴),
theory did not become influential until later. As an example, Yun ( 妘 ), Gui ( 媯 ), Yao ( 姚 ), Ji ( 姞 ); the second: Ji
renowned oracle-bone script scholar Dong Zuobin (1895- ( 姬 ), Jiang ( 姜 ), Si ( 姒 ), Ying ( 嬴 ), Yun ( 妘 ), Gui ( 媯 ),
1963) stated in his 1932 publication Jiaguwen duandai yanjiu Yao ( 姚 ), Ren ( 妊 ). In matriarchal societies polyandry
li (‘Examples for dating Oracle bone scripts’) that ‘Marquis is practiced and a wife can have multiple husbands, so
of Qi was written as 杞 in the time of King Wuding, but children have many fathers without knowing for certain
became 㠱 at the time of King Xing. 杞 and 㠱 are old and which is the biological father. Interestingly, some societies
new forms of the same character.’ This is in line with Wei in southern China still call their mothers die ( 爹 dad). The
Hong’s claim. However in his 1936 publication Wudeng character die is written with the particle fu ( 父 father) and
jue zai yinshang (‘Five Classes of Nobilities in the Shang duo ( 多 many), and is how children called their mothers in
Dynasty’), he switched to the view that Qi is synonymous ancient matriarchal societies.
with Ji in the Classics, very possibly influenced by Fang Ruiyi.
It is said that during the time of the Yellow Emperor, men
Moreover, most philologists and historians in more recent
gradually became dominant in matrimony, but women still
times, such as Yang Shuda (1885-1956), Guo Moruo (1892-
played an important role in society. For example, Fuhao,
1978). Zeng Yigong (1903-1991), Chen Mengjia (1911-1966)
whose tomb was excavated in 1976 in Henan, was one of
etc., all agree with Fang Ruiyi’s theory.
Shang Dynasty King Wuding’s many concubines, and became
The Qi State was formed by the Jiang clan, which was well-known to scholars because we were able to identify
descended from Shennong the Yan Emperor, and was one her from oracle bone inscriptions not only as a high level
of the ancient ‘Eight Great Surnames’. In the Baijiaxing priestess, but also a combative female general who conquered
(‘Hundred Surnames’) compiled in early Norther Song many neighbouring states, a very unique case in history.

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