漢代畫象中的「射爵射侯圖」

Notes on the Scene of ''Aristocratic Rank and Status Hunting'' in the Han Tomb Bas-reliefs and Murals

漢畫的圖象構成常有一定的格套，有些甚至有榜題。個人以為以榜題文字為依據，解析格套的構成元件，是理解畫象寓意較可靠的出發點。理解畫象有時可從榜題出發，有時可從歸納材料，確立格套及其變化出發，再以榜題為輔，確立內容和意義。本文即以這樣的方法，試圖將一般學者稱之為「樹木射鳥圖」的漢畫正名為「射爵射侯圖」。本文從數十件畫象中，解析出「射爵射侯圖」構成的格套元件──（1）大樹、（2）樹上之鳥或猴、（3）樹下仰射者，並討論其組合變化。再以「立官桂樹」等榜題為據，指出桂即貴，鳥即雀、爵，猴即侯；樹下之人射鳥或猴，象徵著射爵射候，追求富貴。漢代畫象中經常出現「射爵射侯圖」，反映了漢代人生願望的重要一面。

Two years ago, I wrote an article on how to understand the contents of Han Dynasty bas-reliefs and murals through their inscriptions. I mentioned, as an example the tree and archer scene from Shantung and Honan in which human figures look upwards, trying to shoot birds or monkeys perched on a tree. In that article, I concluded that the meaning of this type of scene was probably 'hunting for official positions, wealth and high rank', for there were four characters li guan gui shu 立官桂樹－'entering officialdom on a cassia tree' in which gui 桂 (cassia) is a homonym of gui 貴 (high rank)－under a similar tree in a Han Dynasty tomb mural of Holinger. Recently, I read The Studies of Han Dynasty Picture Stones in China by Hsin Li-hsiang. In this book, he called this image ''tree and bird-shooting.'' I am now writing this short article to prove that this type of image should instead be called ''Aristrocratic Rank and Status Hunting.'' Also, I intend to talk about the methods for understanding the meaning of Han Dynasty images, using this particular motif as an example.