英文摘要 |
Many exquisite artifacts made from various materials, such as jade, marble, ivory, and bone were discovered in royal tombs at Yinxu. Such objects were also discovered at HPKM1001 and represent the high cultural level at the first period of Yinxu. This article focuses on carved bone objects. A study of the shape and design of bone vessels reveals that three types of bone vessels for wine ceremonies were buried in HPKM1001. These were made from elephant bone with excellent carvings and include pitchers, tall cups, and dippers. The insides of these ritual bone vessels were painted red in contrast with their white bodies. These white- and red-colored bone vessels were also in contrast with gold-colored bronze vessels. Colorful ritual objects signify the authority and eminence of the nobility buried in the Shang royal tombs. The authority of carved bone objects is also represented by the trapezoidal bone plate buried in the royal tombs of the Yinxu Periods I-II. Seven carved bone fragments were unearthed from HPKM1001 and restored as carved bone objects with three different types of design. It is not known how these strange plates were used, but their importance is evident in their visual design. The bone objects discussed in this article were made from the bones of elephant legs. It may be argued that the very rare materials used were probably more precious than those of bronze ritual vessels and that the carving technique also represents the highest level of craftsmanship of that age. It is not an exaggeration to say that they were symbols of the authority of the Shang dynasty and played as important a role in royal rituals as did bronze vessels. |