臺南土城正統鹿耳門聖母廟「永祀王船」之研究

A Study on the“Permanently Enshrined King Boat”of the Orthodox Luermon Sheng Mu Temple in Tucheng, Tainan

臺南土城「正統鹿耳門聖母廟」現存之木造永祀王船，為臺南市登錄民俗「鹿耳門聖母廟土城仔香」之相關文物。該王船外觀古樸，經考證1914年《臺灣日日新報》之記載，1913年曾有王船漂流至土城外海，由庄民迎請祭祀。本研究旨在探究：現存王船是否即為當年之海漂王船？
本研究整合文獻分析、科學檢測與比較研究法，驗證結果傾向支持現存王船即為1913年之海漂原物。研究證據如一、文獻脈絡：1914年後有多篇報導接續追蹤該王船之存在；二、材質鑑定：經鑑定其主結構為福州杉，且彩繪顏料成分符合20世紀中期以前之特徵；三、圖像分析：經對比清代中日貿易商船、20世紀初期王船史料及現代王船彩繪，該船展現出顯著的早期彩繪風格。
該王船具備文化資產之潛力，然田野調查發現，其在履行宗教科儀時，仍須面臨日曬雨淋等自然環境挑戰。未來若取得文化資產身分，如何在「有形文化資產保存」與「無形文化脈絡延續」之間取得平衡，是必須思考與關注的重點課題。

The wooden permanently enshrined king boat of the Orthodox Luermen Sheng Mu Temple in Tucheng, Tainan, is an artifact linked to the Tainan folk custom of the Tuchengzai incense ritual. The vessel has a simple, unsophisticated appearance. According to records in the 1914 Taiwan Daily News, a king boat drifted to the offshore waters of Tucheng in 1913 and was welcomed ashore and ritually worshipped by local residents. The present study investigated whether the extant king boat at Luermen Sheng Mu Temple is likely to be the vessel that drifted ashore in 1913 or a later replica.
The results of documentary analyses, scientific testing, and comparisons indicated that the king boat enshrined at Luermen Sheng Mu Temple is likely to be the original vessel that drifted ashore in 1913. The supporting evidence is as follows: 1. Documentary evidence: Multiple reports after 1914 describe this king boat at its present location. 2. Material analyses: The primary material of the vessel is Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata), and the painted pigments correspond to those used before the mid-20th century. 3. Visual analyses: On the basis of a comparison of Qing dynasty Sino–Japanese trading vessels, early 20th-century king boat records, and modern king boat paintings, this study concluded that the vessel exhibits a decorative style characteristic of that used in the early 20th century.
Although the king boat has the potential of being officially designated as cultural heritage, field research has indicated that it continues to be exposed to natural elements such as sun and rain during the performance of religious rituals. If it is granted official status as tangible cultural heritage, striking a balance between preserving this heritage without compromising its intangible cultural functions will prove a challenge.