西夏文玉扳指的銘文與文化意涵ATangutInscribedJadeThumbRingandItsCulturalSignificance
2025-10-24 06:42阅读：
—、緒論
(Introduction)
西夏文是一種早已失傳的文字，其使用歷史雖短，但文化意義深遠。西夏文物以碑刻、
經卷與銅錢為主，玉器尤為罕見，而帶銘文的玉扳指更是前所未見。
本文所述之玉扳指收藏於美國，為一件刻有十六字西夏文銘文的珍貴器物，兼具文字學、藝術工藝與文化哲理三重價值。
The Tangut script of the Western Xia is a long-lost writing
system with a brief yet remarkable historical life. Artifacts made
of jade from the Western Xia are themselves rare; jade thumb rings
in particular are even rarer, and those bearing Tangut inscriptions
are almost unheard of.
二、形制與工藝(Form and
Craftsmanship)
此枚玉扳指為典型圓筒式射御形制，上口略窄，下口微敞，比例端正。內壁磨光細膩，
外壁陰刻銘文，筆畫勻整。
玉質為青白帶黃的和田軟玉，溫潤細緻。表面呈自然血沁與赭紅斑痕，沿刻線與邊緣分布，顯示其長期佩戴與埋藏氧化痕跡。邊角圓潤，光澤柔和，呈現古玉特有的「舊拋光而不耀」之質感。
工藝方面，刀痕深淺有序，顯示以細刀手工琢成，非模印或後刻之作。整體風格質樸而含靜氣，體現西夏工藝中崇尚「靜
、清 、拙、雅」的精神。
This jade thumb ring adopts the cylindrical,” sheyu” form,
slightly tapering toward the top. The inner wall is highly polished
for comfort, while the outer wall bears a neatly incised
sixteen-character inscription.
Carved from pale greenish-white nephrite with yellow and
russet patches, the jade shows natural 'blood infiltration' along
its grooves, evidence of long-term wear and ancient
oxidation.
The hand-carved lines reveal careful craftsmanship; the
surface exhibits the subdued, warm sheen characteristic of aged
jade - a quiet radiance without brilliance, the hallmark of
authentic antiquity.
三、銘文原文與釋義(Inscription and
Interpretation)
銘文全文如下：
「尊敬師中書、清略事知、授正清文、竹集孝種。」
此銘共十六字，分四句四言，語氣莊嚴工整，具有文人修身與官箴之性質。
逐句解釋如下：
原文
Original
|
白話 Modern
Chinese
|
English
|
尊敬師中書
|
敬師重道的中書官
|
The Zhongshu official who honors
his teacher
|
清略事知
|
清明簡練，通達政務
|
Pure and discerning in official
affairs
|
授正清文
|
教化端正，文德清淨
|
Upright in instruction and
refined in virtue
|
竹集孝種
|
以「文竹」為號，聚孝德之本
|
Bearing the name Wenzhu,
gathering the seed of filial goodness
|
'The Zhongshu official who honors his teacher - pure and
discerning in affairs, upright in instruction and refined in
virtue, bearing the name Wenzhu, gathering the seed of filial
goodness.'
此銘辭內容兼融儒、道、佛三教思想：
·
「尊敬師」體現儒家敬師重道之德；
·
「清略」「正清」具道家清靜與明智之意；
·
「孝種」則帶佛教因果與修德之涵義。
整體語氣高古清遠，反映西夏士人以修心修德為治政之本的價值觀。
This concise sixteen-character inscription, composed in four
elegant phrases, celebrates the moral and intellectual virtues of a
Zhongshu (Central Secretariat) official. The key ideas: reverence
for one's teacher, clarity and capability in duties, integrity and
refined culture, and the cultivation of filial goodness under the
style-name Wenzhu.
四、文字學與歷史意義(Philological and Historical
Significance)
西夏文由李元昊於十一世紀創制，仿漢字結構而自成體系，使用時間僅約兩百年。今日所存西夏文實物多見於碑銘、佛經與印章，玉器帶文者極為稀少。
因此，此件玉扳指可能是目前唯一可考、帶完整西夏文字銘文之玉器。銘文中提及「中書」為中央文書機構，說明此物持有者為高階文官。此器不僅為佩飾，更為官德自勉之信物，融合了政治倫理與宗教修養。
The Tangut script, devised in the 11th century by Emperor Li
Yuanhao, mirrored Chinese structure but formed an independent
writing system. It was in use for less than two centuries before
disappearing. Surviving examples are found mainly on steles,
sutras, and seals - never before on jade artifacts.
Thus, this ring may represent the only known inscribed jade
object bearing a complete Tangut text.
Its reference to the 'Zhongshu' (Central Secretariat)
indicates ownership by a civil official of high rank. Beyond its
utilitarian role, it served as a personal emblem of virtue, merging
bureaucratic dignity with spiritual cultivation.
五、收藏與文化反思(Collection and Cultural
Reflection)
此玉扳指已珍藏於美國數十年，直至研讀賈常業先生編《西夏文字典》(Xixiawen
Zidian) ，方確認其刻文屬西夏文字，從而揭示其文化意涵。
西夏玉器少見，而刻文玉更屬孤品。它的出現不僅補足了西夏文物譜系的空缺，也證明私人收藏對保存失落文明的重要性。
收藏古物不在昂貴，而在歷史、文化與民俗之代表性。真正的收藏，是對文化記憶的守護，使消逝的文明得以重生。
This ring has been preserved in a private collection in the
United States for decades. Only through Xixiawen Zidian by Jia
Changye was its inscription identified as Tangut. Given the rarity
of inscribed Tangut jades, this piece not only enriches the known
corpus of Western Xia artifacts but also illustrates the cultural
value of responsible private collecting.
Collecting is not about wealth but about meaning, the
preservation of historical and cultural memory, allowing a vanished
civilization to speak again through jade.
六、結語(Conclusion)
這枚西夏文玉扳指，集官德、文德與修心之道於一身。
它的十六字銘文，是西夏士人精神的濃縮；
它的玉質與血沁，是時光流轉的見證；
它的重現，讓我們再度聽見失落文字的聲音。
This Tangut jade thumb ring unites moral virtue, literary
refinement, and spiritual cultivation.
Its sixteen-character inscription condenses the ethos of
Western Xia scholarship; its jade body and blood-stained patina
bear witness to time;
and its rediscovery allows the silent voice of a lost script
to be heard once more.
圖一
Figure 1
圖二
Figure 2
圖三
Figure 3
圖四
Figure 4
圖五
Figure 5
圖六
Figure 6
