湖南醴陵狮形山象尊研究：器物特征、文化交流与功能意涵

Study of the Elephant-Shaped Zun from Shixing Mountain in Liling, Hunan: Object Characteristics, Cultural Exchange, and Functional Implications

摘要: 湖南省博物馆藏的醴陵狮形山象尊作为商周青铜文化的杰出代表，以其独特的艺术造型和丰富的文化内涵，成为研究中国古代青铜文明的重要实物资料。本文将从器物本体特征、南北文化交流以及功能意涵三个方面，对这一珍贵文物进行深入探讨。通过对象尊形制、纹饰、铸造工艺的细致分析，揭示其背后蕴含的南北文化交融现象。结合商周时期“制器尚象”的礼制传统，阐释象尊作为实用酒器的使用功能，在宗教祭祀中承担沟通人神与祖先的媒介功能，以及作为权力与地位象征的多重意义。

Abstract: The elephant-shaped zun from Shixing Mountain in Liling, housed in the Hunan Museum, is an outstanding representative of Shang and Zhou bronze culture. With its unique artistic form and rich cultural connotations, it serves as important physical material for the study of ancient Chinese bronze civilization. This paper conducts an in-depth discussion of this precious artifact from three aspects: the object’s physical characteristics, North-South cultural exchange, and functional implications. Through a detailed analysis of the zun’s form, decoration, and casting techniques, it reveals the phenomenon of North-South cultural integration embedded within it. In conjunction with the ritual tradition of “making vessels in imitation of images” (zhi qi shang xiang) during the Shang and Zhou periods, it explains the multiple meanings of the elephant-shaped zun: its utilitarian function as a wine vessel, its role as a medium for communication between humans, gods, and ancestors in religious sacrifices, and its significance as a symbol of power and status.