福建唐宋时期多嘴壶初探

多嘴壶是一种以多嘴或多角为主要装饰特征的明器。福建地区墓葬中使用多嘴壶随葬始于唐、盛于宋、没于元。目前福建地区出土的多嘴壶以闽北和闽西地区居多,闽东地区次之,闽南地区较少。从器身、分层、嘴(角)的形制等特征可将其分为唐、宋两个时期。它的器身由宝塔形、蚕蛹形、橄榄形等向罐形发展;分层由明显向不明显仅用浅弦纹分隔或不分层发展;嘴的数量多为五的倍数,且多有开孔,并由长嘴向短嘴再到乳突状嘴发展。多嘴壶独特的造型蕴含了妥死者之魂、慰生者之望的用意。

A Study on the Multi-Mouth Pots in Fujian Region During the Tang and Song Dynasties

The multi-mouth pot is a category of funeral objects featuring multiple mouths or horns. The practice of placing multi-mouth pots in tombs in the region of Fujian began in the Tang dynasty, prevailed in the Song dynasty, and faded away in the Yuan dynasty. The multi-mouth pots unearthed from Fujian were found most in the region ' s northern and western parts, less in the eastern part, and the least in the south. They are identified as falling into the period of the Tang and that of the Song according to the features of their bodies, layering, and mouths (horns). The body forms were shaped in pagodas, silkworm cocoons, and olives in early times and evolved into jars. The feature of layering was prominent on the early products but less evident on the late products with only shallowly incised lines;some late pots have no layering at all. The mouths, many are open, are often numbered at a multiple of five. Evolved from long to short, the mouth turned into a mastoid shape at a late stage. The unique form of multi-mouth pots represents the prayer for the repose of the soul of the deceased and the blessing for the living.