北宋中晚期士大夫物的書寫研究

北宋中晚期，即從仁宗天聖年間（1023-1032）為始，至徽宗宣和（1119-1125）年間為止，是中國古代賞物文化的發展與書寫的第一個高峰時期。經過唐末、五代士族的凋零，北宋中期興起了新的士大夫階層。他們將學者、文士與官僚三種身份結合於一體，一方面追求身為學者所具備的博學條件，崇尚實踐身為官員關懷社會的責任，另一方面重視文化與藝術涵養，希望能藉以展示精緻高雅的生活品味與情趣，獲得精神上的愉悅，自娛自樂，從而安頓自我。如此，士大夫階層理想的內涵與價值得以重新確立。除了延續前人對書法繪畫這類藝術品的欣賞，此階段的士大夫，以歐陽修、蘇軾、趙明誠等人為代表，突破了傳統知識、文化與美感價值觀的脈絡，開始收藏、賞玩進而書寫銘文碑拓、文房器具、植物、奇石等帶有文化意涵的物品。於是，收集、賞玩藝術品、文化用品的知識逐漸凝聚成型，形成新的學問。而士大夫的「物的書寫」是以愛物的心理和博物的才識為基礎，進而記敘自己藏物、觀物、品物、體物的經驗、過程與感發。觀察這階段的士大夫物的書寫的特質，可分別從文化、思想、文學的角度切入探討。就文化的角度論之，在北宋中晚期賞物文化當中最具代表性之物，當為金（青銅器）、石（石碑類）及其銘文。自歐陽修開始，集古、考古從小眾業餘的閒暇活動，逐漸蔚為風潮，成為士大夫群體共有的興趣愛好。金石被選擇作為收藏、賞玩之物，絕非偶然，而是緣於器物本身之「古」。所謂的「古」不僅指涉金石作為古代的器物，也包含金石銘文所記錄的歷史事跡之古、所表現的書法翰墨之古。士大夫們崇古、好古，他們閱覽金石文字，藉此考古、辨古，從而補史、證史，展現自己對古代政治、軍事、制度、社會、生活等等各方面的歷史認識與學問。從其思想方面來說，沉浸於賞物生活當中的士大夫們積極的透過詩文創作書寫玩物的快樂，藉此獲得心靈的調適與安頓。然而，卻也因此招來耽溺於玩好、外物為內心之累、病與癖的非議，促使他們開始探討藉由外在的物獲取內心愉悅的做法是否有違儒家原則，思考該如何在賞物所帶來的「自樂」與「累心」之間取得平衡。最後，就物的書寫的特質來說，這階段賞物書寫的方式相當自由，融入了傳統詩文的抒情、敘事、議論手法。士大夫們通過賞物的書寫記錄與友人共賞佳物的歡樂，寄託對於個體生命短暫脆弱的哀情，提出關於群體生命的哲理思考，更將物的歷史背景與現實社會相連，希望能以古鑑今、以古喻今，批評時政，履行身為士大夫的社會責任，也帶出了物的書寫的社會價值與意義。藉由上述觀察，北宋中晚期士大夫物的書寫的風貌，可謂豐碩多元。藉由以賞物為主題的文字創作，他們展示了個人學識的廣度、文化的厚度、精神的高度與情感的深度。而推動這一切的核心力量，就是北宋士大夫特有的人文精神與生活情趣。

關鍵字

北宋；士大夫；物的書寫；歐陽修；金石

並列摘要

The high point (and period of most intense development) of ancient China’s culture of object appreciation in prose writing took place during the middle-to-late period of the Northern Song (starting from Emperor Renzong’s Tiansheng era (1023-1032) and ending at Emperor Huizong’s Xuanhe era (1119-1125)). Following the gradual diminishment of the nobility that took place during the end of the Tang and the subsequent Five Dynasties period, the Northern Song saw the reestablishment of a vibrant literati class. This literati class combined scholars, writers, and public officials into one identity. On one hand, this class sought the broad knowledgeability of the scholar, but also placed great emphasis on living up to their social responsibilities as public officials, even as they highly regarded culture and the arts. They hoped that by displaying an elegant and refined sensibility in their daily lives, they would be able to thus obtain mental pleasure, entertainment and happiness centered on the self, thereby affirming that sense of self. Thus, the values and ideals of the literati class were reestablished. In addition to the continuation of the past traditions regarding the appreciation of art objects such as calligraphy and painting, this class of literati (including Ou Yang-hsiu, Su Shi, Zhao Ming-cheng, etc.) pushed beyond the traditional restrictions of knowledge, culture, and aesthetics which they had inherited from the past. They began to collect, appreciate, and write about ancient stone and bronze inscriptions, stationary equipment, plants, unique rocks, and other culturally meaningful objects. At this point, knowledge of the collection, appreciation, and writing about cultural and artistic objects began to gradually consolidate into a new area of study. Their writings regarding the appreciation of objects took a love of the objects themselves, as well as a broad base of knowledge, as its foundation, and then began to develop into descriptions of their own collections, display pieces, objects of interest, and experienced objects; specifically, the relevant experiences, processes, and feelings that were attached to those objects. Looking at the special nature of this time period’s literati and their appreciation of objects, we can separate our subject into the culture, the thought, and the literature of the era as we begin our discussion. Simply looking at it from the viewpoint of culture, the most representative examples of object appreciation during the middle-to-late Northern Song were bronze vessels, stone steles, and their inscriptions. Starting from Ou Yang-hsiu, the collection and analysis of ancient objects was at first the leisure activity of the few, but it gradually became a massive trend, finally becoming the common interest of the literati class. And indeed, it was no coincidence that bronze and stone objects were selected as objects of collection and delight; it was precisely due to the “ancient” nature of the objects themselves that they received such lavish attentions. What we call “ancient” was a concept that not only indicated the objects themselves, but also included the historical events recorded and embodied by the objects themselves, the “ancient” style expressed in calligraphy. The literati class’s love and appreciation for the ancient led to their interest in dechipering and reading the words recorded on these objects; they thus busied themselves with examining the ancient and determining the ancient history, thereby filling in the blanks of history, rectifying history and also demonstrating their own understanding and mastery of the ancient world of old, including its government, society, military, and daily life. Regarding the thought of time regarding this issue, the literati who were immersed in a life of object appreciation actively used prose and poetry to write about the joys of object appreciation, thereby obtaining mental attunement and a state of being at peace with the self. However, it was precisely because they were so enthralled with these objects, and because that which is external can become a burden to the heart, as well as the various criticisms of these interests, that they were prompted to begin a consideration as to whether using external objects to obtain internal pleasure was in fact a violation of Confucian principles, besides also considering how one should achieve a balance between the “self-pleasure” of object appreciation and the “burden to the heart” that came with it. Finally, in regard to the special quality of the writing done regarding object appreciation, the writing done about object appreciation was quite free, making liberal use of traditional prose and poetry’s emotional expression, descriptive writing, and argumentation. The literati used these writings to imbue these records with a fragile lament for the passing nature of life, raising issues involved with life in the group, describing and recording the passion for these interests that they shared with their friends, and additionally linking the historical background of the object with contemporary society; by doing so, they hoped to use the ancient to view the present, to use the old to indicate the new, to critique government and realize their social obligation to society. Based on the above observations, writing regarding object writing in the middle-to-late Northern Song can certainly be considered diverse. Using object appreciation as a starting point for literary creation, they displayed the breadth of their knowledge and depth of their culture, as well as the heights reached by their spirits and deepness of their emotions. The driving force behind all of these achievements was none other than the humanistic spirit and appreciation for daily life that characterized the Northern Song Literati, and so forth the social significance of writing on object has been highlighted.