想象天下帝国——以(传)李公麟《万方职贡图》为中心

本文并非讨论艺术史,而是在讨论思想史。“职贡图”是古代中国描绘四方异邦前来朝贡的一种艺术形式。这种据信从6世纪上半叶梁元帝萧绎开始的绘制《职贡图》的传统,不仅在艺术史上影响久远,也呈现了一个颇具特色的思想史传统。即通过描绘异国朝贡使者,以表达天朝的骄傲和自信,在异国殊俗的对照之下,想象自己仿佛众星拱月的天下帝国。这种传统到了诸国并峙、疆域缩小、族群同一的宋朝仍然延续。本文以(传)宋代李公麟创作《万方职贡图》的宋神宗熙宁、元丰年间为例,考证当时北宋王朝与周边诸国的朝贡往来实况,并与《万方职贡图》中的朝贡十国进行比较,试图说明如果《万方职贡图》真是李公麟所绘,那它的叙述虽然有符合实际之处,但也有不少只是来自历史记忆和帝国想象。这说明宋代中国在当时国际环境中,尽管已经不复汉唐时代的盛况,但仍然在做俯瞰四夷的天下帝国之梦。特别要指出的是,这种“职贡图”的艺术传统还一直延续到清代,而类似“职贡图”想象天下的帝国意识,也同样延续到清代。这反映了传统中国对自我与世界的观念不仅历史悠久,而且影响至深。
Abstract：The discussion of the article is not about artistic history, but ideological history. “Zhigongtu” is a special artistic depiction of the occasion as foreign countries presenting tribute to an emperor. The tradition, which could be traced back to the early 6th century, has its long-standing influence on artistic history and also presents a characteristic ideological history. The pride and confidence of the empire was expressed through the contrast of exotic features and foreign envoys and arrived to an imaginative great empire that was prominent to the surround of tributaries. This tradition was handed down even to the Song dynasty in a time of territory decreasing and national assimilation. This article carries out a case study of Li Gonglin's Wanfang zhigongtu that was created during the reign of Song Shenzong in Xining and Yuanfeng years, and examines into the tribute exchanges between the Northern Song and neighboring countries. It compares the artistic work and the historical facts, and tries to explain not a small part of the work originated from historical memories and empire imagination though the other parts might have been in keeping with the truth. It proves that the Song dynasty still indulged itself in the dream of an overwhelming empire despite the fact it did not possess the thriving power of the Han and Tang dynasties. It points out in particular that this artistic tradition went on to the Qing dynasty with the imaginative empire consciousness, which reflects the lasting and profound influence of the traditional self-conception and worldview.