○武氏祠阙室内景。The indoor scene of the que-pillar room of Wu Family Shrine.
在济宁市嘉祥县纸坊镇武翟山北麓,有一处幽静的村庄,村庄的西北方有一处墓地,里面有一组号称“世界三绝”的石刻艺术珍品,其题材内容之丰富、思想内涵之深邃、雕刻技法之精美,居全国汉画像石之首,被世人誉为“中国汉代历史的百科全书”。
墓地占地7000平方米,是东汉时期嘉祥仕宦世家墓地祠堂,兴建于公元147年-189年之间。从建成算起,武氏祠石刻建筑历经近两千年的漫长岁月,依然完好地保存下来,可谓是一个奇迹。北宋时期,武氏祠尚留存地面,之后便逐渐颓败,坍塌倾圮。又因黄河泛滥,洪水冲击,武氏祠被掩埋于地下。时光回到清代乾隆年间,著名书画家、“西泠八家”之一的黄易来到济宁为官,他是一位狂热的金石爱好者,精于研究,执着专一,在乾隆五十一年(1786年)只身来到武翟山下武家林旧地,悉心走访查勘,确定武氏祠被埋位置,出资雇工挖掘,随即发现武氏祠石室、石碑、石阙,使消失数百年的武氏祠石刻重见天日。为妥善保存这批珍宝,黄易联络一批学者官员,自掏腰包,购地盖房,将发掘出的石刻原地保存。武氏祠石刻的发现,震惊金石学界,各路专家学者或赞叹,或考证,或著述,或赏评,一时形成对武氏祠石刻的关注热潮。清代金石大家翁方纲喟然叹曰:“五六百载无此奇,地灵光怪要腾出!”
武氏祠石刻是一种具有魔力的石头,它可以带领你穿越到两千年前,与古人擦肩,和古人对话,跟古人把酒。在这些写满汉代历史的天青石上,汉代的思想在闪光,汉代的浪漫生活活灵活现。古代艺术工匠们,用他们智慧的双手为现代人展示出一幅幅生动活泼的画面:有躁动不安的人物,有风驰电掣的车马,有铿锵搏击的水陆之战,有彬彬有礼的拜谒迎送,有觥筹交错的推杯换盏,有忙碌有序的宰杀烹调,有英勇飒爽的武士斗剑,有余音缭绕的鼓乐齐鸣,有婀娜柔美的大汉舞蹈……从人面蛇身、两尾相交的人类始祖伏羲、女娲,到华夏上古之神祝融,到手持耒耜、尝百草辨五谷的神农,再到黄帝、颛顼、帝喾、尧、舜,我们可以看到,大禹肩负铁铲,为治水而奔走呼号,而荒淫无道的夏桀却手持武器耀武扬威地坐在女人身上……孔子匍匐跪拜,虚心地向老子求教;齐桓公、秦王嬴政、吴王、韩王、赵襄子等各国诸侯王,正缓缓走来;闵子骞芦衣赶车、老莱子斑衣娱亲、丁兰刻木奉亲、董永卖身葬父等孝子贤孙故事,梁节姑姊、齐义继母、京师节女、无盐丑女钟离春等烈女节妇故事,曹沫刺桓公、专诸刺王僚、要离刺庆忌、聂政刺韩傀等侠客义士故事,蔺相如完璧归赵、秦始皇泗水捞鼎、曾母投杼、秋胡戏妻等历史生活故事,一幕幕、一场场在上演着他们精彩的人生。
古代艺术工匠们用他们自由而奇异的想象,为人们描绘出一幅仙乐飘飘、亦虚亦实的神话世界。在这个世界里,居住着天帝、东王公、西王母、嫦娥、雷神、雨师、风伯等各路神仙。有身生双翼的仙人,在天上自由自在地飘来飞去;有神仙乘着以龙为驾、以云为轮的仙车,在众精灵的前呼后拥下出行;有坐着云车身着女装、面目狰狞的雷神,挥动鼓槌,敲击大鼓,发出轰轰雷声;有大张嘴巴口吐仙气的风伯,正在施法,掀起阵阵狂风;有手提长颈壶、执水罐的雨师,正向人间倾倒施雨;有两首之龙弯曲呈拱形门的虹神;有手执鞭拼命抽打一物制造闪电的女神;有乘坐北斗七星车出行的太一神;有乘坐鱼车,由骑鱼神人、蟾蜍、鼋龟等使者护卫的河伯出行……徜徉在这些美轮美奂的石画当中,人们已经很难分清是在天上还是在人间,是在仙界还是在凡间,工匠们已经将天上和人间、神人和凡人糅合在了一起,企盼向往着能够过上一种神仙般的世俗生活。
武氏祠石刻所表现的内容如此丰富,从现实到历史,从真实到想象,从社会实践到道德伦理,几乎涵盖了人们能够想见的所有领域,武氏祠石刻无愧于“中国汉代历史百科全书”的美誉。
编辑/刘岩
○武氏祠汉代石刻“荆轲刺秦王”。Stele Carving of the Han Dynasty in the Wu Family Shrine – “Jing Ke’s Assassination Attempt on First Emperor of Qin”.
At the north foot of the Wuzhai Mountain, Jiaxiang County,Jining, there is a secluded village.In the northwest of the village, there is an ancestral temple, in which, there is a set of treasured stone carving artworks,known as the one of the “Three Treasures in the World”. With rich themes and contents, profound connotations and exquisite carving techniques, it ranks first among the stone reliefs of the Han Dynasty nationwide, and is reputed as an“Encyclopedia of the History of the Han Dynasty”.
The ancestral temple covering a floorage of 7,000 square meters was the Wu Family Shrine owned by an official family in Jiaxiang in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. It was built in the period 147-189.
The stone carving in the temple could lead you to the dynasty two thousand years ago. On these stones carved with the history of the Han Dynasty, the thoughts of the Han Dynasty are glistening, and the romantic life of that dynasty seems vivid. The ancient artisans used their free and fantastic imagination to depict a mythological world with pleasant music,as well as fantasy and reality. Such deities as Emperor of Heaven, Lord of the East, Queen Mother of the West, Chang’e,God of Thunder, Yushi (Master of Rain)and Fengbo (Master of the Wind) lived in that world.
The stone carving in the temple reflects rich content, from actuality to history, from reality to imagination,from social practice to morality and ethnics, covering almost all imaginable fields. Thus, researchers praise it as an “Encyclopedia of the History of the Han Dynasty”. It deserves such a good reputation.