漢代筆記 vol.19 漢代純金炸珠鑲嵌寶石龍帶扣 - A Golden Dragon Belt Buckle, Han Dynasty

這件器物雖然出土在國外，但極有可能是中國漢代的製品，有學者提出這類器物應該是漢帝王賞賜給其他地區的器物。

金帶扣通體以純金製成，因保存完好、工藝極致而被定為韓國國寶第89號。其於1916年10月21日出土於平安南道大同郡石巖里第9號墳（今平壤市樂浪區）。作為該墓發掘之最後階段出土的重器，此件帶扣因其華麗非凡的裝飾與超越中原同類器物之技藝，當即引起極大關注。

日治時期，日本總督府主導對平壤樂浪地區墓葬群的考古挖掘，意在以實物證明「樂浪郡」確為漢朝在朝鮮半島設立的殖民政權。主導本墓發掘者為時任東京帝國大學建築學教授關野貞（Sekino Tadashi），其與殖民政府關係密切，為當時考古學界重要人物。

金龍盤繞，氣勢宏偉帶扣出土時位於棺內腰部位置，關野據此推測其應為墓主人生前所佩。發現後，本器旋即成為朝鮮總督府博物館收藏之鎮館之寶，韓國光復後移交國立中央博物館，至今仍被視為朝鮮半島出土金工藝術之最傑出範例。

此帶扣整體以純金鍛造，因材質穩定，得以歷經兩千餘載仍光華奪目。器面以一條大型龍為主體，周圍環繞六條小龍，構圖華麗而繁複，堪稱金工炸珠工藝之極致展現。器身以極細金線為骨架，再在其上精密鑲貼數百顆金珠（granulation），不容有失，展現超卓技術。

主龍頸部與身軀以金線嵌貼細珠，構成清晰輪廓。六條小龍亦同樣處理，其五官、肢爪皆以模組化手法一致呈現，展現出整體高度統一的藝術感。更為點睛之處，在於其間點綴綠松石（turquoise）寶石，原嵌有四十一顆，今僅存七。

視覺的饗宴

主龍頭部朝向帶扣右下方，張口之中以金片細作舌頭與四顆金珠製之牙齒。鼻孔、雙角與淚形雙目均以金線環繞盤旋而成，雙耳則以金珠構成圓盤狀。其額頭鑲貼三顆大型金珠，其中兩顆更以金線纏繞加飾。

小龍之造形亦與主龍高度一致。每條小龍的背脊以金線貼珠而勾勒出輪廓，鼻孔同樣以金線盤繞，淚目與耳部皆以金線與金珠構成。小龍各具兩足，每足三爪，足部外緣亦貼附金珠，細節不遺。

漢帝頒賜之物？

此帶扣曾長期被認為為孤品，直至1980年代初，中國焉耆故城遺址出土一件形制、材質、技法、構圖幾與本器如出一轍的金帶扣，方改變此認知。此後，類似帶扣又陸續出土十餘件，有金製亦有銀製，皆呈馬蹄形（horse-hoof shape），器面常飾浮雕動物紋，並以金珠與金線裝飾。

然而，這些帶扣皆出土於中國西部，中原地帶尚未有出土例證。因此，部分學者提出，此類帶扣或為漢帝國頒賜予外藩部族之標誌、佩章或信物。然而，該說法仍有待更多考古材料驗證，尚未成定論。

樂浪墓葬之最石巖里第9號墳為1916年總督府首次系統考古中十座樂浪墓葬之一，其墓制為木槨墓結構，具外室與內棺，年代約為西元一世紀中葉。其無論在墓室規模、隨葬品豐富程度，皆為目前所知樂浪遺址中規格最高者。

Shining with beauty for two thousand years

This gold belt buckle, designated as National Treasure No. 89, was discovered on October 21, 1916, during the final stages of excavations at Seokam-ri Tomb 9 in Daedonggang-myeon, Daedong-gun, Pyeongannam-do (present-day Nangnang District, Pyongyang). Because of its resplendent decoration and craftsmanship, which surpasses even similar artifacts from China, the belt buckle immediately received great attention. During the Japanese colonial period, the Joseon Government-General Museum actively undertook excavations of the Nangnang tombs in Pyongyang, seeking to prove the existence of the Nangnang (Lelang) Commandery, believed to have been a colony of the Han Dynasty. The excavation was carried out by Sekino Tadashi of the Department of Architecture at Tokyo Imperial University, who was the leading researcher with ties to the Japanese colonial government.

Side of Gold Belt Buckle (detail), Nangnang (1st century C.E.), Seokam-ri Tomb 9 (Pyongyang), 9.4 x 4.6–6.3cm, National Treasure 89

On discovering this gold belt buckle, Sekino Tadashi could not contain his excitement. He believed that the buckle had actually been worn by the deceased, since it was found inside the coffin in the area of the waist. After its discovery, the buckle became one of the highlights of the collection of the Joseon Government-General Museum, and it was then transferred to the National Museum of Korea after Korea’s independence in 1945. To this day, it is widely regarded as one of the most magnificent metalcrafts ever found on the Korean peninsula.

Dragons in gold

The belt buckle is made of solid gold, which is why it has been able to retain its splendor for some two thousand years. Looking at the splendid design of a large dragon surrounded by six smaller dragons, one cannot help but be awed by the exceptional skill of the craftsperson who attached hundreds of gold granules to a thin gold plate. The dynamic dragon design had to be meticulously planned and composed in advance, and then executed with highly advanced production techniques, leaving no margin for error.

Both the neck and body of the large dragon are embellished with a line of gold beads, soldered onto a thin gold wire. Amazingly, this technique was also used to express the smaller dragons as well. Moreover, the faces, legs, and claws of all of the dragons are rendered with the same standardized method, giving the entire composition a tremendous sense of unity. As a final touch, small precious stones of turquoise were inserted as highlights. A total of forty-one turquoise stones were originally set into the design, but only seven now remain.

A feast for the eyes

The head of the large central dragon points to the lower right of the belt buckle, and its open mouth contains a tongue and four protruding teeth expressed with a thin sheet of gold, as well as additional teeth made from gold granules. The dragon’s nostrils, horns, and tear-shaped eyes are formed by coils of gold wire, while the ears are expressed by discs of gold granules. Three large gold beads are attached to the dragon’s forehead, two of which are encircled by gold wire.

The rendering of the smaller dragons closely resembles that of the larger dragon. The outline of each small dragon is highlighted by a row of gold beads soldered onto a gold wire, which follows the contours of the dragon’s spine. The nostrils, formed by a coil of gold wire, and tear-shaped eyes are also similar to the large dragon. The ears are expressed with coils of gold wire, with gold granules added to the rounded backs of the ears. The upper and lower teeth of the smaller dragons are also represented by tiny gold granules. The smaller dragons have two legs, each with three claws. The outlines of the legs are made with gold wire, with gold granules along the edge.

Emblems of the Han emperor?

For decades, this exquisite belt buckle was thought to be one-of-a-kind, but that changed in the early 1980s, when a similar buckle was found at a fortress site in Yanqi in the western region of China. The two buckles are virtually identical in terms of their material, shape, production technology, and design composition.

Since then, ten more buckles like this one have been found, arousing great scholarly interest. Some of these buckles are made from gold, while others are made of silver. All of them are shaped like a horse’s hoof, and they are usually decorated with embossed animal designs, embellished with gold granules and gold threads. Importantly, all of these belt buckles have been found in areas that are peripheral to central China, with none having ever been found in the Central Plains region of China. As such, some have speculated that the buckles may have been badges or emblems that were distributed by the Han emperor to surrounding tribes, but that hypothesis is still up for debate.

The greatest Nangnang tomb

This is the plan for Seokam-ri Tomb 9, one of the ten Nangnang tombs that were excavated in 1916 as part of the first series of archaeological investigations undertaken by the Joseon Government-General Museum. The tomb, which is a typical wood-framed tomb with an outer chamber and inner coffin, dates to the mid-first century C.E., and it remains the greatest Nangnang tomb ever discovered, in terms of both size and grave goods.