中圖分類號:K879.21 文獻標識碼:A 文章編號:1000-4106(2025)03-0021-09
Anthropomorphic Depictions of the God Mercury in Iranian and East Asian Art
Matteo COMPARETI' Trans.,LI Sifei2 (1.SchoolofHistory,CapitalNormalUniversity,Beijing100048; 2.Silk RoadResearch Center forHistoryand Culture,Shaanxi Normal University,Xi'an71O119,Shaanxi)
Abstract:This paper focuses on howimages that were relatedto planets or pagangods inclasscalartandreligionappeared indistantcountriesfarfromtheculturesandsocietiesinwhichtheywereborn.Verylitleresearchhasbeendoneonthisspecial formofdisseminationasitafects theintercoursebetweenthereligious imageryoftheancientWesterandEasternworlds.As religiousdeitisandartisticmotifs taveledfromacientMesopotamia,GreeceandRometowardChinaalongteSkod,the patternsandconcepts would inevitablypass through Persiaand Central Asia.Scholars havediscovered manyinterestingdepictions oftheplanetarydeitiesofthe WestatthefamousBuddhistsiteofDunhuang in China,deities thatbecamequitepopularamong ChineseastrologersatleastpriortotheSuiandTangdynasties.Among thesecelestialgods,Mercury isaparticularlyrepresentativecasebecauseastrologersinMesopotamia,Greece,andPersiaalwaysregardedthedeityasbeingamalegod.Inthe paintings discovered in Dunhuang,however,Mercuryisdepictedasa woman,usuallyholdingasrollofpaperandabrush nher hands.It is highlypossble tattheatributesandgenderambiguityelatedtoMercuryoriginatedfromMesopotamiantraditions, orfromassimilated Iranian elements,a topic thatwill require further study.
Keywords:Dunhuang;Mercury;Sogdianart;Mesopotamia;Nana;Tistriia
(Translated by WANG Pingxian)
導言
在最近的一篇文章中,筆者認為伯希和于1908年在敦煌莫高窟第17窟藏經洞發現的,現藏法國國家圖書館8—9世紀殘卷P.4518.24實際上描繪的可能是一對神圣的夫妻,而非兩位女性人物(圖1)。盡管這幅畫出自中國的一處佛教遺址,但它展現的卻是兩位頭有光環,相對而坐的神祇,具有非常強烈的前伊斯蘭時代伊朗一特別是粟特—的特征[1]
水星在中亞的擬人化形象
粟特宗教是多神教信仰,具有濃厚的祅教背景,其主神娜娜最初源自美索不達米亞。粟特藝術家習慣將娜娜描繪成四臂形象,或坐于獅子上,或坐于形似其象征動物的寶座之上[2-3],她上部的兩只手通常是舉著太陽和月亮的程式化圖像。因為占星術與天文學的關聯在粟特宗教中非常重要,娜娜可能與她的丈夫納布一同出現,納布是美索不達米亞書吏(即抄寫員)的守護神,粟特人和波斯人將納布與他們自己的水星神蒂爾(Tir)疊合在一起。

在美索不達米亞宗教中,納布也代表了行星,這可能是古代伊朗人將其與蒂爾聯系起來的原因。此外,納布的標志物是書吏的尖筆,中亞(可能還有波斯)藝術家將其改造成箭矢,這是蒂爾(水星)的象征。在一些來自塔吉克斯坦片治肯特遺址的8世紀粟特壁畫中,由娜娜和納布組成的神圣夫妻坐在他們的象征動物上。娜娜總是坐在獅子上,而在某些情況下,她的丈夫則坐在龍形寶座上。……