AN INSCRIBED BRONZE CROSSBOW MECHANISM

Western Han Dynasty

Footnotes

西漢 銅弩機
銘文：天漢代二年張掖監製匠工郭口（明）第二百八十一

The present lot was entirely cast in bronze, with all components designed for flexible disassembly. The body bears distinct inscriptions indicating the year of manufacture and maker's mark, which can be translated as 'the second year of Tianhan, Zhangye supervision, Craftsman Guo Kou (Ming), no. 281'. Tianhan was the era name used during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty (Liu Che). The second year of Tianhan corresponds to 99 BC. This inscription provides crucial evidence for studying the standardized military equipment system and the production management system of state-run workshops during the Han Dynasty.

Zhangye, one of the four Hexi commanderies established during the Han Dynasty, was located in present-day western Gansu province. It served as a strategic frontier for governing the Western Regions and defending against the Xiongnu. This inscription explicitly records that the crossbow mechanism was supervised and produced by the official weapons manufacturing institution of the Zhangye region. The inscription not only stated the maker, Craftsman Guo Kou, but also bears a clear production serial number, no.281, fully demonstrating that the Han Dynasty's military equipment production management system had already established strict quality control standards, a standardized sequential numbering system, and a comprehensive accountability traceability mechanism.

Beyond its functional value as a practical weapon component, the inscription serves as invaluable evidence for studying multiple historical topics during the Western Han period. These include military systems, weapon production management, state-run handicraft industries, local administrative functions, ancient calendrical systems, and artisan identity structures. The entire artifact demonstrates excellent casting craftsmanship, with its inscription preserved clearly and completely. It possesses exceptional historical research value, military archaeological significance, and artistic craftsmanship value.

此青銅弩機整體採用青銅鑄造工藝製成，各部件均可靈活拆卸。機身鐫刻有明確的紀年銘文與製作標識，具體鑄有「天漢二年 張掖監製 匠工郭口（明） 第二百八十一」等字樣。其中天漢為西漢武帝劉徹在位期間所使用的年號，「天漢二年」即西元前九十九年，該銘文為研究漢代軍事裝備標準化體系及官營作坊生產管理制度提供了重要的實物佐證。

「張掖」作為漢代設立的河西四郡之一，地處今甘肅省西部，是當時經略西域、防禦匈奴的戰略前沿要地。此銘文明確記載該弩機系由張掖地區官方兵器製造機構監製生產。銘文中不僅詳錄具體工匠資訊「匠工郭口（或釋讀為郭明）」，更標注有清晰的生產序號「第二百八十一」，充分顯示出漢代軍械生產管理體系已具備嚴格的品質管控標準、規範化的流水編號制度以及完善的責任追溯機制。

該青銅弩機不僅具有實用兵器構件的功能價值，其上鐫刻的銘文更是研究西漢時期軍事制度、兵器生產管理制度、官營手工業體系、地方行政職能、古代紀年方式以及工匠身份制度等多方面歷史課題的珍貴實物資料。全器鑄造工藝精湛，銘文保存清晰完整，兼具極高的歷史研究價值、軍事考古價值與工藝美術價值。