On Private Seals of Old Times（IV. Studies / 2. Papers on Ancient Seals : Excavated Seals, Inherited Seals and Seal Marks）

application/pdf発掘調査によって出土する古代の印章のほとんどは私印であるが，これまで官司・寺社印に比して専論も皆無に等しく，不明な点が少なくなかった。本稿では奈良・平安時代の現存する文書の印影22例，出土品・伝世品など138例，鋳型片２例，印影のある土器・瓦片５例等から，古代の私印の形態・内容・用途・機能について検討を行った。 形態では，莟鈕有孔で印面の大きさがほぼ１寸５分以内のものが多く，印文は１文字が圧倒的に多い。印文は所有者の名前から取られる場合が多いが，純然たる吉祥句や成語から採ったものもあり，私印押捺の意味は，文書内容の証明と偽造・抹消・改竄の防止であり，印文の内容というより，印が押捺されていること自体に意義があるということになろう。 なお，私印には家印と個人印とがあるが，当然のことながら家印は貴族階級に限られるものであり，正倉院文書にみられるような下級官人などが差出す文書に押捺されるのは個人印しか有り得ないわけだから，家印と個人印の違いは，本質的にそれほど厳密なものものではなく，機能や押捺方法にもほとんど差異はないとみてよい。 いまひとつ私印には呪術性及び祭祀的な役割がある。私印を神仏に奉納することの意味は，宝物・財物の奉納というにとどまらず，自らの土地・財物に関するすべての権限を神仏に委ねることを意味したと考えられる。瓦・粘土板・土器等に私印を押捺したものは，墨書・刻書土器と同様，集落内における祭祀行為に伴うもので，日常什器とは異なる非日常の標識を施すことであり，祭祀に用いる土器を日常什器と区別し，疫神・崇り神・悪霊・鬼等を含んだ意味においての「神仏」に属する器であることを示したもので，神仏に対して祭祀の主体者を明示するものであったと考えられる。Most private seals of old times excavated in surveys are private ones. Very few papers on private seals have been published till date in comparison with papers related to seals of government shrines and temples so that many points have been left unknown. This paper covers a study on the form, contents, usage and functions of private seals of old times, conducted by evaluating 22 pieces of seal marks contained in the existing documents of the Nara and Heian eras, 138 pieces of excavated goods and objects handed down through generations, 2 pieces of broken molds and 5 pieces of earthen pots bearing seal marks and tiles bearing seal marks. Concerning the shapes, many seals are of ganchū-yūkō (莟鈕有孔) type and have seal faces with an approximate size of 4.5cm or less. The number of the characters engraved in seals is one in almost all cases. Seal descriptions are chosen from the name of the owner in many cases, but, some were adopted from lucky phrases or idioms. The purposes of the use of private seals are proving the contents of documents and preventing forgery, erasure and willful alteration. This means that a greater importance is placed on seal marking itself rather than on the contents of seal inscription. Private seals are classified into family seals and personal seals. Naturally the family seal was used only in noble society, and lower class government servants put only personal seals in the documents that they presented as shown in the Shōsō-in Documents. Therefore, essentially it can be considered that there are no strict difference between family seals and personal seals and no difference in the functions and sealing methods. Private seals play another role that is related to incantation and religious rites. The objective of dedicating a private seal to Gods and Buddah is considered to have meant not only a dedication of treasures and properties but also entrusting all rights related to land and properties to Gods and Buddah. Seal marks impressed on tiles, clay plates and earthen wares are associated with religious rites held in a community as in the case of earthen wares which bear inscriptions in Japanese ink and engraved inscriptions. The seal marks are intended to discriminate the earthen wares for religious rites from the earthen ware used daily, indicating that the wares are instruments which belong to Gods and Buddah including evil spirits and demons and that the person who handles the wares is regarded as the master of religious rites.departmental bulletin pape