本文藉由簡牘文書上的人名異筆現象，探討簽名制度的運作。簽名在當時稱為「署名」，主要在公文書底本上進行；長吏藉由簽名認可文書內容，屬吏再重新謄錄後發出，對外發出之文書以長吏印信擔保其真實性。西漢中期時，此一制度在帝國境內已有一定程度的普遍性。自西漢、東漢到三國，運用簽名的文書種類不斷增加，簽名者也從長吏、高級屬吏擴大到基層屬吏，行政文化中簽名的應用逐漸普及。其背景一方面是對筆跡的認識趨於成熟，認可筆跡的證明效力不下於印鑑；一方面則是行政上要求更細緻的分權與分責，尤以多人共同參與的文書為然。此外，簽名的發展也與書寫材料有關。簡牘時代以印章為最主要的憑證機制，卻也是簽名從無到有飛躍性成長的階段。最後，本文論述簽「名」涉及名所承擔的意義，也反映文書傳統的強固性。
The present article focuses on the phenomenon of the use of different calligraphy or handwriting styles for personal names found in early official documents, arguing that it represents a signature, which was referred to as a “shuming” 署名 at the time. Signatures were typically placed on the original copy of the document by the senior official who had approved its contents. Afterward, the document would be copied by junior officials and distributed externally with the official seal of the senior official to guarantee its authenticity. This system had been widely implemented throughout the empire by at least the mid-Western Han dynasty. From the Western and Eastern Han dynasties to the Three Kingdoms period, the types of official documents requiring signatures continued to increase, and the signers expanded from senior officials to both higher and lower ranking junior officials, indicating that the use of signatures within administrative culture became more widespread. This was partly due to the growing recognition of handwriting and the proof of its validity being no less than that of a seal; in another respect, it was also due to the administrative requirements for finer decentralization and separation of responsibilities, especially for documents that involved multiple participating parties. Additionally, the development of signatures was also related to the writing materials used. During the era of bamboo slips and wooden tablets, seals were the primary means of authentication, but this also marked a period of significant growth for signatures. Lastly, this article discusses how the act of signing one’s “name” was related to the meaning of their name and reflects the stability of the tradition of official documents.
簽名 署名 印 簡牘 憑證
signatures; “shuming” 署名; seals; bamboo and wooden slips and tablets; authenticity
