Fu (tally)
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![]() Tiger tally (Hufu) of Qin dynasty period | |||||||
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Fu (Chinese:
Terminology
[edit]The term fu refers to the magical drawings used by the adepts of Taoist and Buddhist tantric masters.[2]: 28
Shapes of fu
[edit]Classical description of tallies is found in the Zhou li, which refers to the tallies of jade and horn, and mentions the shapes of tiger, human, dragon, seal, and banner.[3]: 83 [4]
Toothed tally/Chang
[edit]A toothed type of tally, called chang, was used in the Early Zhou dynasty; they were used by kings to verify the authenticity of the messages received.[5]: 97 They were made of jade.[5]: 97
Tiger tally/Hufu
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/Tiger_Tally_with_inscription_%27To_bestow_the_Magistrate_of_Henei%2C_the_number_one_tally%27%2C_China%2C_2nd-1st_century_BC%2C_bronze_with_gold_inlay_-_San_Diego_Museum_of_Art_-_DSC06467.JPG/132px-thumbnail.jpg)
Tiger tallies were known as hufu (Chinese:
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Bronze_and_gold_tiger.jpg/169px-Bronze_and_gold_tiger.jpg)
The tiger tally was initially made of jade, but it was eventually made into bronze in the Warring States period.[2]: 27 [5]: 97 The tiger tally had text inscription on its back and were typically made of two pieces.[1] The two-piece tiger tally was used to verify troop deployment orders from the central government. Left pieces were issued to a local commander or the a local official, and right pieces were retained by the central government.[1] Government orders were deemed to be authentic if they were accompanied by the right piece matching the recipient's left piece;[6] and only when it was deemed authentic and the two-pieced were matched that these orders could take effect and the army could be mobilized.[1] And, when ordered to implement troop order, the imperial court would send the left piece to the official who is carrying the right part.[2]: 27 This practice was popular during the Warring States Period, Qin and Han dynasties.[1] The use of tiger tally continued to be used throughout the Han dynasty until the Sui dynasty.[note 1][5]: 97 [2]: 27
Not all tiger tallies were separated two pieces, or even used as tallies.[3]: 87 The tiger tally from the tomb of King Zhao Mo of Nanyue, however, was cast as a single piece. It demonstrates that tiger tally were not uniform and could function as tokens instead of tallies.[3]: 87
Fish tally/Yufu
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Liao_Commander%27s_Tally_in_Khitan_Characters_%2814176541823%29.jpg/164px-Liao_Commander%27s_Tally_in_Khitan_Characters_%2814176541823%29.jpg)
The fish tally is a variant of the tiger tally.[7]: 106 Fish tally were also made of two pieces and were known as yufu (Chinese:
Yudai
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Fish_pouch_01_Zhou_Wenju%27s_A_Literary_Garden_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The fish tally was used in the Tang dynasty. All officials above the fifth rank were bestowed a yudai, a fish-shaped tally bag which they would tied to their belts, to hold their fish tally inside.[8]: 17 [7]: 106 The fish had the name of the officials and their ranks engraved on it; it was the proof of the officials' identity and they to be presented at the entrance of the imperial palace.[8]: 17
In the Song dynasty, the fish tally was not longer used by the officials.[7]: 106 However, the Song officials who wore crimson or purple official dress were required to wear a yudai (Chinese:
Surnames
[edit]- Fu (surname
符 ) was derived from the post of title of an official in charge of the tally; it originated from the post title Fuxiling which was used by Gong Ya, a grandson of Lu Qinggong (died 249BC).[11]: 983
Related content
[edit]See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Tiger tally was both used in the Western Han and the Eastern Han dynasties; there are evidences recorded in the Book of Han and the Book of Later Han
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Tally(
符 Fu)". China Info Online. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 28 Sep 2011. - ^ a b c d e f g Broughton, Jeffrey L. (2009). Zongmi on Chan. New York: Columbia University. ISBN 978-0-231-51308-1. OCLC 681933050.
- ^ a b c von Falkenhausen, Lothar (2005). "The E Jun Qi Metal Tallies: Inscribed Texts and Ritual Contexts". In Kern, Martin (ed.). Text and Ritual in Early China. University of Washington Press. ISBN 978-0-295-80031-8. JSTOR j.ctvcwn98n.
- ^ "The Rites of Zhou -
符 - Chinese Text Project". ctext.org (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2022-05-30. - ^ a b c d e Needham, Joseph (1981). Science in traditional China: a comparative perspective. Chinese University Press. p. 97. ISBN 962-201-212-4.
- ^ "Tiger Tally". China Ancient. Retrieved 28 Sep 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g Chou, Hsün, or 1935- (1987). 5000 years of Chinese costumes. Chʻun-ming Kao. Hong Kong: Commercial Press. ISBN 962-07-5055-1. OCLC 18668315.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Feng, Ge (2015). Traditional Chinese rites and rituals. Zhengming Du. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4438-8783-0. OCLC 935642485.
- ^ a b c Zhu, Ruixi;
朱 瑞 熙 (2016). A social history of middle-period China : the Song, Liao, Western Xia and Jin dynasties. Bangwei Zhang, Fusheng Liu, Chongbang Cai, Zengyu Wang, Peter Ditmanson, Bang Qian Zhu (Updated ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom. ISBN 978-1-107-16786-5. OCLC 953576345.{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Deng, Qiaobing (2019). Chinese painting An intellectual history. Translated by Chun Li, Jiasheng Shi, Wei Lin, Youbin Zhao, Zhiqing Zhang. American Academic Press. ISBN 978-1631816512.
- ^ The Oxford dictionary of family names in Britain and Ireland. Patrick Hanks, Richard A. Coates, Peter McClure (First ed.). [Oxford]. 2016. ISBN 978-0-19-252747-9. OCLC 964412220.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)