著者

上 なつき

出版者

日本建築学会

雑誌

日本建築学会計画系論文集 (ISSN:13404210)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.81, no.726, pp.1799-1807, 2016 (Released:2016-08-30)

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“Jin Ping Mei”, a novel completed during the late Ming Dynasty, revolves around the theme of sexual relations between the wealthy merchant Ximen Qing and his wives and mistresses. The story is set mainly on the limited stage of Ximen's jia or residence and describes the manners and customs of the time in great detail. For that reason, “Jin Ping Mei” has since been used as a historical and folkloric document that centers on the field of the necessities of life vis-à-vis life histories. In this paper, giving attention to the various locations of Ximen's jia from the point of view of residential history, I considered the formal significance of the women's actions at Ximen Qing's funeral and studied the influence that they exerted on the residence. First, if we analyze the layout of the mansion as well as the significance of each location, many interesting facts will come to light. In the Si-He-Yuan House, for instance, there were everyday spaces for women—centered around Shangfang, located north of Hou-Yimen (the “inner-facing” domain)—and spaces usually used by men—centered on Dating, located south of Hou-Yimen (the “outward-facing” domain). Supposing the above, an examination of the actions of the women at Ximen Qing's funeral is worthy, considering the social status of the deceased and the interest in the household among the public. The women's formal acts, the locations, and relationships in which they performed those acts have made this funeral an interesting subject for discussion. As Ximen Qing met his dying hour, he was clad in funeral clothing by his mistress in Shangfang and then brought to Datinng in the “outward-facing” domain. His mortal remains, placed in a coffin, were enshrined in Dating until just before the funeral procession. After the burial, the “Ling” of the deceased, who was called back by “Daotong, ” was sheltered in a mortuary tablet in Shangfang. Afterwards, the women made sure that the “Ling” entered Nirvana through the “Wuqi” ceremony. In other words, the women were responsible for ensuring his final departure to Nirvana in the “inner-facing” domain of them. That is to say, the women were principal actors in the commencement and completion of Ximen Qing's funeral, justifying the motivation of the study.