History

A bag-shaped boiling tool with three legs. A steamer is placed on top of the koshi. Water is poured into the koshi, grains are placed in the steamer, and the grains are steamed by heating from below. Along with the tripod used for boiling meat, this is a representative form of Chinese tripod vessel. The koshi emerged during the Longshan culture and was popular from the Yin dynasty to the Western Zhou dynasty. Although bronze koshi were used as ceremonial vessels, most practical vessels were ceramic koshi. Ceramic koshi from the Yin dynasty are decorated with rope and basket patterns all over the vessel, have narrow rims, protruding abdomens, and the tips of the bag-shaped legs are sharp like awls. From the Western Zhou period to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the legs of koshi gradually degenerated and changed into a kettle-shaped vessel called a fu. A vessel shape called gen, which combines a bowl and steamer, was also used from the Yin dynasty to the Warring States period.

[Takeji Iijima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

袋状の三足をもつ煮沸用具。鬲の上に甑(そう)（こしき）を重ねて用いる。鬲に水を入れ、甑に穀物を入れ、下から加熱して穀物を蒸す。肉類を煮沸した鼎(てい)と並んで、中国の三足器の代表的器形である。鬲の出現は竜山文化の時代で、殷(いん)代から西周にかけて盛行する。礼器としての青銅鬲も存在するが、実用具の多くは陶製の鬲である。殷代の陶製の鬲は、器全体に縄文や籃文(らんもん)が施され、口縁がくびれ、腹部が張り出し、袋状の足の先端は錐(きり)状にとがっている。西周時代から春秋戦国時代の鬲は、足がしだいに退化し、鬴(ふ)とよばれる釜(かま)形の器形に変化していく。鬲と甑が一体になった甗(げん)とよばれる器形も、殷代から戦国時代にかけて用いられている。

［飯島武次］

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