An inscribed archaic bronze ritual food vessel, li, Western Zhou dynasty, King Xuan period | 西周宣王時期 青銅楊姞鬲

The name 'Yang 楊' in the inscription refers to the State of Yang during the Western Zhou period, located south of Shanxi, which is not recorded in historical texts. In 1993, a pair of bronze hu bearing the same 'Yang Ji 楊姞' inscription was unearthed from the Tianma site in Qucun, Shanxi, at the cemetery of the Marquis of Jin. This tomb is identified as that of the wife of Marquis Mu of Jin, indicating that Yang Ji was the Marquis's wife. These inscribed items were likely dowry pieces brought by women of the Yang clan as part of their bridal trousseau. See Shanyou jijin: Jinhou mudi chutu zhoudai qingtongqi jingcui [Bronze Treasures from the Right Side of the Mountains: Exquisite Zhou Dynasty Bronzes from the Marquis of Jin's Cemetery], Taiyuan, 2023, pp. 282-285.

銘文中楊姞之「楊」即西周楊國，位於晉南，史籍不載。1993年山西曲村天馬遺址晉侯墓地出一對銅壺同樣帶有楊姞銘文。此墓為晉穆侯夫人墓，可知楊姞為晉穆侯夫人，帶此銘文作器為楊國姞姓女子陪嫁媵器，見《山右吉金：晉侯墓地出土周代青銅器精粹》，太原，2023年，頁282-285 。