Modern day, we refer to Sheng 升 as a measure for liquid volume, with one millilitre (ml) as haosheng 毫升 and one litre as gongsheng 公升.
National Treasure 国宝
Rectangular Sheng (Standard Measure) 商鞅方升
Bronze ware | The 18th year of the reign of Duke Xiao of Qin, Warring States (344 BC) | Dimensions – L: 18.7cm, W: 7 cm, L (inside): 12.5cm, H: 2.3cm, Capacity : 202.15 cm3 | Shanghai Museum Collection. 铜器｜战国秦孝公十八年（公元前344年）｜通长 18.7厘米，内口长 12.5厘米，宽 7厘米，高 2.3厘米，容积 202.15立方厘米｜上海博物馆藏
In order to have a common measurement throughout the State of Qin, this rectangular Sheng 方升 has been commissioned by Da Liang Zhao Shang Yang 大良造鞅 and distributed across the kingdom. A sheng 升 is approximately 200 ml in modern day terms.
The standards of weights and measures are not fixed from ancient times to the present, but constantly change over time according to the needs. But since antiquity, our forefathers have been measuring different things by tying knots on strings and sizing harvest with measurements. 1 As part of his reforms, Yang attempted to standard the way things were measured in the State of Qin. This artefact bears witness to that reform.
The container is rectangular, with a hollow handle on one side, and inscriptions are engraved on the other three sides and the bottom. Liang 量 is an instrument for measuring the volume of objects, hence this Sheng was also referred to as Shang Yang Liang. 2
In ancient times, measuring instruments were mostly used to calculate the volume of the harvest, which is an important reference for commodity exchange and taxation. Sheng 升 is a relatively common unit of volume. It was first seen on measuring instruments and containers engraved with inscriptions in the late Warring States Period. Shang Yang’s rectangular sheng is regarded as a rare artefact for its inscription, precise production and clearly recorded volume.
Here’s the inscription on the outer surface of the measure.
- 重泉。
- 臨。
- 廿六年，皇帝盡并兼天下諸侯，黔首大安，立號爲皇帝。乃詔丞相狀
- 綰灋（法）度量鼎（則）不壹，
- 歉疑者皆（明）壹之。
- 十八年，齊遣卿大夫眾來聘，
- 冬十二月乙酉，大良造鞅 爰
- 積十六尊（寸）五分尊（寸）壹爲升。
Explanation in modern Chinese (and English) :
- 十八年，齐卿大夫众来聘，十二月乙酉，大良造鞅，爱积十六尊五分尊一为升。重泉。
In the 18th year, Officials from State of Qi came for hire. In December 334BC, Da Liang Zhao named (Shang) Yang declared a Sheng to be 16.5 Jun. Heavy spring. Zhongquan (modern day Shaanxi Pucheng County 陕西蒲城县) - 廿六年，皇帝尽并兼天下诸侯，黔首大安，立号为皇帝，乃诏丞相状、绾法度量则不壹歉疑者皆明一之。
In the 26th year, the emperor conquered the world and declared himself to be Huang Di (emperor) at Da’an. By the edict of the prime minister, and the measure is to be used when the exact is not clear.
The volume of a sheng changed over the different dynasties. Han dynasty is still 200ml, but by Sui dynasty it became 600ml. And by Ming dynasty it came to the modern capacity of 1000ml. 3
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
Footnotes :
- 原始人群通过劳动、生活和分配，对数和量逐步有所认识，并产生了表示数量的方法如结绳记事和按量估堆等。——丘光明《中国古代计量史》
在中国的历史记载中，计量活动从很早就开始被提及，而计量本身也从具体在某种社会生产活动中的应用，扩展到用于国家经济运作中的土地分配与赋税缴纳，乃至成为一种政治权威的象征。且以度量衡为讨论范围，度、量、衡，即对应今天的长度、容量、质量，至晚至西周时期，一套度量衡管理制度确已形成[1]。《史记·五帝本纪》中提及了黄帝“设五量”舜帝召集东方诸侯“合时月正日，同律度量衡”的事迹，尽管这些记载都已经难以确实地考证，但其显示了度量衡制度由来已久，并且至少在西汉司马迁著书之时，度量衡的统一已经作为国家统一、繁荣的重要标志而深入人心。而从更为具体的角度来看，大禹治水是一个典型的例证：
禹为人敏给克勤，其德不违，其仁可亲，其言可信：声为律，身为度，称以出……
左准绳，右规矩，载四时，以开九州，通九道，陂九泽，度九山。——《史记·夏本纪》https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_16529319 ↩︎ - 商鞅方升，旧名商鞅量，是商鞅为秦变法统一度量衡时所监制的标准量器。升呈长方形，一侧有中空柄，其余三侧及底面皆刻有铭文。量，是计量物体容积的器具，古代量器多用于计算农作物的多少，是商品交换和农业赋税的重要参照物。升，是较为通行的容量单位，最早见于战国后期刻有铭文的量器和记容器物上。商鞅方升因其翔实的铭文、精密的制作和明确记录的容积而被认为是不可多得的国家级标准器。 Museum Display Tag ↩︎
- 秦朝度量衡的统一为中华大地上度量衡制度的发展奠定了基础，汉承秦制，度量衡单位与器物形制几乎无所更张，至西汉末年，在王莽托古改制的背景下，度量衡制度经过了大规模的考订与改革，方形成了中国古代最为系统、权威的度量衡理论体系，后由《汉书·律历志》收录为“审度” “嘉量” “权衡＂各篇，这也成为中国度量衡制度系统成文之肇端。这一体系沿用至三国两晋时期，基本未有大变。
南朝梁、除两朝，升斗仍沿袭新莽旧制，每升约合200毫升。齐朝量制大于古升，约300毫升。北朝量制增长速度很快，北魏时每升“于古二而为一” ，约400毫升，其后又有增长。
至隋文帝统一全国，建立隋朝时，容量1升已增至约600毫升。——丘光明《中国古代计量史》
于是至隋朝再度统一时，再要恢复古制已经变得不合实际，便以北周的度量衡制度为标准，折合今日的单位：
1尺长约29.5厘米， 1升约600毫升， 1斤约660克。——丘光明《中国古代计量史》
除此之外，根据不同需要，度量衡上出现的“双重标准” ，即大制和小制也被固定下来，如有大尺、小尺，大升、小升等，以区分日常使用和特殊使用。隋文帝统一的这一套度量衡制度此后为历代沿袭，总体上没有太大的变化，例外的是，唐宋以降，重量单位的换算大多逐步改为了更便捷的十进制，并且容器的单位量值有所扩大，元明时期的一升就约合现今1000毫升了。
本文摘自上海博物馆编《70件文物里的中国》撰文 ↩︎
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