本文將討論的，是漢代藝術中正面車馬母題的來源。它始於對漢以前車馬圖譜系的排列，和寓於其中的視覺觀念的分析；結論是初見于戰國中期的正面車馬，似源於這譜系外。而後，作者持戰國中期至東漢的正面車馬母題，與廣見於希臘、羅馬、中亞、印度、與歐亞草原的同一類母題，做了形式比較，進而推斷初見於戰國中期的正面車馬，乃經歐亞草原而遠紹於希臘藝術；盛見於漢畫像石的正面車馬，則為新輸入的西方正面 quadriga的援用或改造。漢代藝術或受到的外來影響，二戰以來一直被忽略，乃至否定。本文和與之相關的其他論文，乃意在重啟我們對漢代中外藝術交流的興趣，並為漢代中西交通史的研究，貢獻一新史料。

This paper discusses the origin of the motif of the frontal horse-drawn carriage in Han art. It starts with an analysis of the portrayals of horses and carriages in pre-Han art and of the visual conception embodied therein. It reaches the conclusion that the frontal horse-drawn carriages first seen in the mid Warring States period could not be derived from previous paintings of horses and carriages.

The paper then makes a formal comparison between the motif of frontal carriages from the mid Warring States period to Han art and the frontal quadrigas found in Greek, Roman, Central Asian, Indian and Eurasian arts. It infers that the frontal carriages first found in mid Warring States period came from Greece via the Eurasian Steppe; and that the same motif widely seen in Han art was the adoption of such foreign motif that first reach China in the Han.

Study in foreign influences in Han art has been neglected, even discredited, since the Second World War. This paper and a few other related ones aim to rekindle the interest in the study of international exchanges in Han art.

正面車馬; 正面quadriga; 漢代藝術; 外來影響

frontal horse-drawn carriage; frontal quadriga; Han art; foreign influences