捶丸是被称为“中国古代高尔夫”的传统球类运动，元代《丸经》这本史籍是最早可见的专门论述捶丸运动的专著。“捶”即击打，“丸”即小球，由此可见，“丸”是这项运动十分重要的部分。
Chuiwan, known as “ancient Chinese golf,” is a traditional ball game. The earliest dedicated work on Chuiwan is the Yuan dynasty text “Wan Jing.” The name comes from “Chui” meaning to strike and “Wan” referring to a small ball, highlighting the ball’s central role in the sport.
【宋】《捶丸纹画像砖》 陕西甘泉县博物馆藏
[Song Dynasty] “Brick with Chuiwan Motif”
Collected by the Shaanxi Ganquan County Museum
【元】《丸经》局部
[Yuan Dynasty] Partial of "Wan Jing"
《丸经·权舆章》写到：“赘木为丸，乃坚乃久”、“无窦为劣，轻重欲称”。赘木是指树木上受病变增生的树疙瘩。早先捶丸使用硬木制成，也有皮革制成，发展到宋元明鼎盛时期，恰逢陶瓷工艺技术取得跨越式发展的关键阶段，捶丸从木制发展为陶瓷球。
“Wan Jing” describes: “Tumor wood as balls, strong and durable” and “Without holes, inferior; weight matters.” Initially, Chuiwan balls were made from hard wood or leather. By the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, coinciding with advancements in ceramic technology, Chuiwan evolved to use ceramic balls.
【明】《宣宗行乐图》局部
侍者拿着捶丸
[Ming Dynasty]
Partial of "Illustration of Emperor Xuanzong's Entertainment"
A waiter holds a Chuiwan ball.
【宋】《蕉荫击球图》现藏于北京故宫博物院
[Song Dynasty] “Playing Ball in the Shade of Banana Trees”
Collected by the Palace Museum, Beijing
2018年，河南鲁山段店窑遗址发掘出土了1600余件古代陶瓷球，它们大小各异，表面装饰丰富多样，包括圆圈纹、点斑纹、锥刺纹、坑点纹、花卉纹、波线纹以及旋涡纹等，并且运用了绞胎和绞釉等精湛工艺，使得这些陶瓷球烧结致密、坚硬耐用、富有弹性。经专家鉴定，这批陶瓷球的年代跨越了汉、唐、宋、元、明、清及民国各个时期，但主要集中在唐、宋、元三个时期，为研究捶丸历史提供了有力的实物资料。河南登封窑遗址出土的一件宋元时期坑点纹陶瓷捶丸，不仅表面削挖工艺所产的凹坑肌理与现代高尔夫球表面的凹坑极为相似，连重量都惊人的相似。
In 2018, excavations at Henan’s Lushan Duandian Kiln site unearthed over 1,600 ancient ceramic balls. They varied in size and were richly decorated with patterns like circles, spots, spikes, pits, floral designs, waves, and swirls, employing complex techniques like marbling and glaze mixing. These dense, durable, and elastic balls span the Han to Republic eras, primarily focusing on Tang, Song, and Yuan periods, offering valuable historical insight into Chuiwan. A Song-Yuan dynasty ceramic Chuiwan ball unearthed at the Dengfeng kiln site in Henan features pitted designs remarkably similar to the dimples on modern golf balls. Even its weight bears a striking resemblance to today’s golf balls.
南宋范公偁在《过庭录》中记载了一则轶事：范仲淹的外孙滕元发痴迷捶丸，以致荒废学业，屡劝不改。范仲淹无奈之下，将其所用的捶丸球击碎，滕元发这才收心读书。值得注意的是，文中明确提到这些球是“瓷质”的。由此可知，至南宋时期，捶丸所用的球体已发展出瓷制工艺。
A South Song anecdote in “Guo Ting Lu” describes Fan Zhongyan’s grandson, Teng Yuanfa, obsessively playing Chuiwan to the detriment of his studies. Fan, frustrated, smashed his ceramic balls, prompting Teng to focus on his education. This story confirms that by the South Song period, ceramic craftsmanship in Chuiwan balls was well-established.
南宋彩绘捶丸
（图自长兴县人民政府官网）
Southern Song Dynasty Painted Chuiwan Ball
(Image courtesy of Changxing County Government website)
【唐】绞胎捶丸 陕西历史博物馆藏
[Tang Dynasty] Marbled Chuiwan Ball,
housed in the Shaanxi History Museum.
【宋】彩绘螺旋纹捶丸 1975年浙江湖州市出土
[Song Dynasty] Painted Spiral Pattern Chuiwan Ball,
unearthed in 1975 in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province.
六悦博物馆·六悦捶丸将以中国古代捶丸为范本，于博物馆呈现兼具传统与创新的捶丸活动场地，敬请期待！
Coming soon at Six Arts Museum: Experience the tradition and innovation of ancient Chinese Chuiwan on our newly designed - Six Arts Mini Golf. Stay tuned!
