tribute paid in cloth by the tribes in Szechwan and Yunnan under the Han dynasty
賨 refers to a specific historical tribute paid in cloth by certain tribes under the Han dynasty. Its meaning is narrowly tied to that context.
賨 combines 宗 (ancestral temple, clan) with 貝 (shell, money), likely indicating a tribute or payment associated with a clan or region. The exact historical development is uncertain.
The top 宗 suggests a clan or temple, and the bottom 貝 represents money or goods. Picture a clan bringing cloth as tribute to the temple, with the shells below representing the payment.
For ソウ, imagine the cloth tribute being sewn (ソウ) together by the clan: sew -> ソウ, and the payment is made in cloth.