Yufeng Tomb for Men and Women in Anyang, Henan Province

This jade phoenix is an ornament. 1976 Unearthed from Fu Hao's Tomb in Yinxu, Anyang, Henan Province.

The Shang Dynasty moved the capital six times, and finally moved the capital from Pan Geng to Yin, which is now Xiaotun Village in Anyang, Henan. After years of archaeological excavations, archaeologists have made many important achievements in Yin Ruins, and Fu Hao's tomb is one of the most important discoveries. Fu Hao, the owner of the tomb, was the spouse of Shang King Wu Ding. She was famous before her death, and she died from the end of 13 BC to the beginning of 12 BC. After her death, the name of the temple was Xin. The funerary objects in the tomb are very rich, including jade, bronze, stone tools, pottery, bone wares, mussels, ivory and other handicrafts *** 1928, and there are more than 6,800 seashells. There are a large number of jades in the tomb of the rich, reaching 755 pieces, with complete categories, including ritual vessels, ritual vessels, tools, daily utensils, decorations and miscellaneous vessels. This jade phoenix is one of the representative works.

Jade phoenix is the only jade in Fu Hao's tomb. This is the earliest jade phoenix shape found so far, and it is also the most exquisite ornament in Fu Hao's tomb.

According to legend, the mother of Qi State, the ancestor of Yin and Shang Dynasties, Ju Die ate the eggs of a mysterious bird (that is, a phoenix) before giving birth to Qi State. This is the legend of "mysterious bird of destiny, born for business". Yin people also pretend to be descendants of the phoenix. The excavation of Yufeng provides valuable information for the study of early phoenix belief.

This jade phoenix is flat, slender and graceful. Looking back at the neck, it seems that the wings are flapping, the curved body, the outer edge is convex, the inner edge is concave, the rockhopper is towering, the beak is like a chicken, the long tail is stretched, and the wings are slightly open, which makes it look graceful and smart. The whole utensil has beautiful shape, smooth lines, jade luster and charming expression. Yufeng has two holes in her chest and a protruding knob at her waist, with a small hole on it, which can be worn. The small holes in Feng's body reflect that people before Shang Dynasty had mastered the techniques of hollowing out, drilling and polishing. There are two kinds of hollowing: "fully enclosed" and "semi-enclosed". The first drilling method is pipe drilling, which is mostly used in the center of walls, rings and bracelets; The second type is ting drill, which is mostly used for small holes designed for wearing. The reason why jade has a glittering and translucent luster is probably that the surface of jade is polished with animal skins or silk fabrics dipped in water and fine sand.