figure BM-1947-0712.489

Period:Unknown Production date:907-1125
Materials:jade
Technique:polished, incised,
Subjects:bird phoenix
Dimensions:Height: 4.90 centimetres Width: 7.50 centimetres Depth: 1.80 centimetres

Description:
Ornament in the shape of a phoenix. Made of white jade.
IMG


Comments:Rawson 1995:Although the tradition of imaginary creatures continued through the Six Dynasties and probably into the Tang, from the Tang dynasty onwards auspicious creatures associated with immortal worlds were often carved as personal ornaments to be worn. These creatures include the dragon, known as the mount of the Yellow Emperor; the lion and the deer. All of them are mentioned in texts of religious Daoism and in poetry. The phoenix likewise is one of these miraculous creatures: “In the misty vapours of evening, atop a storied building, a purple phoenix sings”. Ornaments in jade, if worn, would have reminded their owners both of the immortal associations of the material and of the images of paradise.