Shang Dynasty gods and men control birds and jade pendants

Mondo Collection Updated on 2024-02-01

The legendary ancient myth narration of "Birds from the Sky, Descending to Birth of Shang" in the Book of Poetry expounds the history, culture and origin of the great ethnic group Shang Dynasty.

What is a Bird? According to the records of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the Xuanniao is a four-winged bird with an image of a swallow, which likes to eat eagle meat and has a violent temperament, so the Xuanniao of the Mandate of Heaven is interpreted as the Emperor of Heaven ordered the god Yan to build a Shang family; With the development and growth of the Shang clan, the image of Xuanyao was gradually deified, which was also a manifestation of the legitimacy of the rule, and the so-called was ordered by the heavens.

As the totem of the Shang nation, the Xuanniao will inevitably leave its miracles on the important utensils it uses. Among them, the main force and the most important are bronzes. Among the bronzes with the theme of Xuanniao, the typical representative is the bird pattern of the late Shang dynasty hidden in the Palace Museum. The totem of the nation is engraved on the wine vessel, which makes it more ceremonial.

In addition, the Xuanniao pattern is also widely used in jue, gui, spoon and other utensils. It shows the worship and love of the businessman for the totem of the Xuanniao.

Of course, the merchants also injected the totemic image of the Xuanniao into their indispensable jade.

The jade pendant described in this article is the fine work of jade in the late Shang Dynasty.

A winged jade boy is in the form of a prostrate flight, his hands stretched forward, looking up at the front, the thing driven by the prodigy is decorated with a double yin line hook cloud pattern, which is simple and clear; The lower right side of the jade boy is attached to the flying bird, which is consistent with the direction of the jade boy's flight. The tail of the jade boy shows a horizontal perforation, which should be used for the jade ornaments on both sides of the tie. It also proves that this wear is the main wear. This is the man of God and the bird. This kind of scene is expressed as the first work of combining the Xuanniao and the gods in the jade of the Shang Dynasty, and the gods and men in the Chu culture in later generations control the dragon, and the gods and men ride the dragon are all derived from this. It can be seen that the historical and cultural origin and great significance of this kind of jade pendant.

The jade pendant is carved by Hetian green and white jade, and the handwork is simple and smooth, which is obviously different from the early jade in Shangzhong, and the wind of spring and autumn is beginning to appear. The whole work has a unique concept, a sparse layout, and a calm and relaxed kingly style.

The jade pendant is slightly gray and red with spots.

Size: 44*32*4

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