National treasures reveal ancient splendor at Henan Museum

As the Spring Festival tourism market continues to heat up, museums in China that stayed open during the holiday are still popular destinations. The Henan Museum is bustling with activity, with about one hundred thousand people visiting and exploring the exhibitions.

The Henan Museum boasts a collection of over 170,000 cultural relics, including more than 5,000 first- and second-level national cultural relics, which are of extreme historical, cultural, and artistic significance. The collection holds many renowned national treasures.

"Fu Hao" owl-shaped bronze zun

The "Fu Hao" owl-shaped bronze zun, or wine container, is currently the earliest known bird-shaped bronze wine vessel in existence in China, dating back to the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC). Standing at 46.3 centimeters tall and weighing 16 kilograms, it was unearthed in 1976 from the Fu Hao tomb near Anyang, Henan Province.

During the Shang Dynasty, the owl was regarded as a symbol of wisdom. Fu Hao was the wife of King Wu Ding, who led the Shang to its zenith. Archaeological discoveries in Fu Hao's tomb revealed a rich array of burial objects, including numerous bronze artifacts adorned with owl designs and six owl-shaped jade pendants, which not only reflected Fu Hao's prestigious status and Wu Ding's favor toward her, but also Fu Hao's prowess in warfare.

Bronze jin with cloud design

The bronze jin with cloud design is a relic from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), measuring 131 centimeters long, 68 centimeters wide, 28 centimeters high, and weighing 95 kilograms. It was unearthed from a tomb in Xiasi, Henan in 1978.

Jin were used as tables for wine vessels in ancient China. This bronze jin is rectangular in shape with a panel in the center, where the borders and four sides are made up of openwork layered cloud designs. Twelve dragon-like creatures with outstretched tongues and hunched bodies serve as the supports for the table.

Lotus and Crane square pot

Among the vast collection of bronze ware, the Lotus and Crane Square Pot is the pride of the Henan Museum.

This pot was discovered in the tomb of a King of Zheng in 1923. Standing at 117 centimeters tall and weighing 64.28 kilograms, the body of the pot is elliptical in shape, with two dragon-shaped monsters on either side of the neck serving as handles, and four winged dragons around the abdomen seemingly crawling upwards.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, the old system of rituals rapidly collapsed, and new concepts gradually took shape. As vital national treasures, the bronze artifacts reflect the natural transition from religious symbolism to a fresh, free-spirited, and livelier style. The Lotus and Crane Square Pot is a product of its time.