Phoenix Crown: From Royal Relic to Modern Trend

Today, we’ll talk about a Ming Dynasty treasure that has been re-imagined as a series of creative cultural products, including a popular refrigerator magnet. Combining traditional craftsmanship with modern design, a phoenix coronet has captivated consumers and brought the rich history of the crown closer to the public.

Transcript

Phoenix Crown: From Royal Relic to Modern Trend

Today, we’ll talk about a Ming Dynasty treasure that has been re-imagined as a series of creative cultural products, including a popular refrigerator magnet. Combining traditional craftsmanship with modern design, a phoenix coronet has captivated consumers and brought the rich history of the crown closer to the public.

The National Museum of China launched a refrigerator magnet inspired by the phoenix coronet of Empress Xiaoduan of the Ming Dynasty in July 2024. Within just three and a half months, it sold 145,000 units, making it the museum’s best-selling cultural and creative product in nearly 20 years. 

Due to its complex production process, the production cycle for the phoenix coronet refrigerator magnet is relatively long. For the wooden version, a skilled worker can only produce 15 units per hour, while the metal version is even slower, with only six units produced per hour. According to the latest production capacity data from People’s Daily, the wooden phoenix crown refrigerator magnet is expected to reach a daily output of 5,000 units within one to two months. The production of the metal version has expanded from one factory to three, with a daily output now reaching 5,000 units.

Starting from November 1, 2024, the phoenix coronet fridge magnet is sold in limited quantities at 8 AM and 8 PM daily on official stores on JD.com and Taobao, China’s leading online shopping platforms. In addition to the wooden version, which has a limited sale of 200 units per session, the metal version has 1,000 units available. 

The phoenix coronet fridge magnets sell out instantly online, and many people, unable to secure a purchase, resort to lining up at the museum as early as 6 AM. However, even within 20 minutes of the museum opening, the offline sales are also sold out.

On November 21, 2024, during a live stream, Evan Kyle, an American, thanked a Chinese woman for gifting him a limited-edition phoenix coronet fridge magnet from the museum, calling it his “favorite gift so far.” Evan Kyle is a young pawnshop owner from the US, who, in 2022, donated a World War II photo album documenting evidence of Japanese war crimes to the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago. 

On November 16, 2024, he arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport to mark the second anniversary of his donation, beginning his first trip to China. His visit garnered much attention from Chinese people, both offline, where many came to greet him at the airport, and online, where numerous fans welcomed him enthusiastically in his live stream. While visiting the National Museum of China, Evan Kyle was unable to purchase the Phoenix Crown fridge magnet, but a warm-hearted Chinese woman gave him her own limited-edition magnet.

The popularity of the phoenix coronet fridge magnet is attributed to its connection with a beloved artifact. Since 2023, many visitors have taken photos with the phoenix crown exhibit in the museum. The museum’s cultural and creative team quickly recognized this trend and began developing the product.

This is a special “haute couture” phoenix crown, which could only be worn by the empress, who was second only to the emperor and above all others. The crown features nine dragons and nine phoenixes, so naturally, it is called the “Nine Dragons and Nine Phoenixes Crown.”

Weighing 2,320 grams, which is equivalent to the weight of four bottles of mineral water, this crown is far heavier than the hats we wear in daily life. Imagine the empress, at a major royal ceremony, wearing this crown, adorned in luxurious robes, and stepping carefully in high heels shaped like phoenix feet, bowing and performing rituals with perfect precision. As there was no room for error – being the “Mother of the Nation” was no easy task.

The reason this phoenix crown qualifies as “haute couture” is due to its stunning appearance and exquisite craftsmanship. The entire crown is set with 1,280 untreated natural gemstones, including 71 rubies and 57 sapphires, and decorated with 5,449 pearls, all imported from abroad, making it extremely valuable. To look at it, one could say the empress’s head bore a treasure trove.

The back of the crown trails six “tails,” an accessory called bo bin, which was reportedly exclusive to empresses in the Ming Dynasty, lasting from 1368 to 1644. Even on these small, thin panels, there is no shortage of gold dragons, gemstones, and pearl decorations. 

This stunning phoenix crown was entirely handmade by ancient artisans, with each detail carefully carved and crafted. The crown features a variety of complex techniques, including forging, filigree, inlaying, engraving, cloisonné, and threading. Among these techniques, cloisonné involved carefully attaching the feathers of the kingfisher to a metal base, which created the dazzling “China Blue” that adorns the crown. The gleaming feathers never faded, contributing to the crown’s extraordinary beauty. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, this method was commonly used in royal jewelry.

Today, kingfishers are a protected species, so the use of their feathers has ceased. Instead, materials like ribbons or satin are used as substitutes. For example, the blue satin used in the headdresses of the young female characters in Chinese operas is now employed for this type of decorative technique.

In summary, the phoenix crown of Empress Xiaoduan from the Ming Dynasty is a national treasure. Not only is it a masterpiece of craftsmanship, but it also holds profound historical value and cultural significance. As a result, it has been listed by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage in China’s First Catalogue of Cultural Relics Forbidden from Being Exhibited Abroad. So, what is the history behind this remarkable crown?

On the afternoon of October 20, 1957, the opening of the Dingling tomb at the Ming Tombs was akin to unlocking a mysterious door into the depths of Ming Dynasty history.

The Ming Tombs, located in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing in Changping District, are the burial grounds for Ming emperors and their empresses and concubines. Construction of the tombs began in the seventh year of the Yongle reign in 1409 and continued through the early years of the Qing Dynasty under Emperor Shunzhi, lasting more than 230 years. A total of 13 splendid imperial tombs were built, each famous for its majestic architecture, exquisite craftsmanship, and deep historical significance, making them an important part of China’s cultural heritage.

The tomb of Dingling belongs to Emperor Wanli, the thirteenth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and his two empresses – Empress Xiaoduan and Empress Xiaojing. Emperor Wanli, who reigned for 48 years, was the longest-reigning emperor of the Ming Dynasty, but also one of its most controversial, with his reign being a contributing factor to the eventual decline of the dynasty.

In April 1620, Empress Xiaoduan passed away at the age of 57. Emperor Wanli died in July of the same year, at the age of 58. Both were buried in Dingling in October of 1620. Empress Xiaojing, who had passed away in September 1611 at the age of 47, was initially buried in a different tomb. However, in October 1620, Emperor Taichang, Wanli’s son, Zhu Changluo, ordered her coffin to be moved to Dingling, where she was interred alongside Emperor Wanli and Empress Xiaoduan.

In this ancient tomb, more than 3,000 cultural relics were unearthed, including imperial and empress garments, imperial seals, ritual objects, wooden figurines, armor, knives, arrows, gold, silver, jade, porcelain, and a large number of exquisite silk textiles. These are all exceptional examples of craftsmanship. Among the finds were the only four surviving Ming Dynasty phoenix crowns in China, which are as follows:

The Nine Dragons and Nine Phoenixes Crown, the ritual crown of Empress Xiaoduan. The Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes Crown, the daily wear crown of Empress Xiaoduan. The Twelve Dragons and Nine Phoenixes Crown, the ritual crown of Empress Xiaojing. The Three Dragons and Two Phoenixes Crown, the daily wear crown of Empress Xiaojing

Additionally, the tomb contained China’s only discovered emperor’s gold crown – the Gold Threaded Winged Crown.

These four Phoenix Crowns are now held by three cultural heritage institutions: The Nine Dragons and Nine Phoenixes Crown is housed at the National Museum of China. The Three Dragons and Two Phoenixes Crown is housed at the Palace Museum, also called the Forbidden City. The Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes Crown and the Twelve Dragons and Nine Phoenixes Crown are kept at the Ming Tombs Museum, which also holds the Gold Threaded Winged Crown of Emperor Wanli.

Though neither Empress Xiaoduan nor Empress Xiaojing was favored by Emperor Wanli during their lifetimes, both were buried with phoenix crowns, a reflection of the ceremonial etiquette system of the Ming Dynasty.

Empress Xiaoduan, the first wife of Emperor Wanli, was a virtuous woman. She was named empress at the age of 15. After her death, she was buried with the title and respect due to an empress, with one ritual crown used on formal occasions and one crown for daily wear.

Empress Xiaojing, born of humble origins and having led a difficult life, was posthumously honored. At the time of her death, she held the title of Imperial Consort, just below empress. She was not buried with a phoenix crown, but after her son, Zhu Changluo, ascended the throne as Emperor Taichang, she was posthumously given the title “Empress Dowager Xiaojing, the Reverent and Virtuous Empress.” Her remains were then moved to Dingling, where she was buried alongside Emperor Wanli. More importantly, during her reburial, she was given additional burial items, including gold, jade, and jewelry, as well as two phoenix crowns symbolizing her new status as empress.

As a cultural and creative product, the phoenix crown fridge magnet cannot fully replicate the beauty of Empress Xiaoduan’s actual crown, but it breaks through the traditional one-piece, flat design technique. The wooden phoenix crown fridge magnet is made by layering three types of wood, with the two “tails” on either side able to move. Six pearls are manually attached, and two pendant beads are hung. It goes through four quality checks, each requiring the attention of a dedicated specialist. The metal fridge magnet features six prominent phoenix heads on the front, which must be manually installed. Ten tassels and twenty beads on the front are hand-strung, and dozens of small red and blue beads must be individually placed. The magnet’s design resonates with traditional Chinese aesthetic values, transforming cultural heritage into a tangible and accessible form of communication.

According to Liao Fei, deputy head of the museum’s operation and development department, the phoenix crown fridge magnet is just one of many products inspired by the Empress Xiaoduan Phoenix Crown. Over ten other items, including notebooks, badges, and even ice cream, have been developed around this iconic cultural symbol, all of which have been warmly received by consumers. The continued popularity of these cultural and creative products has helped bridge the gap between cultural relics and the public, attracting more and more visitors to the museum to experience the artifacts in person and appreciate their beauty.

Well, that’s the end of our podcast. Our theme music is by the famous film score composer Roc Chen. We want to thank our writer Lü Weitao, translator Du Guodong, and copy editor Pu Ren. And thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, please tell a friend so they, too, can understand The Context.