| Fu Hao owl zun | |
|---|---|
Fu Hao zun at the Henan Museum
| |
| Height | 46.3 cm |
| Created | c. 1200 BC |
| Discovered | 1976 Anyang, Henan, China |
| Present location | China |
The Fu Hao Owl zun (Traditional Chinese: 婦好鴞尊; Simplified Chinese: 妇好鸮尊; Pinyin: Fù Hǎo xiāo zūn) are a pair of two zun vessels from the Shang dynasty. They were discovered in 1976 in the Tomb of Fu Hao, Yinxu, in present-day Anyang, Henan Province, China.[1] Considered a prominent example of the usage of the owl motif in Shang dynasty ritual bronzes, the works are now held by the Henan Museum and the National Museum of China.[1][2][3]
Azun vessel, prominently used during the Shang and early Zhou dynasty, is primarily used for storing wine, with a wide opening for drinking. They often come in two forms: one that is trumpet-shaped, or often, in the themes of animals.[4] The bronze owls found in the tomb measure 46.3 centimetres (18.2 in), with a mouth length of 16.4 centimetres (6.5 in), shaped in the form of a tripod, with its tail serving as a third leg. Its head is raised upward, its chest protruding forward, and its wings are folded.[1] Also noted is that the beak is sharp, and the legs are bulky as if to imply ferocity.[citation needed] On the body of the vessel, the beak and breasts carry the patterns of cicadas, thunder, motifs, a snake pattern on the tail, and the neck carries the pattern of Kui.[3]
Written onto the vessels are the archaic characters of Fu Hao, the owner of the tomb, wife of Shang Dynasty leader Wu Ding.[3] The records from oracle bones and the contents of the tomb, designated Tomb 5 in Xiaotun, (468 bronzes), indicate her prominence in Shang society, along with her role as a military leader at the time.[5]
In addition to the zun vessels, a double fangyi, a guang (vessel), and six pendants found in the tomb had an owl motif.[1] It is believed, based on artistic depictions, that the owl was a prominent "totem" of the Shang dynasty, with depictions placed on the burial artifacts of its rulers, and that superstitions of owls being seen as a bad omen was largely implemented during the Zhou dynasty.[2]
Owls are called xiao (枭) or chixiao (鸱鸮), and are often interpreted as supernatural figures, with its reputation waxing and waning based upon the ruling dynasty, whether as a predator of rats, in times when grain agriculture was valued, or harbingers of bad omens.[1][2]
