| The Hōō (Phoenix) is an auspicious mythical bird of ancient Chinese tradition, said to appear only when a sage ruler governs with perfect virtue. It is counted among the Four Sacred Creatures together with the qilin, tortoise, and dragon, and since antiquity has been revered as a motif praising the virtue of emperors and noble rulers.Its form is symbolically described as having the head of a rooster representing virtue, the wings of a swallow signifying propriety, the back of a tortoise expressing righteousness, and the tail of a fish denoting fidelity; its five-colored plumage is said to embody the Five Confucian Virtues—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness.This work is a pair of solid-gold menuki depicting a soaring phoenix. Attributed to the Kyō-kinkō school in 2012 and certified as Hozon Tōsōgu (Preservation-grade sword fittings). |
Search
