steinntroll: INSTAGRAM | ETSY Fenghuang art doll Commission - not for sale.&n
steinntroll: INSTAGRAM | ETSY Fenghuang art doll Commission - not for sale. ‘Fenghuang’ is a Chinese mythological bird embodying the feminine, it’s the symbol of rebirth, the sun, and south. This doll is about 45 inches in full length. Poseable neck has plastic ball-and-socket armature inside. Neck, wings, legs, and tail’s long feathers are poseable. Fabric fur, doll armature, wire, feathers, fake leather, primer, acrylic paint, varnish. It also has 6 loops on body and wings so it can be hanged ‘flying’. Gorgeous work. Ethereal in form, but realistic in details.Though, technically, this is Zhuque 朱雀, the Vermilion Pheasant. Its a divine bird that represents the southern quadrant of the sky, and constellations such as Gemini, Leo, and Hydrus make up its body. It is also identified with the summer, the season of the Hungry Ghost Festival and the Midsummer Festival. Thus, is is a sort of psychopomp that takes souls to heaven. It is also a symbol of long life, as in Taoist belief, the god of the North Pole decides the time of birth and the god of the South Pole decides the time of death. The Beehive Cluster of Cancer, known in East Asian cultures as 积尸气, Accumulation of Corpse Gas, represents its eyes. Summer and the South also symbolize heat and vitality, so the Vermillion Bird is identified with the fire element.Conversely, Chinese Phoenixes 凤凰 were multicolored. Originally, the two characters of “Feng” and “Huang” referred to a male and female of the species. However, in later dynasties, a “Feng” was considered female by default, and used as the consort to the dragon and the Luan, a male phoenix with curled tail feathers. Along with its consort, it represents happiness in marriage. It is considered to be the ancestor and ruler of all birds. As the noblest of its kind, it only nested on parasol trees, only ate bamboo seeds, and only drank water with zero mineral content. Over the centuries, it has been a symbol of virtues, nobility, prosperity, peace, beauty, and the feminine. It was not until the work of Guo Moruo in the 20th century that the Fenghuang was attributed the primary characteristics of the Western Phoenix along with its traditional ones. The original name for the Western Phoenix in Chinese is 不死鸟 or “deathless bird.” Guo Moruo invented the concept of 凤凰涅槃 “the Phoenix’s Nirvana,” giving the Chinese Phoenix the red color and the rebirth through fire of its Western Counterpart. Simultaneously, the concept of fire and nirvana identifies the Phoenix with the Buddhist Garuda Bird, which is said to dine on snakes, and over the course of its life takes so much poison into its body that it finally burns up and leaves behind its glass heart.The Vermillion Bird can be considered a variant of Chinese Phoenix, but it’s only one of many.References:https://www.chinafetching.com/vermilion-bird-and-white-tigerhttps://astronomy.com/magazine/stephen-omeara/2014/01/a-pile-of-corpseshttps://www.jstor.org/stable/4528455?seq=1https://www.lilysunchinatours.com/Focus-On/Chinese-Phoenix.htmlhttp://www.ijlll.org/vol6/263-IL006.pdfhttps://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/mythic-creatures/air/opposites-attackhttps://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/4/247 -- source link
#chinese mythology