Ming Dynasty Phoenix Crowns: Unveiling Royal Elegance

The phoenix crown and xiapei were the go-to wedding outfits for brides in ancient times. Every girl probably dreams of this—rocking a Ming dynasty phoenix crowns for a lifetime of worry-free bliss, with clear winds and bright moons as lifelong companions. Let’s dive into the charm of traditional Chinese headpieces!

The Ming dynasty phoenix crown, worn by queens during coronations, temple visits, or temple fairs, built on Song dynasty designs with some fancy upgrades, making it look super elegant and regal as a piece of Chinese royal jewelry.

Ming dynasty phoenix crowns
Traditional Chinese headpieces
Chinese royal jewelry
Historical Ming fashion
Ming dynasty royal artifacts

The Dingling tomb, one of the Ming Thirteen Tombs, is the resting place of the 13th Ming emperor, the famous Wanli Emperor, along with his two queens—Xiaoduan and Xiaojing. Four Ming dynasty phoenix crowns were unearthed there: the “Twelve Dragon Nine Phoenix Crown,” “Nine Dragon Nine Phoenix Crown,” “Six Dragon Three Phoenix Crown,” and “Three Dragon Two Phoenix Crown,” with two crowns each for Xiaoduan and Xiaojing. The crafting of these four traditional Chinese headpieces was pretty similar, just with different numbers of dragons and phoenixes.

Phoenix Crown Craftsmanship

These crowns are decked out with colorful pearls and gems—the heaviest one boasts 128 gemstones, while the lightest has 95. Pearl counts range from a max of 5,449 to a minimum of 3,426. Weight-wise, the heaviest tips the scales at 2,905 grams, and the lightest at 2,165 grams (that’s over 4 pounds for the lightest and nearly 6 pounds for the heaviest—gorgeous as they are, wearing them must’ve been a workout!).

The crowns feature dragons, phoenixes, jeweled flowers, jade clouds, jade leaves, and bojin sidepieces—all made separately and then slotted into the crown’s tubes to build the final piece. The design is bold yet refined, using techniques like filigree, inlay, carving, jade inlay, and threading. The jade inlay stands out (with 23 jade phoenixes and hundreds of jade clouds, leaves, and flowers across the four crowns), plus over 400 gemstones, plenty of jeweled flowers, and beaded decorations, showcasing the finest historical Ming fashion.

Putting it all together was a tricky job—thousands of pearls threaded, hundreds of gems set, blending all these treasures into one Ming dynasty royal artifacts. The mouthpieces hold jeweled strands, with gold dragons and jade phoenixes sparkling together, a dazzling mix of luxury that only top artisans could pull off. Gold dragons soar over jade clouds, while jade phoenixes glide among jeweled leaves and flowers.

Six Dragon Three Phoenix Crown

The Six Dragon Three Phoenix Crown stands 35.5 cm tall with a base diameter of about 20 cm. The dragons are all gold, while the phoenixes use jade inlay (a craft using kingfisher feathers).

At the top, three dragons take center stage: the middle one faces forward with a jeweled drop in its mouth, while the two side dragons stretch outward, mid-flight, with filigree cloud heads below and long jeweled strands in their mouths. Below them, three jade phoenixes spread their wings, each holding a shorter jeweled drop. The back middle layer has three more dragons in flight poses. The lower layer is adorned with big and small jeweled flowers, each with red or blue gems in the center, framed by jade clouds and leaves.

The back features bojin sidepieces on both sides, three panels each, decorated with a gold dragon per panel, plus jade clouds, leaves, jeweled flowers, and connecting bead strands. This crown has 128 gemstones (71 rubies, 57 sapphires), 5,449 pearls, and weighs 2,905 grams. With its symmetrical dragons, phoenixes, and vibrant gem-and-jade colors, it feels dignified yet lively, luxurious yet balanced—perfectly showcasing the queen’s noble status as a highlight of historical Ming fashion.

The Six Dragon Three Phoenix Crown is the top find from the Dingling tombs.

Three Dragon Two Phoenix Crown

The Three Dragon Two Phoenix Crown, worn by Empress Dowager Xiaoduan, stands 26.5 cm tall with a 23 cm diameter. It sparkles with over 100 red and blue gemstones and more than 5,000 pearls, bursting with vibrant, regal beauty—a true crown jewel of Ming dynasty phoenix crowns.

Nine Dragon Nine Phoenix Crown

The Nine Dragon Nine Phoenix Crown is 27 cm high, 23.7 cm in diameter, and weighs 2,320 grams, adorned with over 3,500 pearls and 150+ gemstones. Made with a lacquered bamboo frame and silk fabric, it features nine gold dragons at the front, each with a jeweled drop, eight jade-inlaid gold phoenixes, and one at the back—totaling nine dragons and nine phoenixes. The lower back has three bojin sidepieces on each side, each with a jade-inlaid gold dragon and jeweled drop. This lavish traditional Chinese headpieces holds over 100 rubies and 5,000+ pearls.

Twelve Dragon Nine Phoenix Crown

The Twelve Dragon Nine Phoenix Crown boasts twelve dragons and phoenixes. The front top has one dragon, the middle layer seven, and the lower part five phoenixes; the back has one dragon up top, three below, with one phoenix on each side top and bottom. Dragons strike poses—heads up, standing on four legs, walking, or running—while phoenixes soar beneath them. Both hold jeweled strands, with jeweled flowers below, each centered with one to six or nine gems, surrounded by one or two pearl rings.

Between them are 90 jade clouds and 74 jade leaves. The gold rim is edged with a jeweled band, 12 gems (each with six pearls), and jeweled flower spacers. The six bojin panels each have one gold dragon, two jeweled flowers, three more flowers, and dangling bead strands. The crown totals 121 gemstones, 3,588 pearls, with 18 small rubies in the phoenix eyes, a stunning example of Chinese royal jewelry.