Qixi is an ancient traditional festival in our country, originated from the worship of stars in ancient times, and then sublimated into a love story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, which has produced the cultural meaning of "Chinese Valentine's Day" in modern times. If cultural relics could speak, do you know how the ancients expressed their love in their hearts?

Painted phoenix and bird double-linked cup of Warring States period

The painted phoenix and bird double-linked cup is a cultural relic from the Warring States period, a lacquerware, and a wine cup used in the ritual of newlyweds' joint cup drinking in the pre-Qin period, which is extremely gorgeous. It is now collected in the Hubei Provincial Museum.

The painted phoenix and bird double-linked cup is 9.2 cm high, 17.6 cm long, 14 cm wide, and the cup diameter is 7 cm. It is made by splicing and bonding two bamboo-bodied wooden-bottomed cylindrical cups, wooden bird, and slightly upturned bird tails. The phoenix's head is raised with a painted lacquer bead in its mouth, on which there are six red and yellow concentric circles. The wings of the phoenix and bird are carved on the front wall of the cup, as if flying with wings spread, and the body of the cup is painted with two dragons, each with a double body, facing each other, and the dragon body pattern is extremely Chu cultural and artistic style. There is a bird-shaped foot on the outer side of the bottom of each of the two cups, expressing the marriage responsibility and good wishes of raising children.

Changwu Xiangwang silver belt hook of Western Han Dynasty

The Changwu Xiangwang silver belt hook is now collected in the Nanjing Museum. The object is extremely small, less than 4 cm in length, and the hook body is in the shape of a dragon's head, with a gold pattern of smooth spiral cloud patterns. The belt hook is similar to a tiger talisman, which can be separated left and right, and the two half fans' inner walls are respectively engraved with inscriptions of "Changwu Xiangwang". The moving love words are engraved between the hook bodies, secretly and affectionately, meaning "never forget each other forever".

This "Changwu Xiangwang" silver belt hook was unearthed from the Han tomb in Dayun Mountain, Xuyi, Jiangsu, and belongs to the accompanying burial of Tomb No. 12 of the Jiangdu King's Tomb. At that time, a double-sided seal unearthed from Tomb No. 12 revealed the identity of the owner of the belt hook. One side of the seal was the title of the concubine "Qie Sheng Shi", and the other side was the name "Chunyu Ying'er". The owner of the tomb was a concubine of Liu Fei, the son of Emperor Jing of Han. This silver belt hook is likely to be a love token that Liu Fei gave to "Chunyu Ying'er".

Changsha Kiln Celadon "You Are Born Before Me" Porcelain Teapot of Tang Dynasty

The Changsha Kiln Celadon "You Are Born Before Me" Porcelain Teapot is 17.6 cm tall, 8.9 cm in diameter at the mouth, 9.6 cm in diameter at the base, unearthed from the Changsha Kiln site, and currently housed in the Changsha Museum. The abdomen is inscribed with a five-character poem: "You are born before me, I am born after you. You hate that I was born too late, I hate that you were born too early."

This poem was created from a woman's perspective. The entire poem uses only nine characters, without mentioning "love," expressing the regret of being in love with "you" but unable to be together for the rest of life.

This poem is widely circulated, but it is not a masterpiece by a famous author. The Changsha Kiln is a folk kiln not recorded in historical documents. The various poems inscribed on the hundreds of discovered artifacts are mostly popular folk songs in the streets and alleys, and may also be created by kiln workers. From this, it can be seen that the Tang Dynasty's romantic reputation is well-deserved.

Time seems like tides, repeatedly washing away the traces of emotional existence, but infinite love has permeated the clay through color, sealed with celadon, tempered by fire, and permanently preserved.

Zhenzi Feishuang Mirror of Tang Dynasty

The Zhenzi Feishuang Mirror has a face diameter of 21.5 cm. It was formerly in the Qing Palace collection and is now collected in the Palace Museum in Beijing.

The mirror has eight petals in the shape of a sunflower, with a round knob. Above the knob is a pattern of auspicious clouds supporting the moon, and below it is a pattern of pool water and rocks, with a lotus leaf growing out of the pool, which is the knob base. On the left side, a person wearing a tall hat and a belt sits and plays the qin, with an incense burner in front and a bamboo forest behind. On the right side, a phoenix perches on a rock, with two six-petal flowers above it. The outer area is inscribed with a text band to praise the exquisite craftsmanship of the bronze mirror and express sincere love. The first sentence "Phoenix and double mirrors" conveys the message that this type of bronze mirror should be paired.

Blue-and-White Porcelain Vase Painted Plum Blossoms, Orchids, Lotus and Chrysanthemum of Yuan Dynasty

The blue-and-white porcelain vase has a diameter of 6.4 cm at the mouth, 13 cm at the base, and a height of 38.7 cm. It was unearthed from the tomb of Prince Jing of Ying in Zhongxiang City, Hubei Province in 2006 and is now collected in the Hubei Provincial Museum.

The belly of the vase is decorated with plum blossom, orchids, lotus, and chrysanthemum patterns, which depict the daily lives and hobbies of four ancient Chinese literati: "Wang Xizhi loves orchids", "Zhou Maoshu loves lotus", "Tao Yuanming loves chrysanthemums", and "Lin Hejing loves plum blossoms and cranes". The paintings show their indifference to fame and fortune, their quiet seclusion, and their leisurely and elegant demeanor. The lower belly is decorated with lotus petal patterns. This vase is a typical blue-and-white porcelain of Yuan Dynasty, fired in the Jingdezhen kiln in Jiangxi Province.

This vase was treasured by Lady Guo, the concubin of Prince Jing of Ming Dynasty. According to records, after Prince Jing died, Lady Guo committed suicide. She was buried with her husband, and the blue-and-white porcelain vase, which she loved the most during her lifetime, became her most precious burial item. This vase has a beautiful shape, smooth lines, and a vibrant blue and white color. Its patterns of plum blossom, orchids, lotus, and chrysanthemum are extremely rare, making it a rare masterpiece of Yuan dynasty and a witness to the love of Prince Jing and Lady Guo.