Ewer in the Form of a Phoenix

This elegant stoneware vessel from Vietnam is titled Ewer in the Form of a Phoenix in The Met records, but the bird it represents is more accurately identified as a fenghuang - a mythic creature from Chinese mythology that spread throughout East and Southeast Asia.

The fenghuang is often mischaracterized in the West as a "Chinese phoenix," yet its symbolism is distinct. Unlike the phoenix of Greco-Roman and Christian tradition, which embodies fiery death and rebirth, the fenghuang represents balance, virtue, and harmony. In Chinese thought it embodies the union of yin and yang, often appearing as a pair to signify the empress or feminine counterpart to the dragon, the symbol of the emperor. Rather than renewal through destruction, the fenghuang signifies moral order, peace, and prosperity.