In 2002, a tiger-shaped bird-shaped drum was unearthed from Tomb No. 2 of the Chu Tomb of the Warring States Period at Jiuliandun, Zaoyang, Hubei Province. It is about 136 cm high and 134 cm wide. It has a unique shape with six snakes wrapped around the base and a small tiger holding the drum for the first time. This artefact was selected as one of the top ten new “treasures of the museum” of Hubei Provincial Museum in 2020.
Painted Drum Frame with Bird and Tiger Carvings 彩绘漆木虎座鸟架鼓
Lacquerware | Warring States (c.481-221 BC) – State of Chu (c. 1030 BC – 223 BC) | Excavated from Tomb No. 2 of the Warring States Chu Tombs at Jiuliandun, Zaoyang, Hubei Province in 2002 | Collection of Hubei Provincial Museum. 漆器｜战国时代 楚国｜通高约136厘米，宽134厘米｜2002年湖北枣阳九连墩战国楚墓2号墓出土｜湖北省博物馆藏1
Tiger-shaped drum stand with bird-shaped frame, a representative artefact of Chu culture, has been unearthed primarily in four provinces—Hubei, Hunan, southern Henan, and Anhui—which were within the sphere of influence of the Chu state during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Hubei province, the core area of Chu, has yielded the most, with as many as 32 pieces. Among them, the tiger-shaped drum stand with bird-shaped frame unearthed from Chu Tomb No. 2 at Jiuliandun, Zaoyang, Hubei Province, is the most exquisite and is featured in the permanent exhibition “Eight Hundred Years of Chu” at the Hubei Provincial Museum, as one of its ten museum treasures.
Dating back to the mid-to-late Warring States period, this artefact features two reclining tigers as its base, with a phoenix perched on each tiger’s back. Between the phoenixes, facing away from each other, hangs a large drum atop their crests. Two young tigers rest their hind legs on the phoenixes’ backs, while their front paws support the drum’s cavity. Snakes are coiled beneath the tiger bases. The entire vessel is lacquered in black, with red and yellow accents highlighting the romantic and fantastical aspects of Chu culture.
The shape of the tiger-shaped phoenix-framed drum contains rich cultural connotations and symbolic meanings. Some believe that the bird is a symbol of the phoenix which is the incarnation of the fire god Zhurong and the totem of the Chu people, while the tiger is the totem of the Ba people.
The shape of the phoenix stepping on the tiger symbolises the victory of the Chu people over the Ba people, reflecting the Chu people’s spirit of worshipping the phoenix and belittling the tiger and not being afraid of violence.
Some scholars have also noticed the differences in the shape of the phoenix’s beak (such as closed, open, and holding a pearl) on different artefacts, speculating that this may be related to the status of the tomb owner. The image of the phoenix raising its head and singing often reminds people of the idiom “to become famous overnight” (“一鸣惊人”) which originated from the Chu state. It is recorded that King Zhuang of Chu once compared himself to the phoenix.
In terms of the shape of the artefact, the coiled dragon (snake) pattern on the base, the tiger in the middle and the phoenix on the top are respectively regarded as the embodiment of the totems of the Central Plains, the Ba people and the Chu people. Therefore, this artefact is also regarded as a vivid testament to the cultural exchanges and integration of multiple ethnic groups.
There are different opinions in the academic community regarding its specific function and nature. Some people think it is a practical musical instrument, some think it is a ritual instrument, or both.
As a typical representative of Chu culture, the Tiger-shaped Phoenix-framed Suspended Drum has a unique shape. Its stable tiger base and flying phoenix frame combine to highlight the romantic, magical and even bizarre artistic style of Chu culture, which is closely related to the shamanistic culture background of Chu.
Early Chu burial offerings consisted primarily of bronze vessels in the Zhou style. Later Chu burials, especially during the Warring States, featured distinct burial objects, such as colorful lacquerware, iron, and silk, accompanied by a reduction in bronze vessel offerings. A common Chu motif was the vivid depiction of wildlife, mystical animals, and natural imagery, such as snakes, dragons, phoenixes, tigers, and free-flowing clouds and serpent-like beings.
Some archaeologists speculate that Chu may have had cultural connections to the previous Shang dynasty, since many motifs used by Chu appeared earlier at Shang sites such as serpent-tailed gods.
The tiger-shaped bird-shaped drum is made entirely using Chu-style lacquerware decoration techniques. Chu lacquerware production continued uninterrupted for nearly 400 years, from the mid-Spring and Autumn Period to the late Warring States Period, and is considered a peak in Chinese lacquerware craftsmanship. Experts manage to recreate the drum stand in its full splendour on display at the other end of the exhibition hall. It was discovered that lacquerware during the Chu period was not only red and black; it contains gold, silver, yellow and blue as well.
all photos taken at Hubei Province Museum, Apr 2026, unless otherwise noted.
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
Footnotes :
- 虎座凤架悬鼓的造型蕴含了丰富的文化寓意与象征意义。有观点认为，凤为楚人图腾或火神祝融的化身，虎为巴人图腾，凤足踏虎的造型寓意楚人战胜巴人，体现了楚人崇凤贬虎、不畏强暴的精神。 [14-15] [20] [22]也有学者注意到不同器物上凤鸟嘴部形态（如闭合、打开、含珠）的差异，推测这可能与墓主人的身份等级有关。 [8]凤鸟昂首高鸣的形象，常让人联想到源自楚国的成语“一鸣惊人”，据载楚庄王曾以凤凰自喻。 [13] [25-26]
在器物造型上，底座盘曲的龙（蛇）纹、中部的虎与上部的凤鸟，分别被视为中原、巴人与楚人图腾的体现，因此这件器物也被视作多民族文化交往交流交融的生动见证。 [16] [19] [21]
关于其具体功能与性质，学界存在不同看法，有人认为它是实用乐器，有人认为是祭祀礼器，或二者兼有。 [15] [20]
作为楚文化的典型代表物，虎座凤架悬鼓造型独特，其稳重的虎座与飞扬的凤架相结合，彰显了楚文化浪漫、神奇乃至诡谲的艺术风格，这与楚地的巫文化背景密切相关。 [8] [16] [21]
https://baike.baidu.com/item/虎座凤架悬鼓/58989622
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