On a beautiful bird head hairpin, two birds hold their short beaks together, and under their open wings, feathers surround them. The most unique feature is that the heads and necks of these birds are curved, forming the shape of hearts. This “Bixin” golden hairpin, displayed in the West Hall of Suzhou Museum, is 25 centimeters long and weighs 25.5 grams. It was unearthed in 2017 from a large Dongwu family tomb on Huqiu Road in Suzhou, Jiangsu. Professor He Yunao from the Department of History at Nanjing University believes that it is currently the most exquisite Eastern Wu bronze artifact discovered, representing the exquisite craftsmanship of bronze artifacts from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Three Kingdoms period. Who once owned the bird headed golden hairpin? For whom is it worn again? What kind of stories have you witnessed? Experts believe that it may be related to Sun Ce and Da Qiao.
Paired birds form the modern perception of love, perhaps by coincidence. In this family tomb, gold ornaments and rings in the shapes of winged birds, crossed necked birds, and children were also unearthed, all of which symbolize romance and deep affection. Thousands of years later, they remain gentle and stunning in today’s time. In 194 AD, at the age of 19, Sun Ce defected to Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu, who was usually arrogant, domineering, and sarcastic, appreciated this young man who was both intelligent and brave, and expressed his admiration, saying, ‘If you have a son like Sun Lang, why should you hate him after death?’.
According to historical records, Sun Ce was known for his beautiful appearance and humorous language, as well as his broad and capable personality. Zhou Yu and Sun Ce were of the same year, and they became close friends at first sight, like brothers. In 195 AD, Sun Ce established a foundation in Jiangdong, and Zhou Yu rose up in response, helping Sun Ce expand his power. In the fourth year of Jian’an, the two met “Qiao Gong and Two Daughters” (referred to as “Qiao” in the “Records of the Three Kingdoms”) in Wan County. Sun Ce married Da Qiao, and Zhou Yu married Xiao Qiao. The historical records that cherish ink as gold only have a few fragments of information about Erqiao. The Records of the Three Kingdoms states that they were “all national beauties”, while the Biography of Jiangbiao records that their appearance was “wandering”. The hazy beauty in historical records has inspired many touching legends of heroes and beauties in later generations. Su Dongpo once wrote with envy, “Looking back to the time when Gong Jin was married, Xiao Qiao was young and handsome
However, this self proclaimed marriage did not last long, and Sun Ce was assassinated the following year. Where was Sun Ce buried, and how did Da Qiao live after Sun Ce? There is no further historical record. There are rumors of Sun Ce’s tomb in Hangzhou, Zhenjiang, Suzhou and other places. Where is true? It can be found in ancient literature, but the records in Suzhou are more reliable. According to the “Selected Works of the Ming Dynasty” in the Southern Dynasty, during the Western Jin Dynasty, Xie Xun, the magistrate of Wu County, once submitted a memorial to the Jin court, stating that the Sun Ce Cemetery had been destroyed by salary collectors, and requested to send five people to guard it, which was approved. Wu County was the administrative center of early Eastern Wu, which is now known as Suzhou. In the long river of history spanning over 1800 years, the protection of the Western Jin Dynasty was only a fleeting moment.
Hundreds of years later, in the works of Tang Dynasty poet Luo Yin and Song Dynasty poet Fan Chengda, the tomb of Sun Ce in Suzhou became a deserted hill, with shepherds playing flutes on it. Afterwards, the specific location of Sun Ce’s tomb disappeared from people’s sight. In 2016, during the construction of infrastructure in a residential area on Huqiu Road in Suzhou, an ancient tomb was discovered hidden beneath an 11 meter high mound. From July 2016 to April 2018, the Suzhou Institute of Archaeology conducted archaeological excavations and discovered 9 ancient tombs from different periods, of which 4 belonged to the same family of Dongwu. According to Zhang Tiejun, a research curator at the Suzhou Archaeological Research Institute who is in charge of the excavation work, there are dozens of “Marquis of Wu” and one inscribed brick with the words “Jianxing Year 2” in Tomb No. 5. Based on this time point and the experience of those who have been awarded the title of “Marquis of Wu” in historical books, it is inferred that the owner of Tomb No. 5 is Sun Shao, the son of Sun Ce. According to this information, the largest and most prestigious tomb owner in the family tomb, Tomb No. 1, may be Sun Ce.
Zhang Tiejun said that the tomb epitaphs collected at the archaeological site from the Southern Song Dynasty referred to Tudun as “Wu Tianzhi Dun”, providing further reference for determining the identity of the owner of Tomb No. 1. Tomb No.1, with early Eastern Wu style, has a residual length of 9 meters for the tomb passage, 14.2 meters for the tomb chamber, 4.2 meters for the residual height, and an area of approximately 60 square meters. The tomb has a front and back chamber, as well as two ear chambers, which have been repeatedly robbed and disturbed. From the shape and unearthed items of Tomb 1, it can be seen that it has reached the standards of emperors at that time, “He Yunao believed. The second tomb adjacent to the first tomb is speculated to be the burial place of a concubine, with only one tooth left in the remains. After identification, the age is not more than 25 years old. 1. The size of the bricks in Tomb No. 2 is the same, the masonry method is similar, and some unearthed objects have completely identical styles.
This inevitably reminds people of the record in the notes of Xue Fucheng, a Qing Dynasty scholar. After Sun Ce passed away suddenly, Da Qiao wept sadly for several months before also leaving this world. It is difficult to confirm whether Xue Fucheng’s notes are based on rigorous research or romantic imagination. However, the archaeological evidence of the construction of the two tombs and the close burial time of the tomb owners has indeed given space for imagination to modern people. A total of 83 pieces (groups) of cultural relics were unearthed from Tomb 2, including bronze daily necessities such as inkstones, incense burners, and irons, as well as celadon ear cups, silver tableware, silver gilded copper mirror frames, and gilded five baht coins, as well as exquisitely crafted gold rings, bracelets, hairpins, and amber string decorations. There are also vividly shaped dragon headed golden hairpins and this “Bixin” bird headed golden hairpin.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, smooth and plain round rings began to become popular in the Central Plains region. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, rings gradually became a symbol of love for men and women, but gold rings were extremely rare. The bronze mirror frame consists of a squatting beast frame top, 3 frame legs, and 4 gold chains. There are rivets between the frame top and legs, allowing for easy retraction and extension; The feet are shaped like bamboo joints and decorated with dragon heads and cloud patterns, with dragon scales shining with golden light. Mirror frames from the Han and Wei dynasties were already rare, and this mirror frame, which reached the level of the royal family and was decorated with extremely gorgeous decorations, may be the only one in the country, “said Lin Liugen, former director of the Jiangsu Provincial Institute of Archaeology who went through the entire restoration process.
The age of 25 is too short. The exquisite craftsmanship and beautiful meaning of the items in the tomb seem to tell the story of this young and beautiful woman, who was favored by life and loved by her lover. Zhang Tiejun, who personally extracted gold ornaments such as bird heads and hairpins from broken bricks and loess, said that these may be related to Sun Ce and Da Qiao. He sighed and said, “They reflect the tomb owner’s ideal expectations for a beautiful relationship during the wars and conflicts on the eve of the Three Kingdoms.” Over 1800 years have passed, and many of his and her past experiences have been quietly hidden by time. However, the two birds with hairpin heads still shine brightly, commemorating their gentle and affectionate relationship, making this romance eternal and timeless.
