Princess of Cao

Zhu Fonü
Grand Princess Cao of the Ming Dynasty
Born	1317 Zhongli, Haozhou (present-day eastern Fengyang County, Anhui Province)
Died	1351 (aged 36)
Spouse	Li Zhen
Issue	Li Wenzhong
Father	Zhu Shizhen
Mother	Empress Chun

Grand Princess Cao of the Ming Dynasty(1317–1351). personal name Zhu Fonü,^[1][2] was a royal princess of Ming Dynasty. She was the second elder sister of Hongwu Emperor, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the second daughter of Zhu Shizhen.^[2]

She was the wife of Li Zhen, a founding meritorious official of the Ming Dynasty and had one son.^[2]

In 1317, Zhu Fonü was born probably in Zhongli, Haozhou (present-day eastern Fengyang County, Anhui Province) to Zhu Shizhen (Emperor Chun) and Empress Chun.^[2]

In probably 1330s, Zhu Fonü married Li Zhen (later Duke of Cao) and the couple had a son Li Wenzhong in 1339.^[3]

In 1351 Zhu Fonü died at the age of 36, when her son Li Wenzhong was only 12^[2]and Zhu Yuanzhang was only 24 years old and was still a monk in Yuhuang Temple.^[4]

In 1368 Zhu Yuanzhang posthumously honored his elder sister as the Xiaoqin Princess.^[2][5]

In 1370 Zhu Fonü's title was revised to Longxi Chang Princess.^[2][6]

In 1372 Zhu Fonü's in recognition of her being the mother Li Wenzhong, Duke of Cao of the Cao Guo family, she was additionally posthumously conferred the title "Cao Guo Chang Princess."^[2][7]

"Portrait of the Filial Princess Cao Guo Chang" recorded as item No. 12 in the Qiyang Family Cultural Relics Catalog is a posthumous portrait of Princess Cao, sister of the Hongwu Emperor. She is depicted wearing an exquisitely crafted nine-diao crown adorned with pearls and jadeite.

"Pearl and Jadeite Nine-Diao Crown"

The pearl and jadeite nine-diao crown is the highest-ranking headdress worn by noblewomen. Constructed from a framework fashioned out of lacquered bamboo fibers or black gauze and draped with jadeite, the crown is elaborately decorated. It features:

• Primary Ornaments: Nine jadeite "mountain chickens" and four golden phoenixes, each depicted with a droplet of pearl held in its beak.
• Surrounding Embellishments: Encircling these primary figures are forty panels depicting cloud motifs made from pearls and jadeite, along with nine large jeweled floral ornaments and nine smaller ones.
• Additional Adornments: Two side hair ornaments, each intricately detailed with phoenix motifs, from which pearl droplets hang.
• Decorative Bands (Mouth Rings):Similar to the design found in the "Nine Dragons and Four Phoenixes Crown," the Nine-Diao Crown includes two bands: one jadeite band adorned with nine gold-inlaid floral ornaments, and one golden band set with five pearl-and-jade floral medallions, complemented by a pair of sequined jade rings.
• Complementary Headscarf: To complete the ensemble, a black silk gauze headscarf, without a crown, is worn with the crown. This headscarf is inlaid with twenty-one pearls and features a phoenix embroidered in gold thread.

She is dressed in a red robe embellished with ornate golden patterns of five-colored dragons, paired with a cape featuring phoenix motifs and accented with gold pendants; in her hand, she holds a jade scepter.^[2][3][4]

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