Zhu Zhangi was born in 1411, was the 9th son of Hongxi emperor (1378 – 1425), the only holder of the title and ruled from 1429 to 1441. The scale of his burial is shown by the great mound, traces, of the boundary wall, and many fragments of tiled roof scattered on the ground. The river in front of the tomb still flows and provides geomantic protection; it once made the transportation of building materials possible. Once his tomb was excavated, it revealed the splendid contents including objects in ceramic, jade and non-precious metals like bronze and iron, huge amounts of gold and silver in the form of metal vessels and jewelry which was mounted with large gems of good quality. The title on the monograph on the side states “Liang Zhuang wang mu” which conceals the fact that most of the impressive finds are related to the kingly consort, the Lady Wei. This is due to how Chinese women are more invisible to the historical gaze than Ming Kings. She is also buried in the tomb and outlived her husband by 10 years, due to her death in 1451.
Screen of Kings : Royal Art and Power in Ming China.
