Jade ornaments

Author: Jie Ren
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: The Chinese nation is the first to recognize the natural beauty of jade and utilize it. Setting aside the stone tools and jade artifacts discovered at the Liancheng Xianrendong site in Liaoning, which date back 12,000 years, even considering the jade artifacts from the Neolithic Age cultures such as Hongshan, Liangzhu, and Longshan, the history of the Chinese nation using and cherishing jade has at least five to seven thousand years. Archaeologists believe that there was a Jade Age between the Neolithic Age and the Bronze and Iron Ages. The cultural, religious, and political attributes of jade were gradually perfected in the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. Confucius said that jade possesses eleven virtues, including benevolence, wisdom, righteousness, propriety, loyalty, and trustworthiness. The Book of Rites states that "a gentleman never parts with jade for no reason," and even that a gentleman should "take jade as his model," all emphasizing that people of social status and identity should learn from jade and be reminded that they must keep jade with them without special reasons. The Chinese nation's reverence for jade, respect for jade, and love for jade reached its peak during the Ming and Qing dynasties, surpassing the Han and Tang dynasties. The elegance and sanctity of jade conquered generation after generation of Chinese people. Even today, despite the thousands of ancient artworks that remain, none can match the ancient jade in captivating both those who understand it and those who do not. The collecting world has a remarkable phenomenon that is not often discussed with outsiders: owning even one or two pieces of ancient jade is enough to speak elegantly in the presence of others. Since there are so many jade lovers, collecting ancient jade is a natural and reasonable pursuit, and acquiring basic knowledge of appreciation becomes extremely important. In the Neolithic Age, jade and stone were not distinguished; any fine, durable natural mineral aggregate with bright color and ease of carving was called jade, even including early glass. The spread of Hetian jade in Xinjiang began in the Shang Dynasty, and the northward movement of Burmese jade into China only occurred during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Jade artifacts unearthed from the Hongshan culture sites in Liaoning, the Liangzhu culture sites in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and the Longshan culture sites in Shandong are mostly local soft jade, including Xiuyan jade, feldspar, calcite, and quartz agate. Strictly speaking, calling them jade artifacts is more accurate. In recent years, in the ancient Nanyue territory, including Guangdong, Guangxi, and the southern border regions of Hunan, pieces of jade such as jade blocks, jade triangles, jade gourds, and jade cicadas have been found in circulation, mixed with stone, in milky white, gray white, brown green, and black colors. The shapes are strongly characterized by their era. The jade cong is a ritual vessel that appeared in the late Neolithic Age and was considered a treasure in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. After the Han Dynasty, it gradually disappeared. The jade xuanji and jade triangle ornaments are late Neolithic Age forms, rarely seen in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. The jade Wengzhong warrior figurines originated in the Han Dynasty and ended in the Han Dynasty, with later imitations becoming triangular-bearded literary official figurines. As for the gui (a type of ceremonial dagger-axe), it is said that Yu the Great, for his merits in controlling the floods, was gifted one by Yunhua, the 23rd daughter of the Queen Mother of the West. Some scholars, however, argue that the claim of the gui being a ritual vessel in the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties is pure nonsense, merely an invention of Han Dynasty Confucian scholars. All of these facts are clear in my mind and are undoubtedly correct. Even knowing a little about them is highly beneficial. This series of books consists of five volumes: Stationery, Bamboo Ware, Jade Decorative Pieces, Jade Accessories, and Wooden Ware. The series is accompanied by numerous color photographs of artifacts from various periods, making it a practical handbook for folk collections, and is highly worth reading for collectors.