Chinese Ancient Jade Objects - A Guide for Common People's Collections (Volumes 1 and 2)

Author: Xin Hong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: China is renowned as the "Land of Jade," and the Chinese nation has a deep love and respect for jade. Compared to other artworks, jade objects possess rich cultural connotations. Confucianism holds the belief that "gentlemen compare themselves to jade," linking human virtues with the lustrous and warm qualities of jade. During the Han Dynasty, people further summarized the characteristics of jade into the "Five Virtues of benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, courage, and purity," corresponding to the virtues of gentlemen. Throughout the dynasties, officials, merchants, commoners, and ordinary people all regarded jade pendants as auspicious, leading to the saying, "A gentleman never removes jade from his body without reason." The Chinese nation has been crafting and using jade objects for over 8,000 years, and jade remains a popular subject for collection and appreciation among Chinese people today. Such a long and enduring history of jade development can be seen as a microcosm of the history of Chinese civilization.
The booming contemporary collection of jade objects. With the rapid development of China's economy and the continuous improvement of people's living standards and cultural literacy, the enthusiasm for collecting and investing in artworks has quietly risen, and jade, as a highlight of ancient Chinese art, has once again become a favorite among the public for collection. In recent years, jade collections span various historical periods, including Hongshan Culture, Shang, Western Zhou, Warring States, Han, Tang, Song, Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing. The types of jade objects include various ritual vessels, writing instruments, daily utensils, auspicious pendants, decorative items, as well as Buddha figures, human figures, and animals. They showcase the craftsmanship and artistic styles of different eras, featuring techniques such as relief carving, openwork carving, incision, carving in high relief, and inlaying, ranging from intricate to simple, realistic to exaggerated. The decorative motifs include flowers, birds, grass, insects, line patterns, and even calligraphy, offering a wide variety of designs.
For this reason, we have compiled this book, A Guide to Collecting Jade Objects—Jade Artworks Throughout Chinese History, featuring jade collections from ordinary people for readers to appreciate.