Han Tang Volume - Identification of Ancient Jade Knife Craftsmanship

Author: Honggu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The craftsmanship of ancient jade tools can be summarized into the following five periods:
1. The "stone-made jade" period, where "stone tools were used to carve jade."
2. The Zhou Dynasty "Kunwu Knife" period, where jade was carved as easily as mud.
3. The Han Dynasty "Eight Han Knives" period, characterized by simplicity, refinement, and boldness.
4. The Six Dynasties "Ingenious Carving" period, known for its unique and delicate craftsmanship.
5. The Qing Dynasty Qianlong "Exquisite Carving" period, marked by meticulous and luxurious designs.
This book provides readers with a quick guide to identifying the craftsmanship of different historical periods, supported by detailed research.
Main Patterns
1. Five Styles of Han Chi Patterns: Chi patterns were popular on Han Dynasty jade artifacts.
It is said that Chi is one of the nine sons of the dragon. In the Ming Dynasty, Chen Renxi's Qianque Lishu records: "The dragon has nine sons." Among the nine, the hornless dragon is Chi. Guangya·Explanation of Chi states: "Jiaolong has scales, Yinglong has wings, Qulong has horns, and Chilong has no horns."
The Han Dynasty Chi patterns include five styles: hornless, horned, square-round ears, drooping ears, and notched ears.
The square head of Han Chi resembles a cat's head, a unique feature of Han Dynasty jade.
Most Han Chi tails are decorated with thick rope patterns, another important feature of Han Dynasty jade.
2. Pioneering the "Four Spirits" Pattern: The "Four Spirits" refer to the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.
In the Shang Dynasty, the stars appearing in the sky at dusk in spring were divided into four regions: southeast, northeast, northwest, and southwest. The southern star cluster resembled a bird, called the "Vermilion Bird"; the eastern star cluster resembled a dragon, called the "Azure Dragon"; the western star cluster resembled a tiger, called the "White Tiger"; and the northern star cluster resembled both a turtle and a snake, called the "Black Tortoise."
Book of Rites·Curved Etiquette, Part 1: "Walk in front of the Vermilion Bird and behind the Black Tortoise, with the Azure Dragon on the left and the White Tiger on the right." Kong Yingda's annotation: "The Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, and White Tiger are the names of the four cardinal constellations."
Most artifacts adorned with the Four Spirits pattern are from the Han Dynasty (except for later imitations).
3. New Cloud Patterns:
Spring Cloud patterns are mostly inwardly curled.
Zhou Cloud patterns are mostly convexly curled.
Han Cloud patterns are mostly arched, commonly referred to as "bracket clouds." The arched cloud patterns laid the foundation for later "Four-Petal Cloud" and "Flowing Cloud" patterns.
4. The Han Dynasty still inherited the "bursting grain" patterns from the Zhou Dynasty, but the grains were hemispherical and bulbous, and the texture was less rough than the Zhou patterns.
5. High-relief Chi patterns on sword decorations are a vivid feature of Han Dynasty jade.
6. The concentric-circle jade discs originated in the Zhou Dynasty but became most popular during the Han Dynasty. After the Han Dynasty, such patterns rarely appeared again.
Most Han jade discs are rarely carved with Chi patterns. Those with high-relief Chi patterns are mostly later imitations.