High Ancient Scroll - Identification of Ancient Jade Knife Craftsmanship

Author: Honggu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: "The Book of Rites" states: "Jade must be carved to become a vessel." Carving jade requires meticulous craftsmanship. During the Stone Age, there was no such thing as precise "craftsmanship," and the unearthed jade axes, adzes, and other jade artifacts are mostly plain and unadorned. Even the primitive patterns like cordons and wavy lines on Neolithic pottery are rarely found on contemporary jade works. It wasn't until the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties that craftsmanship began to be valued by jade carvers. Over time, each dynasty demonstrated unique carving techniques. This book, based on detailed research, provides readers with a quick guide to identifying the craftsmanship of Neolithic jade.
Characteristic Forms
1. The emergence of standardized jade belt plates.
"The Annals of Ming Dynasty · Transportation and Dress" states: "(In the 13th year of Hongwu's reign) Only the first-grade officials, dukes, marquises, and imperial consorts could use jade belts."
The 13th year of Hongwu's reign established the ranks eligible to wear jade belts but did not specify the number of plates. After Yongle, it was decreed that the front waist of the belt plates should have 13 pieces, and the back waist 7 pieces. Standardized belt plates were established, and these 20-piece jade belt plates were called "formal jade belt plates."
Ming dynasty belt plates abandoned the flat single-layer relief techniques of the Tang and Song dynasties, introducing double-layer hollow carving, where brocade and cloud patterns served as the background, with motifs hollow-carved on the front, also known as "flower-and-flower underlay."
Hollow-carved dragon patterns are famous Ming dynasty belt plate motifs.
2. A surge in the production of ancient ritual vessels.
After the Han dynasty, three-dynasty ritual vessels gradually declined and became nearly extinct by the Tang dynasty. However, during the Ming dynasty, under the banner of "following the ways of the ancient kings," they sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain.
3. The popularity of dragon-and-dragon-shaped belt hooks.
Ming hooks differed significantly from Han hooks: Ming hooks primarily featured dragon-and-dragon patterns, with pear-shaped hooks that slightly convexed upward. The hook heads had square dragon heads with long hair flowing backward.
4. The prevalence of jade-carved children.
Jade-carved children were extremely popular in the Ming dynasty, similar to the lotus-blossom children of the Song dynasty but with more varied designs and often appearing older, with bamboo-veined pleats on their clothing.
5. The "Zigang" jade that has endured through the ages.
"The Suzhou Prefecture Gazetteer" describes: "Lu Zigang, a jade carver, crafted a water-lily hairpin, exquisitely intricate, with flower stems as fine as hair."
"The Taicang Prefecture Gazetteer" states: "There was a man named Lu Zigang in this prefecture who excelled in jade carving."
Lu Zigang, a native of Taicang, Jiangsu, during the Jiajing and Wanli reigns of the Ming dynasty, often worked in Suzhou, where his jade carving was hailed as "the unparalleled skill of Wu." The jade plaques he carved were called "Zigang plaques."
Lu Zigang favored techniques such as openwork, round carving, relief carving, carved relief and incised lines, and often polished the background to a sandy texture, rough like frosted glass, commonly referred to as "sand-grounding."