Ancient Jade Identification - Sui, Tang to Ming and Qing

Author: Yang Boba
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Over a span of 1330 years, jade artifacts from the Sui, Tang, and Qing dynasties, building upon the foundations of jade from the Qin and Han dynasties to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, not only inherited but also discarded certain aspects, emerging with a new appearance on the increasingly prosperous stage of jade culture. This thirteen-century period is also a significant historical era in the history of ancient Chinese jade. The sacrificial, hierarchical, funerary, and social functions of jade also underwent changes, with some additions and subtractions. With the prosperity of urban economies, the improved status of commoners, the transformation of academic perspectives, the shifting of social customs, and the maturation of painting and craftsmanship, the art of carving jade expanded into vast spaces and new development paths for appreciation, collectibles, and commercialization. In terms of form, patterns, art, and style, it underwent unprecedented major transformations. From a research perspective, jade artifacts from the Sui to the Qing dynasties were not given much attention by epigraphers. It was not until the Ming, Tang, and Song dynasties that jade artifacts were cherished by connoisseurs and collectors. Official appraisals and the subjective impressions, interpretations, identification insights, and evaluations of connoisseurs, as well as praise and criticism, were recorded in official histories and some catalogs. However, few people truly understood the jade of the Tang and Song dynasties. Therefore, jade artifacts from the Sui to the Qing dynasties are a weak link in the appreciation and scientific research of ancient Chinese jade.