Many countries have jade ware culture, but none of them has as long a history as China has. China’s jade ware culture has undergone a long process of development from the New Stone Age 10,000 years ago to the present. During the Neolithic Age, men found that some stones were more beautiful, finer in texture and more solid than others and used them to make tools, arrowheads, and ornaments. These were the prototypes of jade ware. The materials used by the ancients included not only soft jade but also other gemstones, such as serpentine, turquoise, malachite and agate. The ancient Chinese called these beautiful stones “yu,” or jade. The first Chinese dictionary, Explanation of Words and Phrases, published in 100 during the Eastern Han Dynasty defines the meaning of “yu” as “the most beautiful stone.” The earliest jade ware found in China was a piece of serpentine stoneware unearthed in the site of the lmmortal Cave in Haicheng of Liaoning Province dating back to the New Stone Age, more than 12,000 years ago. The second was a small hanging jade article excavated in the site of Hemudu in Zhejiang Province dating back more than 7,000 years. Jade ware in that period was mainly used for personal decoration. A large number of exquisite jade objects were produced 4,000 years ago. Jade ware at that time was mainly used for witchcraft and as an emblem of privileges.
During the Shang Dynasty (B.C. 1600–B.C. 1066,) craftsmen used metal tools to make new progress in jade ware models and sculpture. Round jade articles increased in number and jade ware was often given as gifts. The jade-carving technique developed fast in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (B.C. 770–B.C 221.) The Spring and Autumn period was known for its well- carved and exquisite jade ware. The coherent and undulating patterns of dragon, phoenix and Panli (a figure of Chinese folklore) on the jade decorations are still treasured today.
In the periods of the Qin and Han dynasties (B.C221–A.D220), jade ware became more practical and objects such as jade tablets fell out of use. At that time, people began to believe in the power of jade ware to increase longevity. They thought they would live forever like gods if they had jade ware. Therefore, the practice of burying the dead with jade ware became common. Invaluable jade figures and clothes sewn with gold threads have been found in tombs dating back to the Han dynasty.
During the periods of the Three Kingdoms (AD 220–280) to Song and Yuan dynasties (AD 960–1368), there was no great development in the jade-carving technique. This changed in the Ming Dynasty when many still famous craftsmen emerged. White jade vessels with gold holders and white jade bowls with gold covers, which were unearthed in the Ming Tombs, reflected the dynasty’s peak level in jade carving. The jade ware technique peaked in the Qing Dynasty ( AD 1644–1911) under the advocacy of Emperor Qianlong .
The patterns of China’s jade ware have rich connotations showing strong auspicious colors. Bats and gourds were often used as a basis for more than 100 patterns because the Chinese words (bat and gird) sound like “good fortune” in the Chinese language. When a bat was carved on an ancient coin with a hole, it meant fortune was at hand. When many bats were put with birthday peaches, they referred to fortune and longevity. If bats were mixed with sika, birthday peaches and magpies, they also had a good meaning. All these reflected the ancient Chinese people’s yearning for a happy life and revealed the essence of China’s traditional culture.
Jade in China is varied and can be divided into two categories: hard and soft. Good materials provide strong basics for jade ware carving, but the value of a jade object depends on the skills and reputation of craftsmen, the dates of carving, peculiar modeling and the owner’s status. Certainly, different people will have various views on the value of the same jade object. It is difficult to have a unanimous standard. Due to the high value of ancient jade ware, there is an equally long tradition of fake jade ware, which looks much like the real thing. Jade ware collectors should be careful and seek the opinions of professionals before making any major purchases.
Jade carving appeared first in the Shang and Zhou dynasties about 3,000 years ago when it had become a separate profession and excavations have shown the fine workmanship of that time. The materials used included all kinds of hard stones, such as jadeite, nephrite, red agate, white agate, crystal, amethyst, coral, ruby and sapphire. It is a special skill to exploit the natural color of a piece of jade to create an effective design. So the most expensive ones are not those of one single color, but those of multiple colors, the carving skillfully enhancing the different colors in an object. The Han scholar, Xu Shen, described that: “Jade is the fairest of stones. It is endowed with five virtues. Charity is typified by its luster, bright yet warm; rectitude by its translucency, revealing the color and markings within; wisdom by the purity and penetrating quality of its note when the stone is struck; courage, in that it may be broken, but cannot be bent; equity, in that it has sharp angles, which yet injure none.”
(Source: ancienthistory.mrdonn.org)
