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Jade has not only been idealized and personified, but also mythologized, particularly in ancient times when jade vessels were dedicated to rituals and divination purposes. The ancients believed that jade was formed where phoenixes had landed and where there were accumulations of the essence of yang. Proper panning was conducted during moon-lit nights by naked women. It was believed that only by using yin (women were philosophized as yin) to absorb yang could pure jade, the essence of the earth and sky, be obtained. This belief influenced the Chinese for many centuries. 

The ancient Chinese also believed that jade staved off corrosion and evil spirits. Many jade burial objects have been found in tombs that date as far back as the Zhou Dynasty (11th Century BC). The Zhou people began using flat pieces of jade to cover corpses. In the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220) this custom developed even further. Flat and square jade pieces were sewn by gold thread into burial suites for rulers so that their physical beings would never vanish. In 1971, the tombs of Prince Jing of the Western Han Dynasty and his wife were excavated, yielding two jade suits. However, the bodies inside had vanished a long time ago.

Myths about jade faded with the passage of time. However, many people today still believe that wearing jade is good for one’s health. Face massagers made of jade have been used since the Qing Dynasty. There are also jade pillows and seat mats. Plum Blossom Jade produced in Henan Province is black in color and has many blue, red, white, yellow and green dots, just like plum blossoms. Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty named this jade a state treasure. Modern tests show that it contains trace elements needed by the human body.

The ancient Chinese valued jade very much, as evidenced by the extensive use of the material. The unearthed artifacts of the Hongshan Culture (5,000 to 6,000 years ago) fall into two broad categories: pottery and jade. The jade ware of the period includes ornaments, ritual artifacts, and divination vessels. Ritual jade battle axes and hatchets symbolized power. Divination vessels were carved in the shape of small animals, such as birds and silkworms. The totem jade of the Hongshan people is a pig with a dragon’s head.

Jade was dominant in China prior to the Bronze Age. The original ancient pictographic character for jade was composed of three horizontal pieces of jade stringed by a central, vertical stroke. Later a dot was added to the character to stand for the word, jade. The one without the dot changed pronunciation, and the three horizontal jade pieces became simply three horizontal lines. This character now stands to mean “king” or “monarch” in Chinese.

(Source: ancienthistory.mrdonn.org)

Jade has been blessed by nature with many fine attributes – jade is solid in texture, beautiful in color, comfortable to the touch, and produces a pleasant sound when tapped. These qualities matched the ethical standards and codes of conduct of the ancient people and were hence personified. Confucius (551-479 BC) concluded that jade had 11 virtues, such as benevolence (being smooth and lustrous), fidelity (the feel never irritates the skin), polite etiquette (there was an order of wearing), and sincerity (a flaw in jade never hides itself). The Confucian culture advocated that a gentleman should define his manners and conduct in accordance with the virtues of jade.

For a long time, wearing jade ornaments was in vogue. Ornaments were either a single piece of jade or comprised of as many as nine pieces strung together. People used the ornaments to symbolize their social status. The ornaments were carved with auspicious designs and words that wished good luck and happy lives. Wearing jade ornaments was most popular during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Those who did not wear them were considered improperly dressed, and houses without jade decorations were not considered homes. For poor and ordinary people who could not afford real jade, they would put up a few couplets that said something like “the hall shines with gold and jade.” For women, jade bracelets took up most space in their jewelry boxes. Bracelets received as engagement and wedding gifts were as precious as today’s diamond wedding rings. The Chinese describe a good marriage as a “gold and jade marriage.”

(Source: ancienthistory.mrdonn.org)

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)