Cicada, also known as cicada, has a high status in the minds of ancient people and has always been regarded as a symbol of purity, nobility and spirituality.
As time goes by, people give cicadas more meanings. For example, if a jade cicada is worn around the waist, it is homophoned as "waistband (cicada) Wan Guan"; if a cicada is lying on a leaf, it is named "Golden Branch (a homophone of 'cicada') Jade Leaf". Some people will also hang it on the waist. The jade cicada on the chest is named "Yi Ming Sui" (taken from the cicada's chirping sound).
Four pieces of jade cicadas from the Han Dynasty are introduced as follows:
1. White jade cicada, 5.2 cm long and 2.6 cm wide. The head of the cicada is strongly carved and the tail is curved. The shape is convergent, the dorsal line is raised, and the eyes and wings are carved out using the ground subtraction method. The shape of the vessel is straight and straight.
2. Topaz cicada, 4.7 cm long, 2.8 cm wide, gray-white, translucent. The head of the cicada is slightly pointed, and the wings on both sides are outlined in arcs, which is elegant and moderate.
3. Green jade cicada, 5.6 cm long, 2.6 cm wide, with white spots. The cicada's eyes protrude obliquely on both sides, with a figure-eight shape protruding in the middle. The back has a flat arc, the wings are long and narrow, and several lines can be seen on the abdomen. The workmanship is clean and neat.
4. The black jade cicada is 4.5 cm long and 2.2 cm wide, with a flat body and bright colors. The head of the cicada is obliquely cut, the back line is raised, and the tail is gradually tapered in an arc. The eyes and body of the cicada are outlined with negative lines. The use of the Han Eight Sword Techniques is concise and smooth, making it clear at a glance.