Classification of Jade
Jade can be divided into nephrite and jade [2]. Nephrite generally refers to white jade, sapphire, jasper and Northeast Xiuyu produced in Xinjiang, my country. Jadeite It refers to jadeite produced in Myanmar. Whether it is nephrite or jadeite, their texture is very hard and their color is very bright, so it is known as the "King of Stones".
Jade is already valuable, but after being processed and carved by skilled craftsmen, it becomes a priceless treasure. With the development of the times, jade ware has gradually formed a jade culture.
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The connotation of jade
The word "jade" originated from the oldest writing in my country, in the oracle bones and bells and tripods of the Shang Dynasty.
Nearly 500 Chinese characters for jade have been created, and there are countless words composed of jade. The Chinese characters for treasure are all related to jade. The word "bao" that has been passed down in later generations is The combined characters of "jade" and "家" indicate that "jade" is privately owned, which shows its irreplaceable value.
The word "jade" is a beautiful and noble word in the minds of the ancients. In ancient poetry, jade is often used to metaphor and describe all beautiful people or things. For example: words that use jade to describe people include jade appearance, jade face, jade girl, graceful standing, etc.; words that use jade to describe objects include jade meal, jade food, jade spring, etc.; idioms composed of jade include golden and jade good relationship, golden rule, round and round jade, throwing bricks to attract jade. etc., there are folk legends and stories about jade such as "Heshi's Wall", "Hongmen Banquet", "Playing Jade and Playing the Flute", "Women's Trouble Mending the Sky", etc. There are even more people who name their beloved children after jade. For example, Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu have never tired of reading the touching "Dream of Red Mansions" for many years. It was Cao Xueqin who placed his ideals in life on this piece of beautiful jade. His love for jade has taken root in the hearts of the Chinese people. deep roots.
Xu Shen of the Han Dynasty explained jade in "Shuowen Jiezi" as: "The beauty of jade and stone." This annotation comes from two aspects: material (stone) and artistic (beauty). The concept of the word "jade" is scientifically explained.
There is also "like the connection of three jade/its connection", that is, the original meaning of jade pictogram is three pieces of beautiful jade connected by a silk rope, which is a rich shape, and also means that the ancients used jade to symbolize All things, the "Three Jade Connections" represent the connection between heaven, earth and man.
The variety of jade is described as rich and colorful, which can be said to be "thousands of agates and thousands of jade".
It shows that the natural beauty of jade is not affected by human will. It can be said that "beautiful jade can be encountered but cannot be sought, and it can never be repeated."
It means that the economic value of jade is beyond the reach of other things. It can be said that "gold is valuable but jade is priceless. Hiding gold is not as good as hiding jade."
The culture of jade is China’s culture of more than 7,000 years. It is a special and profound culture that is unique to China. It has filled the entire historical period of China, and the anecdotes about it are even more colorful and bizarre. This shows that the Chinese nation loves jade deeply, sincerely, fascinated and crazy. Therefore, the Chinese people's traditional concept of using jade has been formed, which is respecting jade, loving jade, admiring jade, appreciating jade, and playing with jade.
The moistness of jade can eliminate the impetuous mind, the color of jade can delight the bored mind, and the purity of jade can purify the dirty mind. Therefore, gentlemen love jade and hope to find the natural aura in jade.
Jade is the beauty of stone, its positive color and pure moisturizing quality are of the highest quality. The same goes for gemstones. Its value does not entirely depend on its composition. Most of the jadeite and white jade are worthless. Just like people, every nation has heroes. Good jade is the treasure of stone.
History of the Development of Jade Culture
Chinese ancestors chose beautiful stones to grind jade articles. A pair of white jade blocks were first seen at the Xinglongwa Cultural Site in Chahai, Inner Mongolia 2,000 years ago. The germination and establishment of China’s jade industry occurred more than 10,000 years ago in the Late Paleolithic Age.
In our country, jade has a history of more than 5,000 years since the Paleolithic Age. It records human life and social changes, and it is many years earlier than gold, silver, copper, and iron. From the Paleolithic Age to slave society and feudal society, wearing jade represents people's social status.
From ground jade to exquisite jade carvings, jade has developed with the development of society, and the culture of jade has become richer - jade dragons and jade bis in the Neolithic Age, jade knives and Ges in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and swords in the Spring and Autumn Period. Decorations, belt hooks, auspicious animals of the Han Dynasty, flower and bird hairpins of the Tang and Song Dynasties, and large jade carvings of the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Especially in the Qing Dynasty, the carving art can be said to have reached the pinnacle of the history of Chinese jade carving. It is worth mentioning that the jade pendants made by Lu Zigang, a craftsman in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, pioneered the jade pendants with rich pictures and texts, novel compositions and exquisite workmanship. They are still highly praised today and are commonly known as "Zigang Pei". It adds more brilliant colors to the culture of jade.
Beautiful jade is loved by us Orientals. Orientals often use jade as a metaphor for people's virtues. Confucianism emphasizes that "a gentleman must wear jade", "jade will not be removed from the body without reason", etc.
The data unearthed in my country prove that there were jade articles in the early Neolithic Age. A small number of jade beads, jade tubes and jade jues were found in the Neolithic cultural sites in Hemudu, Zhejiang. But the origin of jade in my country should be earlier than this. Jade was born out of the matrix of stone tools and far surpasses stone tools. At first, they were just small jade pieces drilled with a hole and used as pendants, or they were ground into jade weapons or tools like stone tools. It was not until the late Neolithic Age that jade articles were engraved or polished, and their shapes were relatively large and complex, so they could be considered handicrafts. In the Neolithic Age, which was mainly marked by ground stone tools, the technology for processing jade tools was the same. Stone-making technology has developed from beating to grinding over thousands of years, and jade-making technology has generally gone through the same process. The techniques and tools used by the two may be exactly the same, but jade has other needs besides practicality, so the technical requirements are more complicated than making stone tools. Jade wares not only require a higher smoothness than stone wares, but some of them are also engraved with various patterns and patterns. This is due to people's aesthetic needs and is a non-practical art decoration. This is rarely seen on stone tools.
The jade articles of the Neolithic Age include jade axes, jade shovels, jade knives, jade weapons and other production tools and weapons with practical value. Huang, jade jue, jade beads, jade tubes, etc. The jades of this period are simple and plain, with varying thickness and irregular shapes. In the late period, jade gradually separated from stone tools and embarked on a process of independent development in technology and art, laying a social and technical foundation for the development and improvement of jade craftsmanship in later generations.
With the use of bronze or the combination of gold and stone, production tools have been greatly improved, social productivity has been improved, and the proliferation and accumulation of material wealth have promoted the formation of classes and the emergence of states. The history of the Xia Dynasty, my country's first slave-owning country, has not yet been fully revealed and needs further research. Therefore, the status of its jade objects is still unknown and has to be left temporarily unknown.
Slavery was extremely developed in the Shang Dynasty, and slaves were put into various social production and life fields. With the development of agriculture, there has been a finer division of labor within the handicraft industry. The jade-making process has been separated from the production of stone tools and has become an independent handicraft industry sector. At the same time, the slaves of the Shang Dynasty created a splendid bronze culture. The application of bronze tools in jade-making technology significantly improved the jade-cutting technology, and jade-making utensils gradually replaced stone tools with bronze.
There are obvious changes between the jade articles of the Yin Shang Dynasty and the jade articles of the primitive society. The jade Ge, Yue, Shovel, Gui, Cong, Dao, Huang-shaped jade, etc. produced by the Erlitou Culture in the early Shang Dynasty are distinguished by their shapes and carvings. , drilling, polishing and other aspects have reached a very high level. By the time of the Yinxu jade wares, the number of jade carvings of figures, animals, gods and auspicious signs has increased greatly, the craftsmanship has been improved, many new breakthroughs have been made, and many exquisite works have been created. At this time, the jade articles have been turned into ornamental purposes, mostly as handicrafts. Among the 755 jades unearthed from Fuhao's tomb in Yinxu, more than half were decorative jades alone, more than the total number of ritual vessels, ceremonial guards, tools, and miscellaneous items. This shows that the social function of Shang jade has undergone great changes.
There are many types of jade wares in the Yin Ruins. According to different shapes and uses, they can be roughly divided into seven categories: ritual vessels, ceremonial guards, tools, utensils, decorations, works of art and miscellaneous vessels.
The relationship between jade and social and cultural life has become increasingly close. Literati often used jade stationery or used jade for decoration when painting and writing in their studies.
In order to consolidate their feudal rule, the rulers of the Ming Dynasty followed the old system and used jade to mark their rank in the crown and uniform system. What is different from the previous generation is that the number of jade belts tied to official robes has increased. The leather belts of emperors, dukes, marquises, consorts and first-class civil and military officials are all decorated with jade plates.
The jade carvings of the Ming Dynasty have the style of the times, with rough and powerful knife skills, the "three-layer open carving method", and very fine carvings. Beijing, Suzhou and Yangzhou were the three major jade carving centers at that time. Song Yingxing's "Tiangong Kaiwu" believes: "Although good workmanship is gathered in the capital, skillful workmanship is promoted in Su County." Suzhou's jade carving craftsmanship was ranked first in the country at that time, making a historic contribution to the development and improvement of jade craftsmanship in the Ming Dynasty. . After the mid-Ming Dynasty, jade craftsmanship developed rapidly, and many jade masters emerged, among whom Lu Zigang was the most famous. The jade articles crafted by him were called "Zigang Jade". However, in the final process of grinding and grinding jade carving in the Ming Dynasty, there was a phenomenon of "seeking shape rather than workmanship".
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of my country's feudal society. It made great contributions to the formation and consolidation of a unified multi-ethnic country. Under this historical background, jade has achieved unprecedented development and reached the highest peak in the history of ancient jade in my country. It is the highest in history in terms of the beauty of jade quality, the variety of workmanship, the large output, and the wide use. It is unmatched by the jade articles of any dynasty.
The production of jade wares in the Qing Dynasty developed extremely slowly during the more than 100 years from the early Qing Dynasty to the 24th year of Qianlong's reign due to the difficulty in sourcing jade materials. The workmanship of jade wares during this period was similar to that in the late Ming Dynasty. During the Qianlong period, jade wares grew and developed on this basis. From the 25th year of Qianlong's reign, they entered their heyday. After half a century, they turned to a low ebb and even declined. With the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, the history of ancient Chinese jade wares also came to an end.
The jade wares of the Qianlong period are representative of the jade wares of the Qing Dynasty, which can be summarized as two main categories: antique jade and contemporary jade, in addition to imitation Dostan jade. One kind of antique jade is antique Yi, which imitates the shape and pattern of Shang and Zhou bronzes; the other is imitation Han jade. At that time, jade wares were made in a variety of shapes, with extremely colorful patterns and workmanship. The rise of imitation Traced Stan jade began after local officials in Xinjiang collected Traced Stan jade as tribute to the inner court, and Emperor Qianlong appreciated it and issued a decree. Tracestan jade is also called Indian jade and Mughal jade in the West. It has Arabic-style shapes and patterns. It is characterized by "water grinding", strong polishing, and the utensils are as thin as paper. There are dozens of poems written by Emperor Qianlong praising the exquisite workmanship of Dostan jade.
The level of jade carving reached its peak during the Qianlong period, far exceeding that of the Yuan and Ming dynasties. The skilled craftsmen of this era inherited and applied the excellent heritage of jade craftsmanship of the past dynasties, drew on the achievements of painting, sculpture, craftsmanship and external influences to create and develop jade art with distinctive characteristics of the times. Since the texture of jade has always been valued in the history of our country, it has been said that jade has five virtues, nine virtues, and even eleven virtues. Although these statements come from Confucianism, they are actually people's intuitive feelings from observing the quality of jade. Departure, extension, and connection with social ethics have become the spiritual pillar and traditional force for the development of jade. By the Qianlong period, this trend had developed even further. Large pieces of jade were used to grind them into various utensils that were simple in carving and showed the beauty of jade. This kind of decorative jade with rich shapes was not seen in previous generations. This cannot but be It is said that the Manchu rulers who came to China and contemporary jade craftsmen fully carried forward the traditional view of jade. In short, the jade craftsmen of the Qianlong era successfully completed the important task of integrating historical heritage and innovating, crafted a variety of outstanding works, and made an indelible contribution to the development of ancient jade in my country.
Looking at the evolution of ancient Chinese jade and its achievements in each era, we can see that my country’s jade has a long history, a wide range of uses, various forms, a lustrous texture, exquisite cutting, and style. Unique, with distinctive national characteristics, it is unique in the field of jade craftsmanship in the world and fully demonstrates the wisdom and creative talent of the working people in ancient my country.
As an important part of the history of ancient jade in my country, the ancient jade handed down from ancient times is also a precious heritage and artistic treasure in the cultural treasure house of the Chinese nation. Like a bright pearl, it will always radiate brilliant light, illuminating the booming modern jade craftsmanship. Broad distance.
Maintenance and cleaning of jade pieces:
1. Avoid collision with hard objects. Jade pieces are easy to crack after being hit. Sometimes, although the cracks are not visible to the naked eye, there are actually hidden cracks in the surface of the jade, which greatly damages its perfection and economic value.
2． Jade should be protected from sunlight. Prevent affecting the texture and color of jade.
3． Avoid chemical agents, which will cause certain damage to jade, such as various detergents, soaps, pesticides, cosmetics, perfumes, hair conditioners, etc. If it accidentally gets on it, it should be wiped off immediately and then washed.
Do not let it cause damage to the jade.
4. Avoid dust and oil as much as possible. If there is dirt or oil stains attached to the jade surface, it should be scrubbed with light soapy water and then rinsed with clean water. Do not use chemical degreasing agents.
5. Newly purchased jade pieces should generally be soaked in clean water for a few hours, cleaned with a soft-bristled brush (toothbrush), and then dried with a clean cotton cloth before wearing.
6． It is best to wipe pendants with clean, soft white cloth. It is not suitable to use dyed cloth or hard fiber cloth. This will help maintain and maintain the original quality.
7. Clean regularly. Jade pieces generally need to be cleaned every once in a while. [1] Yufu Hetian Jade
8. For jade pendants and other hanging accessories, the tethers should be checked frequently to prevent loss or damage to beloved treasures.
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