Simply speaking, black jade does not have any special meaning. The key lies in its carving style. Beautiful jade is a symbol of treasures in ancient China... In addition, the ancients used beautiful jade to describe women who are pure and pure, and giving beautiful jade to their girlfriends is also a good choice. It represents one's own pity and cherishment of jade, which is a person's words and deeds towards oneself... Chinese people regard jade as the crystallization of the essence of heaven and earth, and it is used as an intermediary for spiritual communication between humans and gods, giving jade an unusual religious symbolic meaning. Ancient Chinese books call Kunlun Mountain the "Mountain of Jade" or "The Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains".
There is also a saying in "The Thousand Character Essay" that "gold comes from Lishui, jade from Kunlun". As early as the Shang Dynasty 3,600 to 3,100 years ago, Hetian jade had already arrived in Anyang, Henan, the capital of the Shang and Yin kings, from distant Xinjiang. Slave-owning nobles were proud of using Hetian jade. They wore it during their lifetime and were buried with it after their death. The amount of jade used is amazing. Hotan jade from Xinjiang has to pass through Gansu, Shaanxi or Shanxi to reach Henan. Obviously, the jade road pioneered by primitive society was relatively complete at this time.
Jade products taken from nature and polished in imperial palaces were regarded as symbols of hierarchical status and became an important part of the so-called "ritual system" that maintained the social ruling order. At the same time, the special role of jade in funerals also gives jade an incomparable mysterious religious significance. It is a great creation of the Chinese people to compare some of the natural characteristics of jade itself with the moral qualities of people, and to admire and praise them as the virtues that the so-called "gentleman" should have.
Therefore, the spiritual culture produced in ancient China is a very interesting special case in world civilization. It is a vivid materialization of the Eastern spirit and the material foundation of the essence of Chinese cultural tradition. And all of this is inextricably linked with Hetian ancient jade.
From the perception of crystal-clear and moist jade, it is associated with the beauty of the scenery and the noble character of the character, until it rises to the standard of a gentleman's moral conduct. Jade has also developed from the most beautiful thing in the world to the god of all things and the most precious treasure in the world. It is the embodiment of virtue. The cultural connotation contained in jade has unique humanistic symbolic significance and aesthetic significance, and has condensed into specific artistic symbols in ancient classics. Analyzing the images contained in the jade prototype will help us get closer to the way of thinking of the ancients, understand the spiritual pursuit of personality, morality, and etiquette in traditional Chinese culture, understand the unique aesthetic identity of jade in the emotional world of the ancients, and Understand the profound connotation and true meaning of the specific symbol of jade in ancient books.
Black jade is a precious and rare natural resource. It is mainly produced in Hotan and Qiemo County, Xinjiang, and in the northern mountainous area of ??Fuping County, Shaanxi Province. Its color is heavy and greasy, its texture is fine, as black as ink, and smooth. Lovely and extremely famous, its hardness is about Mohs4o. It has always been an excellent material for inkstone and knife work. The ancients called it "precious stone" together with diamonds, gems and colored stones. Black jade refers to a rare variety of Hetian jade in Xinjiang. It has the same excellent quality as Hetian jade, which is firm and moist. Among them, the pure black jade is as black as ink, with heavy color and greasy texture, and fine texture. Smooth and elegant.
Ink jade is soft jade, and ink jade contains a large number of other minerals. Real ink jade should be completely black and opaque. The essence is contained inside, the body is like gelatin, firm, clean and delicate, thick and warm. Wearing it can nourish one's nature and make one happy, exorcise evil spirits and avoid plagues. It is beneficial to people and is extremely beautiful.
“The most valuable qualities of Fu Yu are the nine virtues. Fu Jade is gentle and moist, which is benevolence; it is wise when neighbors are rational; it is righteous when it is strong but not frowning; it is righteous when it is honest but not prudent. Fresh but not dirty, it is clean; folding but not scratching, it is courageous; seeing all the flaws and blemishes, it is refined; its luster and luster are connected but not majestic, which is its appearance; the sound of knocking is clear, profound, far-reaching and pure without killing, it is the word of speech. That's why people value it, hide it as a treasure, cut it as a fortune, and the nine virtues come out." "Guanzi Shuidi"
Song Duwan's "Yunlin Stone Book·Moshi": "The mountains of Western Shu are rich in black jade. In the deep soil, its quality is like stone, its color is dark black, and its body is very light. The natives carve it into crotch or utensils, and it is extremely smooth."
Song Mifu's "History of Inkstones: Kuizhou Yishi Inkstone": "The color is black, and there are ink spots between the stems, like the light of ink and jade, and there is no lack of blackness."
"Shuowen Jiezi" explains jade It is: "The beauty of stone has five virtues. Moistening and warmth are the principles of benevolence; (this character is Jiao + Si). The principle comes from the outside, and one can know the middle, which is the principle of righteousness; its voice is smooth and loud, specializing in distant hearing and wisdom. Fang is also the way of being brave; being sharp and honest but not timid is the way of being clean.
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"Tongyi of the Five Classics·Li" says: "Jade has five virtues: it is warm and lustrous, akin to wisdom; it is sharp but not harmful, akin to benevolence; it is restrained but not scratchy, akin to benevolence." It is about righteousness; if there is a flaw on the inside, it will be seen on the outside, it is similar to trust; if it hangs down like a pendant, it is similar to etiquette. ”
Jade is tough. As the saying goes, it is better to have broken jade than to make it whole. In the bones, jade has an innate pride. Jade is an important part of Chinese traditional culture, with jade as the central carrier. Jade culture has not only deeply influenced the ideas of ancient Chinese people, but also has become an indispensable part of Chinese culture. Jade culture contains the patriotic national integrity of "I would rather break the jade"; the unity and friendship custom of "turning into jade and silk"; The character of selfless dedication of "with warmth"; the spirit of integrity and honesty of "excellence does not conceal flaws".
The political value of ancient jade is reflected in the fact that ancient jade is the materialization of social hierarchy and the embodiment of ancient people's moral and cultural concepts. Carrier. The unearthed jade articles basically come from large and medium-sized tombs with status and status. In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were regulations on the use of "Six Rui". Officials of 6 different statuses used 6 different kinds of jade articles, which are the so-called "Wang Zhi Zhen Gui" and "Six Rui". The Duke held Huan Gui, the Hou held Xin Gui, the Bo held Gong Gui, the son held Gubi, and the male held Pubi." Starting from the Qin Dynasty, the emperor adopted the system of using jade as the seal, which was followed to the Qing Dynasty; the Tang Dynasty clearly stipulated that officials should use The system of jade, such as the jade belt system.
The word "yu" began in my country's oldest writings, the Shang Dynasty oracle bones and bells and tripods. There are nearly 500 Chinese characters for jade, and jade is used. There are countless combinations of words. The Chinese characters for treasure are all related to jade. The word "bao" passed down in later generations is the combined character of "jade" and "home". This is reflected by the fact that "jade" is privately owned. The irreplaceable value of jade culture.
The word "jade" is a beautiful and noble word in the minds of the ancients. In ancient poetry, jade is often used to describe and describe all beautiful people or things. For example: words that use jade to describe people include jade face, jade face, jade girl, graceful and elegant, etc.; words that use jade to describe things include jade meal, jade food, jade spring, etc.; idioms composed of jade include golden and jade good relationship, golden rules and rules, pearls and jade, To attract jade, there are folk legends and stories about jade such as "He's Wall", "Hongmen Banquet", "Playing the Jade and Playing the Flute", "Nuwa Mending the Sky", etc. There are even more people who name their beloved children after jade. , such as Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, and the touching "Dream of Red Mansions", which has never tired of reading for many years. It was Cao Xueqin who pinned his life ideals on this beautiful piece of jade, and his love for jade has taken root in the hearts of the Chinese people. The ancients said: "When jade enters a country, it becomes a valuable weapon for the country; when jade enters a home, it becomes a treasure passed down from generation to generation." People often use jade to describe people's virtues. Confucianism emphasizes that "a gentleman must wear jade." , "Jade never leaves the body without reason", etc.
Jade has been a symbol of nobility and purity since ancient times. It is a kind of fate and a blessing to be lucky enough to find a beautiful jade that has been loved for a long time. . As the saying goes, gold is valuable but jade is priceless. Jade is a precious stone, so it is of course precious. However, jade is by no means something that can only be seen from a distance. On the contrary, the closer you get to it, the more it becomes. The more rounded and shiny the jade is, this is where the spirituality of jade lies. The tremolite is black due to the presence of graphite and magnets. The black jade is mostly gray-white or gray-black jade with black markings, which are named "dark cloud slices" and "light color" according to the shape. Mo Guang, golden mink beard, beautiful temples, etc. Those with thick and dense black spots are called pure lacquer ink, and their value is higher than other varieties of ink jade. Black jade has a waxy luster and is not suitable for carving and decoration due to its uneven color. It is often used to make vessels inlaid with gold and silver filaments.
There are black jade with a white jade base and black jade with a jasper base. These two different types of black jade can both be called black jade. The value of nephrite is higher than that of white jade, while the value of jasper is lower than that of white jade. High-grade jasper will show a bright blue color without being exposed to strong light. The all-black jasper with good texture is not the highest grade among jaspers. There are many all-black jasper with poor texture, and most of them are used as stones.
The black jade with white jade background (or green and white jade background) has differences between a little ink, poly-mo and full ink. The dotted black jade is what the eminent monk Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty called "Yi Yu". Someone asked before "Is there purple Khotan Jade?" The photo shown is "Yi Jade", such as a strong lamp and a magnifying glass. Observation, you can see countless fine dots of graphite evenly distributed, so the appearance appears gray instead of purple. There is no purple in Khotan jade.
The black jade with white jade background (or green and white jade background) is different from a little ink, poly-mo and full ink. The white jade with good texture is all ink jade on the ground, and the quantity is very small. In fact, what we call black jade often appears in the so-called "blue and white jade" in the raw stone market.
Blue and white jade is white jade or blue and white jade that shows black stars, or cloud-like or strip-like black lines, which can be called "blue and white jade". If blue and white jade is black (grey) and white, some people call it black and white jade. Of course, the black part is the ink-like ink jade, and the gray part is the ink-like ink jade. The ink jade on the jasper base shows a bright blue color.
There is also a kind of black kava stone, which is completely black in color, but it is not hard enough and cannot be called black jade. Black jade is prized for being completely black, as black as pure lacquer and as fine as mutton fat. It is the best quality among black jade. Before the Qin and Han Dynasties, Taishan jade was already famous in China. Taishan jade is produced in the west of Mount Tai. After expert appraisal and naming, it is divided into "Taishan Jasper", "Taishan Black Jade" and "Taishan Emerald Jade". Taishan jade is a faceless mineral that contains a variety of chemical substances and trace elements needed by the human body. Containers made of this jade can change the composition of water, treat rickets, strengthen the brain, refresh the mind, and prolong life. The products made of this jade combine traditional craftsmanship with modern craftsmanship. They are both traditional, simple and elegant, and have the flavor of modern life. Fuping Moyu has been mined since the Qin and Han Dynasties. According to the county annals, "the north of the county produces ore, and collectors from all counties and counties come in large numbers to engrave and polish it. It is known as Moyu." It is also a famous "hometown of stone carvings" in China.
Fuping ink jade and its works also have a glorious history in the history of Chinese civilization. Xi'an Forest of Steles, known as the largest treasure house of stone carving art in China, has a collection of more than 700 cultural relics, of which more than 80% are from Fuping. Made of ink jade, Qin Li Si's "Yishan Stone Carvings", Eastern Han Dynasty Heyang's "Cao Quan Stele", Ouyang Xun's "Huangfu Birthday Stele", Yan Zhenqing's "Duobao Pagoda", Liu Gongquan's "Xuanmi Pagoda"... more It can be called the treasure of the town hall. To this day, whether the provincial museum reproduces the stele or the calligraphy engravings of contemporary famous artists, the stones are all taken from Fuping and carved by Fuping folk artists.
The eight-hundred-mile Qinchuan in central Shaanxi is known as the "Open-air Stone Carving Art Museum". The large groups of sculptures, a large number of various stone carvings, statues, and horse pegs, from the bridge to the tomb The Huabiao, which is 15 meters high and weighs 40 tons, the mysterious wordless stele in front of the Qianling Mausoleum, and the national treasure "Six Horses of Zhaoling" are all made of Fuping ink jade. "Ink Jade" writes: The huge moraine has millions of layers of Cuiwei. The tombs of the Tang Dynasty are rising, the green cens and ink jade are swirling, and the seal script shines everywhere. The black jade is "Nine"!
In the traditional sense, black jade refers specifically to white jade and sapphire that are formed by graphite. As black jade, the darker the better, but it must be of jade quality, otherwise it is just a stone. Most of the black jade is a stone. Jade is all grey, neither black nor white. This material is called "blue and white". Generally speaking, "blue and white" jade is quite delicate, has a good fat feel, and has a unique feeling when used. Among them, "blue and white" has clear black and white. Very popular in jade workshops, it can be used for skillful carvings. The clear black and white blue and white Hotan seeds are commonly known as black and white seeds. The top grade requires "white as rice paper and black as ink". What is easily confused with Hotan "blue and white" on the market is Qinghai "blue and white". Generally speaking, Qinghai "blue and white" gives people a frozen feeling, with almost no ink spots visible. The ink is melted into the jade, and some can show a purple halo. Of course, the black and white can be distinguished according to the white jade Partially distinguish.
The correct classification of traditional black jade is based on the form of graphite ink, which is divided into point ink, gathered ink and full ink. As the name suggests, the graphite is distributed in dots; Jumo means that the graphite is relatively dense, but it does not fill all the original jade seeds, and the appearance is black and gray; Quanmo means that the graphite occupies every space of the original jade seeds. , and very dense. The "black as pure lacquer" in the whole ink is top grade and very rare! Blue and white jade is generally composed of two colors of jade, black jade and white jade. That is, "blue and white" is the overall name for a piece of jade with ink and white. This is the same as blue and white porcelain. Blue and white porcelain is generally composed of blue and white. "Flower" is not a flower, and "flower" is not a color. The actual dominant color is "cyan".
Blue and white jade borrows this title. Black (ink is black) and white are mainly ink colors, with white as the base or embellishment. Black jade is a common type of jade in Xinjiang. Its color is darker than point ink and jumo, so it is also called black jade, but its essence is still jasper. Because its high-grade color is pitch black, it is easily confused with the full ink in traditional ink jade, and the full ink on the bottom sheet of sapphire is also easily mistaken for black jade. I personally think that the key to the difference is to shine a strong light into the ink jade. On the sapphire background, you can see even and fine ink dots, while in black jade, you can see ink masses that look like seaweed. Traditional ink jade is illuminated vertically with strong light close to the jade surface. When you go in, you can see a jade layer that is as transparent as film plastic between the light layer and the ink layer.
As far as the feel is concerned, the sapphire bottom sheet is all ink and waxy, feels soft and has good toughness, while the black jade is hard and brittle with a bright appearance.
In Xinjiang, there is also a kind of black serpentine that is often filled with black jade. The locals call it "kawa stone". The Uyghur people mean "stone without jade". This kind of snake is produced in almost all mining areas that produce Hotan jade. Pattern stone. The difference mainly lies in the hardness and jade quality, but even if it is black jade, if it does not have the jade quality or the stone quality, it is still a stone.
Looking at the evolution of ancient Chinese jade and its achievements in each era, we can see that Chinese 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 ancient Chinese working people. As an important part of the history of ancient Chinese jade, 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.
In short, jade has a very close connection with the emergence of the ancient Chinese state. The main reason lies in its inherent strong duality, that is, it is both a practical product and a work of art. When used as tools, utensils and wealth, it belongs to the economic category; when it is appreciated by people as a work of art, it can make people associate, reverie and even fantasize.
As a result, various magical concepts about jade, including concepts that are in line with human kind wishes, concepts that cater to the extravagant wishes of the ruling class, and various customs and regulations related to this, have all emerged. The emergence of jade is much earlier than the handicrafts made of other materials. It is the easiest to be absorbed and used by the superstructure. Objectively, it is the only one that has the conditions to enter the political stage earlier.
Under the historical conditions at that time, its large output, wide area of ??use, high form of application, and rich social theory were truly unmatched by anything else. Therefore, when various civilizations in ancient society finally converged into a unified ideology in the ancient region, a large amount of jade culture was integrated into it, and it played an important role in the practice of the ancestors of the Chinese nation forming the country.