Chinese Jade, Essay Example

Introduction     

This project examines the history of Chinese Jade.  It will examine the history and uses of Jade  as this has progressed through the different Chinese dynasties.  The importance of Jade from both a cultural and political significance to the Chinese people.  The review is essentially structured into four distinct parts :  1) The historical context and background of Jade through the Chinese dynasties  2) The symbolic and cultural importance of Jade to the Chinese   3)  Jade as an art form and the cultural values of jade as a visual  art   and 4) Conclusions summing up the significance of Jade from both a commercial and human value.

Jade dates back as far as the Neolithic period (5,000 bc).  The mineral comes in two forms both hard and soft Jade.  The Chinese mainly worked with soft Jade until the harder variety was discovered in Burma.  This took place in the Qing Dynasty (1271-1368) when the Chinese began to import this and use for artworks.  The Chinese have always appreciated Jade for its stunning beauty and cultural significance.  In 551 BC Confucius was quoted as saying the following regarding the significance of Jade  ”  ‘The wise have likened jade to virtue. For them, its polish and brilliancy represent the whole of purity; its perfect compactness and extreme hardness represent the sureness of intelligence; its angles, which do not cut, although they seem sharp, represent justice; the pure and prolonged sound, which it gives forth when one strikes it, represents music. Its color represents loyalty; its interior flaws, always showing themselves through the transparency, call to mind sincerity; its iridescent brightness represents heaven; its admirable substance, born of mountain and of water, represents the earth. Used alone without ornamentation it represents chastity. The price that the entire world attaches to it represents the truth. To support these comparisons, the Book of Verse says: “When I think of a wise man, his merits appear to be like jade.” (Fredericksen)

Historical Context of Jade

Jade dates back to the Stone Age more than 12,000 years ago.  In China they discovered a second  piece of Jade at the  Immortal Cave in Haicheng of Liaoning Province.  This was around 7,000 years old and of a small hanging ornament.  A larger number of objects were discovered by archaeologists about 4,000 years old and these were considered mainly to be used in ancient witchcraft were it was symbolic of privilege.  Manufacture of Jade articles really started to occur in the Shang Dynasty (16th to 11th Century BC).  The Chinese sculptors and artists were able to craft a huge variety of shapes and sizes of Jade artefacts during this period.  The second peak in the manufacturing of jade occurred when the Chinese had invented  more sophisticated tools and cutters for sculpture work.  Equally the techniques of polishing the stone had greatly improved by the end of the Chou Dynasty (11th century to 256 B.C.).   From this point forward the Chinese could virtually produce orders for any type of jade artefact imaginable.  From small pieces to huge sculptures of busts and columns.  ” When polished and carved into various objects, jade was attributed with certain cultural characteristics. In ancient Chinese cosmology, the heaven was considered to be round, and the earth square. Thus a round jade ornament with a hole in the center, called a “pi”, was carved to honour the gods of heaven, and a long hollow jade ornament with rectangular sides, called a “ts’ung”, was made to honour the terrestrial spirits ”  (Anon).

It was perhaps during the Shang Dynasty ( 1600 BC to 1050 BC) that Jade really became adopted in its’ most versatile form i.e. other than just pure decoration or works of art.  They created pieces of personal adornment for kings, created ceremonial jade knives and daggers. They created symbolic pieces for the military of the time, with jade pieces being discovered in burial suits. The Chinese endowed Jade with symbolic meaning and particularly the five virtues of  charity, rectitude, wisdom, courage and equity.  This conceopt changed through the Tang Dynasty and later Ming and Qing dynasties were it was much more considered an object of art.

Jade had considerable religious significance for the early Chinese dynasties.  Early Emperors believed that Jade could make them immortal and they drank pulverised jade mixed with herbs as an Elixir of Life.  The mythical Queen Hsi Wang Mu was reputed to have lived several thousand years by drinking the Elixir.  The Hang ruler Liu Sheng believed that jade would give both he and his consort immortality and had a jade burial suit string together with strands of gold.  Others believed Jade would prevent decay after burial and they arranged for pieces of jade to be buried with them.  Often jade artefacts hung around the neck of the deceased.  The most deepest green of the jades is called “Imperial Jade” because most pieces were owned by Emperors. This jade is rare and the market value can be as much as the costliest emeralds.  The Chinese rate jade above all gems, to them it is supreme over all other jewels and beloved as the ancient stone ancestor of all gems.

The Symbolic and Cultural Importance of Jade to the Chinese  

Jade had tremendous symbolic and cultural importance for the Chinese.  The belief of immortality and longevity of life associated with the stone, resulted in Jade being used for ritualistic and religious purposes.  These involved the building of sacrificial utensils for offerings to the ancestors. The use of the round pi was symbolic of a round heaven and rectangular earth.  Such symbols were often worn by the Chinese nobility as symbols of their office or position of authority.  ” . When the “son of heaven,” or emperor, dispatched a duke, prince, or other official for external duty, he would give him a “tablet of authority” to proclaim the task assigned to him by the “son of heaven.” The traditional function of ritual jade utensils gradually began to wane after the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.), when only a small number of sacrificial jade utensils were used in ceremonial rites led by the emperor.”  (Ward)

The symbolic importance of Jade had importance over different artefacts. The most important of these are reviewed below:

The Jade cong symbolised the Earth.  The distinctive colour was yellow in terms of a cube with a hole or “pi” through it.  The icon is supposed to represent Earth, Metal, Fire and Wood.  The Chinese considered in cosmology that the Earth was square and the heavens  are round.

The Pi or Heaven symbol was associated with blue colouration.  Essentially a flat circle with a hole in the middle of it.  It later became adorned with sculptures of bats, dragons, wind or waves.  Considered one of the most important icons in Chinese culture.  It was used in religious ceremonies as a funereal object that would guide souls to heaven and was regarded as an emblem of nobility.

The associated colour is green represented by the element wood.  The Emperors gave the Kuei as a stamp of authority to dispatchers.  It was shaped like an axe blade.  It was used by Chinese noblemen to show status and symbol of their authority. It was the official Emperors seal until later replaced by jade seal.

The zymology of the axe blade did not go unnoticed by those presented with a decree containing the despatch from either the Empower, his representative or nobleman. The innuendo behind symbolism can be very powerful. (Mott)

The Hu symbol had a colour associated with white and an element of metal It represented a crouching Tiger and was a guardian symbol against the west.  It actually faced west and was used as a guardian over tombs.  Symbology again being important to potential desecrators of the tombs or grave robbers.  Do so at penalty of death.

Symbolism is amply demonstrated in artistic terms in many Jade pieces. Some of the finer works being produced in the Chiing dynasty.  The use of flowers and bird as motifs are a noted feature on pieces of this period.  The piece of Lidded Vase with Flowers and Birds is considered to be a masterpiece. It has carved birds with long tailed feathers, most likely varieties of peacocks. It  has flowering trees and an elegantly clad oriental lady. She carries a basket of flowers and hold a peony in her hand. This is symbolic of refined taste or sophistication. ” Chi’ing Dynasty artisans were particularly skilful in synthesizing past stylizations and techniques. New techniques also allowed them to imitate bamboo carving, lacquer carving and the designs of ancient bronze vessels. Flower Vessel After an Ancient Bronze Vessel, adorned with bird motifs, illustrates the imitative skill of the carver”  (Welles)

Butterflies carved into jade are symbols of romance and love.  This coming from an ancient Chinese story .. Ancient Chinese legend tells of a youth who wandered into the garden of a wealthy mandarin in pursuit of a multi-colored butterfly. Instead of being punished for trespassing, his visit led to marriage with the mandarin’s daughter.  Jade has been made into symbolic healing properties, having special properties that are supposed to cure ailments associated with the stomach, kidneys and Heart.  The properties of the stone are supposed to help in self-healing.  Similar stories have been associated with certain types of crystals. These stories have no real basis in medical science but have been adopted as potent symbols by certain types of faith healers, this representing the powers of nature and symbolic of Earth.

Jade has been associated as symbolic of  offering protection against misfortune.  Not dissimilar to the concept of St. Christopher medallions.  Here the concept is .. Place a piece of jade between two purple candles and let the candles burn for a short while. Then carry the jade with you as a protection amulet.   Pyramid power has been symbolized as money making or the ability to make money.. use the prosperous energies of jade by holding it while contemplating your course of action. Jade strengthens your mental faculties and assists in clear reasoning.  In modern times you could argue that a lot of this symbolism is a lot of nonsense and is just promulgated in order to market or sell jade pieces.  Tourists certainly need to be careful in buying quality of jade as this varies a great deal.  The deepest emerald green pieces and hardest stones come from Burma and some of the finest craftsmanship from China.  There are other contributors from other parts of Asia and South America. Certain types of stone like White Jade are extremely rare and very valuable.  Imperial Jade pieces are extremely rare collectibles, both precious and valuable.

Jade as an Artform and Cultural Value

Jade has been associated with Buddhism in China and particularly that of the five blessings:  health, wealth, longevity, virtue, and a peaceful passing.  The pieces are often adorned with five bats as the word bats and blessing in Chinese are very similar, hence the adoption of bats to represent blessings.  The number 5 also has cultural significance in China as it is associated with the five elements, Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Metal.

Animals such as Lions, Dogs and Dragons have adorned many jade pieces as they have their roots enshrined in the cultural and art of China.  Lions are not in China but they used to exist in India where Buddhist monks made pictures of them and these were used for art forms and carvings.  Temples in India also had perched lions at their entrances and made good exhibits for the monks to copy.  The concept of stone lions as guardians being transferred from India to China.  This led ultimately to the artists using dogs for similar purposes and the use of FU DOGS emerging as sculptured jade pieces.  ” All stone in China embodies the idea of hardness representing reliability and jade is an exceptionally hard stone, harder than steel. Though its appearance can be almost glass like to the modern eye it is difficult to break or scratch. Jade is non-crystalline with interlocking fibres, making it one of the strongest natural minerals in the world. Ancient peoples discovered the stone’s exceptional strength and used if for both tools and weaponry. Perhaps an early Emperor’s secret to solidifying power was the potently lethal strength of jade blades, spear tips or even an invincible jade armour.”  (Reorient).

The actual hardness of jade is an integral part of its charm. The pieces are rarely carved with pointed or hard edges, mostly associated with nature, the elements or religious peaceful beliefs enshrined in Buddhism.  Only in the days of the early dynasties was jade use for daggers, spears and protection in armour.  The mineral is steeped in Taoist tradition.  The Emperors of China were believed to be descendents from heaven and communicated to their nobles by jade disks. In Chinese mythology the heist deity is the Jade Emperor, ruler of heaven and every thing beneath it. Some creation myths credit the Jade Emperor with fashioning humanity out of clay.

Jade also comes in a wide range of colours making it very acceptable as a media for art or sculpture.  white, pink, lilac, brown, red, orange, blue, black and many shades of green.  The prime colour of ‘Jade’ usually referred to as Green Jade was either one of the two different minerals, soft jade (nephrite) and hard jade (jadeite). In the Summer Olympics held in Beijing China, the winning gold medals had a jade ring made in them, hence the symbolism of Jade is still inherent in Chinese culture to this very day.

The Chinese were also very interested in Calligraphy.  Hence jade was used in the brushes used for writing this art form. In addition they also created ornamental brush holders out of jade.  ” When the Chinese received an import of jadeite, it took the place of the nephrite as the new imperial gem, due to its’ variety of colors, and more intense appearance. It was, therefore believed that the qualities of the jadeite were magnified beyond those of the nephrite. The uses between nephrite and jadeite did not change, as both were used for many of the same things, such as ornaments and decorations. Many of the imperial family had grave markers made from solid jade to eternal reveal their status to the earth.”  (jadesheng)

In order to classify Jade in the market place they use an ABC Category.  Type A is normally associated with untreated Jade or jade in its raw form as a mineral deposit.  Type B is where the jade has been bleached or polymer injected jade in order to remove any discolouration’s. Finally, Type C is that of artificially coloured jade, the colours will fade under prolonged sunlight. Simulants such as jade gemstones are not really jade as the hardness is much lower. This is particularly the red, blue, white, yellow and lavender jades. ” Red Jade, known as active and passionate stone, is believed to help the wearer to control his/her temperament. Yellow Jade is believed to impart the gift of happiness and positive attitude. White Jade is a Nephrite Jade made of a mineral called actinolite, and it ranges in color from white to light green. Quality of Jade can be determined by its tone, color, translucency, texture and cutting. ”  (jadesheng)

Conclusion

Jade has an extremely important role in Chinese Culture, history and art.  It remains an integral part of Chinese society today, as witnessed in the recent Olympic Games medals and the magnificent temples and imperial palaces where examples of the imperial jade can be viewed by tourists today.  The religious importance of Jade is seen in the many examples of pagodas, temples and jade Buddha’s. Many jade Buddha’s can be seen at temples  and the largest of these is over five feet high, three feet wide and one foot deep.  Most of the carvings are normally relatively small pieces.  ” Bodhisattvas are most loved by the Chinese. These are human beings that have reached the pinnacle of spiritual enlightenment but instead of going to Heaven they decide to stay on Earth and teach humanity how to reach enlightenment. Their favourite Bodhisattva is Kuan Yin, the Bodhisattva of mercy, also known as the Jade Goddess. She is the most widely depicted Bodhisattvas in jade art. She is the Maternal Goddess, Protector of Children, and observer of all sounds, and her jade carvings are often worshiped at temples by women. Kuan Yin is often depicted as a standing, slender figure of infinite grace and greatly composed to convey a sublime selflessness and compassion”  (Choi)

The production of jade today takes place in modern cutting centres located in important Chinese commercial centres like Hong Kong, Canton and Beijing.  They use modern cutting techniques comprised of diamond steel cutters.  They still provide ornamental oriental figurines where there still remains a large market by collectors and tourists alike.  Jewellery is also made for high end costly pieces and more moderate priced trinkets for tourists.

Works Cited

Anon. An introduction to Chinese jade. 2009. 17 11 2009.

Choi, Wai Yee Wang. Chinese Jade. 1978. 17 11 2009 <http://bosp.kcc.hawaii.edu/Horizons/Horizons2002/Chinese_Jade.html>.

Fredericksen, Brooke. Jade Culture. 2009. 17 11 2009 <http://chineseculture.about.com/cs/history/a/JadeCulture.htm>.

jadesheng. Jade items to dazzle you. 2009. 17 11 2009 <http://www.jadezheng.com/>.

Mott, Stanley Charles. “An introductory lecture on the symbolic importance of Chinese jade.” Mott, Stanley Charles. An introductory lecture on the symbolic importance of Chinese jade. St Augustine FL: The Record Company, 1941.

Reorient. Gifts for Prosperity. 10 11 2009. 17 11 2009 <http://shopreorient.blogspot.com/>.

Ward, Fred. “Jade.” Ward, Fred. Jade. London: Gem, 1996. 64.

Welles, Elenore. Chinese Jade From the CH’Ing Dynasty. 2009. 17 11 2009 <http://artscenecal.com/ArticlesFile/Archive/Articles1997/Articles1097/ChinaJadeA.html>.