As the old Chinese saying goes “Gold has a value while jade is invaluable.” This jewel is very special in Chinese culture, whose development is closely linked to that of China’s etiquette system and civilization from the cultural and historical perspectives.
Among the major kinds of Chinese jade, Hetian nephrite is known as the national jade. It is an important carrier of Confucius morality and traditional culture used to make sacrificial vessels in ritual or military ceremonies. So-called Chinese jade culture nowadays is actually the culture of Hetian nephrite.
For thousands of years, jade had been the physical manifestation of spiritual virtue, the embodiment of all that is most desirable: beauty, grace, purity, perfection, power and immortality, reflecting many Chinese beliefs and values in ancient China.
In ancient times, as today, jade was also used for furnishing articles, ornaments and personal adornments: jade rings, bracelets, pendants, combs. Watery, translucent, often exquisitely carved and with gentle greenish or a white sheen, items made of this kind of beautiful stone were quite popular at the imperial court. From collections used in the Qing (1644 – 1911 AD) court, we can see the purity and nobility of Chinese jade culture.
Jade Lion
Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD)
Height: 1.5 cm, length: 6 cm, width: 4.5 cm
The recumbent beast is carved in the round, with his massive head finely detailed with bulbous eyes below prominent spiral eyebrows and curled fur swept, the stone of a well-polished creamy white tone with minor russet inclusions. A similar shaped tri-colour glazed pottery excavated from underway palace of FaMeng Temple of the Tang Dynasty in Xi’an can prove that these two handcrafts were of the same period.
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