As a crystallization of material and technology, Liangzhu culture jade continues the momentum of the vigorous development of jade in the late Songze culture, and forms its own unique jade group in the early late and early middle stages. It is not only numerous, rich in shape, advanced in technology, exquisitely decorated, complex in function, and far-reaching in influence, but also permeates important contents such as religion, politics, military, and etiquette, and is closely related to the division of social hierarchy, the formation of centralized power, and the standardization of etiquette in the origin stage of Chinese civilization. The historical and cultural heritage it contains has brought unlimited reverie to the world.
Let's take a look at a few of them:
Taper
Jade Bird
Dragon head pattern jade bracelet
Jade ornaments
The carving of Liangzhu jade ornaments is very fine, with a variety of ways such as bas-relief, skeleton carving, and micro-carving. Take the Liangzhu Divine Emblem as an example, which is a very important image on the Liangzhu jade, that is, the face of the god, man and beast. It is composed of a god man with a feathered crown hat and a combination of a beast with round eyes and fangs: the upper part is a god man with a feathered crown, and the lower part is a beast with round eyes and fangs. Usually at the same time using relief, through carving, inscription and other different techniques for carving, the decoration is very delicate and exquisite.
Tomb No. 12 of the Anti-Mountain, The King of Jade
The Liangzhu Divine Emblem is spread throughout all liangzhu cultural sites in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River around the Taihu Lake Basin, radiating hundreds of kilometers. Its fixed form and central position on the jade indicate that the Liangzhu Divine Emblem is the highest and even the only deity that the ancestors of the Liangzhu Kingdom worship and respect, reflecting the highly unified belief in this regional country around the Taihu Lake Basin in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River at that time.
Yu Chun: The first of the Liangzhu culture, is the most typical artifact and sacred symbol of the Liangzhu culture, its shape is generally the inner circle and the outer column, symbolizing the heavenly circle place, and the four corners are the central axis to the left and right sides of the convex surface carved or complex or simple animal face image. The jade is believed to be a magic weapon used by shamans for sacrifice, representing divine power.
Yubi: It is a new thing that appears in Liangzhu culture, and is one of the typical representatives of Liangzhu culture jade and even Chinese jade, which evolved from the trend of flat round jade or jade ring along the trend of widening the edge and smaller aperture. Yubi is the most popular Liangzhu heavy vessel, which is generally covered from the chest and abdomen of the tomb owner to the end of the foot when excavated. Jade bi is generally considered to be a ceremonial vessel used for heaven sacrifice, and some scholars believe that it is a symbol of wealth.
Jade comb back
Yu Juan
Liangzhu cultural jade practical utensils: many utensils have the function of human body decorations or daily utensils, generally excavated from civilian tombs, which is a major feature of the Liangzhu cultural jade system. This type of jade has different shapes, large numbers, and different sizes, not only huang, bracelet, ring, barrel, jade bead, jade pipe, jade pipe, etc. that are mainly decorative utensils, but also daily utensils such as jade daggers, jade knives, and jade spoons. They are either plain faces, or carved images of gods, men, and beasts, and their carving skills are exquisite, which are very prominent in the Liangzhu culture jade, and have gone beyond the category of simple pursuit of beauty.
Jade ring
Yu Jue
The jade-making industry was the most important handicraft industry in the Liangzhu period. Judging from the craftsmanship and delicacy of various jades in Liangzhu culture, there should have been a professional jade treatment team at that time, and they used flexible wire saws, hard blade saws, stone drill tools, bamboo pipes, jade sand, stone and quartz or flint carvings and other limited tools under the technical conditions of no metal tools, using a series of production methods designed according to combinations and processed in groups, and large jade workshops may also take assembly line operations. Liangzhu cultural jade from jade pu to carving into a tool, generally need to go through the jade sintering, cutting into a blank, design proofing, drilling, patterning, grinding, polishing and other processes. The extremely high level of craftsmanship embodied in the Liangzhu culture jade is unparalleled in other regions of the same period, and also represents the highest achievement in the production and use of Jade in the Neolithic Era of China.
Hancheng Liangdai Village Ruiguo Ruins Museum
Jade sword
Jade cicadas
Yu Yun
The Chinese nation has a long history of loving and using jade, and has become one of the core connotations of traditional Chinese culture. Jade is the only material that has not been interrupted and continues to this day. A total of 249 pieces of jade have been excavated from Tomb No. 27 in the Liangdai Village of Hancheng, Shaanxi Province, which are mainly divided into two types: ceremonial jade and pei jade. Among them, there are 23 pieces of liyu, including Yuge, Yubi, Yuxuan, Yuhuang, Yugui and so on. Peiyu, there are mainly seven-ring bead group jade pendant, trapezoidal card group pendant, character shape pendant, animal shape pendant, geometric shape matching and so on.
The Zhou Li records: "With jade as six instruments, the heavens and the earth are in all directions." "Jade Bi is the earliest of the six vessels, and it is also the jade that has been used for the longest time. Bi "Circle Image Heaven" is an important ceremonial instrument used to sacrifice heaven. Jade bi is also a kind of ornament and can also be used as a gift. The Idiom "valuable" refers to Heshi Bi as this kind of jade.
Yu Chun is a kind of cylindrical jade with an inner circle and an outer square, symbolizing the cosmology of the ancients' "heavenly circle place", and is an important artifact used to worship the land. The round hole in the middle also conveys a meaning of "connecting heaven and earth". Judging from the type of vessel, this piece of jade belongs to the Qi family culture, in other words, it is a heirloom.
Yu Ge, it combines the noble and moist disposition of beautiful jade with the majesty of weapons and the breath of killing. Obviously, it is not a practical weapon, but a special ceremonial weapon, and it is an important instrument related to military, competition, killing, etc., and related to survival, power, and status. In the sacrificial activities, strength and victory are prayed for; in social activities, majesty and hierarchy are displayed.
Seven Juan Lian Zhu Group Jade Pendant
The ancients pei jade, to the Western Zhou Dynasty, as a kind of etiquette, "gentlemen without reason, jade does not go to the body", is a true portrayal of nobles wearing jade. In social life, a relatively complete system of using jade has gradually taken shape.
Seven Juan Lian Zhu Group Jade Pendant (M27): The Qi huang Lian Zhu Group jade pendant was excavated from the chest and abdomen of the tomb owner. It consists of seven jade pieces, a round jade plate and hundreds of agate beads in three rows. If you look closely, the upper part of it is composed of a round jade pendant necklace hub, and the lower part is composed of 7 pieces of jade juan and hundreds of agate beads in series. The juan is semicircular or curved, arranged from top to bottom in order of size. The round jade plate is located at the back of the neck and should act as a cluster. The seven pieces of jade are diminishing in size from top to bottom, six of which are decorated. Each piece has three side-by-side perforations at each end for piercing connections, and there are varying numbers of perforations that may be used to pierce other types of ornaments. The third piece from top to bottom, green jade, bean blue, delicate texture, slightly transparent, locally qined with gray-white markings. The body is narrow and has two-turn spin cut marks on both the front and back. One end has a dragon pattern, the word "subject", there is a dragon horn, the dragon body only makes a set of heavy ring patterns, and the other end cuts a gap in the outer edge. The fourth piece from top to bottom, white jade, ice blue, moist and delicate, translucent. Single-sided decoration with a high crown double phoenix pattern, feathered tail, hook intersecting.
The higher the status of the owner of the tomb, the more complex the structure and length of the group of pendants he wears. In the Liangdai Village Cemetery, the owner of Tomb No. 27 is the King of Rui Guojun, which is the Tomb of Qiding, and the number of pieces of The Ring is Seven Huang. This confirms the record in the Zhou Li that "Hou Bo's seven lives, his state, palace, car flag, clothes, and etiquette are all seven knots." "The jade pendant of the rui kingdom monarch should follow the ritual of Hou Bo's seven lives.
Seven Huang Lian Zhu Group Jade Pei (M26): After seeing the Qihuang Lian Zhu Group Pei excavated from Rui Gong Tomb No. 27, let's look at the same set of jade artifacts excavated from Tomb No. 26. This set of seven-ring beads consists of a round jade pendant, seven jade pendants and hundreds of agate beads, which were worn on the chest of the tomb owner when they were excavated. Look closely at these jade juan, the body is curved or semi-circular, and there are three piercing holes on each side, which should be made of three rows of agate beads through the perforations at each end. In addition to this, there are other perforations that are supposed to be pierced with other types of ornaments.
The size of the seven pieces of jade is decreasing from top to bottom, and we can clearly see the ornamentation on six of them, with eye holes in the middle of the jade huang hair, and the lines around the holes are very similar to the word "subject" in the oracle bone. On both sides of the wagon are dragon heads and dragon tails, and the dragon's body is decorated with feather-shaped ornaments. The lower two huang are the most exquisite of the seven huang, the shape is split, the transparent jade has a dragon pattern facing each other, and the dragon body is carved with feathers and dragon scales, which is very exquisite.
Human Dragon Jade (M27)
This jade ornament was unearthed on the right shoulder of the tomb owner, and the material of green and white jade, the jade was delicate and moist, and the whole body was brownish black due to the qin. The most amazing thing is the ornamentation on it, a small piece of jade can be carved with such a complicated pattern! The jade ornament is in the shape of a dragon, the dragon's tail is hooked, the dragon's body is flat, and the front and back are the same. In the middle, it is a crouching, sideways humanoid figure with a head and abdomen decorated with a dragon's head, sharp horns, oval eyes, a rolled nose, and a tongue. The horns of the upper dragon's head have a circular perforation that can be worn on a tether.
Divine Phoenix-patterned Jade Handle Shaped Instrument (M27)
The jade was excavated from Tomb No. 27, and the whole is a long flat body, with a rounded upper end, a slightly narrow and flat lower end, a tooth-shaped tooth on one side, and a polished flat on one side. Both sides of the jade are carved with human and phoenix patterns, and the human hair, ears, eyes and lips are clearly visible, and the wings can be seen on the back of the person. There is also a phoenix on the jade, with a beak hooked inside, wearing a gorgeous crown, crouching at the top of the feather man's head.
Jade Dagger Pendant (M26)
This jade dagger-shaped pendant was unearthed on the right side of the tomb owner's waist. Its jade is delicate and warm, and the shape looks like a dagger, but because it is jade, it should not be a defensive weapon. Look closely at the head of the jade dagger handle, which is decorated with a hollow "S" shaped ornament. On closer inspection, it turned out to be two dragons sharing a body. The dragon's nose was curled up, with sharp fangs protruding from below. If you look at the part of the dragon's eye, you will find that the line carved out of the tool is shaped like a word. This word is similar to the word "subject" in the golden text. There are small perforations on the corners of the dragon's mouth and the handle of the dagger, which should be used by the owner when wearing them.
Jade Cow Shape Pei (M26:)
The jade cow belongs to the relatively rare round carving works. The image of the calf is very quiet, and the ability to carve the cow is so impressive, and the superb skill is amazing.
Trapezoidal Deck (M26)
The upper end of this trapezoidal plaque is decorated with 9 ox noses and jade beads, agate tubes, material beads, jade square pipes, and circular jade plates are worn in a closed form and worn on the neck of the tomb owner; the lower end of the pair wears 11 ox noses and glass tubes, material beads, jade beads, jade turtles, jade pipes, and agate pipes. The components used in this trapezoidal plaque are all from different periods, among which the trapezoidal jade tablet belongs to the early Spring and Autumn Period, and the other components are jade ornaments from the middle and late Western Zhou Dynasties. It can be said that this group of pendants was reconnected by the tomb owner collecting works from different eras.
On the right side of Zhongjiang's waist, we found Yuqi. It is an important instrument of honor evolved from weapons, and is a symbol of the military power of kings in the pre-Qin period. This jade qi is the only piece of jade with an inscription found in the ruins of Liangdai Village, and there are four words on the side of it, "Xiaochen Zhixian", which is exactly the same as the content, font style and structure of the inscription on the jade bi excavated from the tomb of Yuguo in Sanmenxia, Henan, and should be from the hand of one person The word "Xiaochen" may refer to a certain level of nobles, and the "system" here refers to the name of the person, which means that this jade qi was dedicated to the Shang King by a nobleman named Shi.
The gyrup is mostly curved, flattened, with perforations at both ends. The Zhou Li records that "Xuan Huang lied to the north", indicating that yu huang was one of the ceremonial instruments used by the ancients when sacrificing heaven and earth. Jade juan often appears on the chest and abdomen of people, as a kind of pendant of the hanging or a pendant in the group of jade pendants.
Jade handle shaped vessel
The jade handle shaped ware is one of the largest types of jade excavated during the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, and mostly appears in noble tombs. A number of jade handle-shaped objects have also been excavated from the ruins of Liangdai Village.
Jade ear spoon
It is made of fine white jade, and each part is shaped to match the practical function of the ear spoon. It is placed in the position of the left palm of the ginger.
A group of burial jade: jade, jade tooth holder, jade grip, hair fence, ankle ornament jade
Burial jade is also known as burial jade, which is different from the general decorative and practical burial jade. It is a jade made by the ancients specifically for the preservation of corpses,
The burial jade found in the tombs of Liangdai Village mainly includes jade, jade grip, tooth holder, ankle ornament jade and so on. Among them, the jade is a jade object contained in the mouth of the deceased. The ancients used the jade urn, which was intended not to let the dead go away empty.) The jade pendants found in the tombs of Liangdai Village have different shapes, not only made of jade silkworms, jade pipes, etc., but also some smaller jade pieces as jade. The jade grip, also known as the "jade grip", is a jade vessel held in the hands of the deceased. The ancients believed that people should not go empty-handed after death, so they put something representing wealth and power in the hands of the deceased, called "grip".
Jade Gogh Shaped Pendant
A type similar to a jade pendant appears in the jade ge, which we call the jade ge shaped pendant. The body of this jade ge-shaped pendant is curved, the head is slightly pointed, and the overall shape is very similar to the jade juan, which should be a jade that can be worn.
Dragon pattern jade pendant, dragon shaped jade pendant
Various dragon-patterned jade pendants or dragon-shaped jade pendants have been found in the ruins, with different shapes. For example, the No. 35 dragon pattern jade pendant is carved with a tailed curled dragon, while another No. 20 dragon-shaped jade pendant is carved into the shape of a dragon, with square eyes, pointed tails, and vivid images.
Looking back at the bird (M26)
On the outside of the right shoulder of the owner of Tomb No. 26, a flexible looking bird pendant was found. The phoenix on the jade pendant has round eyes and a curved beak, and when it looks back, it seems to be looking at its own rolled wings and long tail. This retrospective phoenix pendant reflects the characteristics of the era of strong fluidity in jade shape in the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty.
Standing Bird Jade Pendant, Flower Bud Phoenix Bird Pendant, Jade Bird (M502)
This standing bird jade pendant was unearthed in the left front of the tomb owner's face. Blue-white jade with delicate texture. It is decorated on both sides and looks like a standing parrot on the front. The back is engraved with a dragon pattern. The bird's tail and feet look like a dragon's head with an open mouth from the other side. The ornament has the characteristics of Yin Xu jade, which is presumed to be a piece of jade from the Shang Dynasty.
Flower bud phoenix bird pendant. With the help of two petals of flowers, the heads of two birds are carved on it. On the petals in the middle, the ancients carved a flower crown again, and the two birds shared a flower crown, which is two phoenix birds! At the lower end of the corolla there is an almost square bump with circular perforations on it that can be tied to the owner's body. The other five pieces of jade birds were unearthed on the chest of the tomb owner.
Jade Owl (M502)
At the left ankle of the owner of the tomb, we found a very cute jade owl carved out. An owl is an owl. The jade is a round flake as a whole, with a complete image of the jade owl, with a pointed beak, rounded wings and a short tail that is divided into two forks.
Jade Fish Shaped Pendant (M26)
The jade fish-shaped pendant we see has the same ornamentation on both sides, and there is a perforation on the head and tail, which can be worn. Under the head of the fish we can see that it is decorated with claws, which, unlike the real fish, seem to be a deified worship object.
Jade beast face, double animal face jade ornament (M27)
The jade animal faces excavated at the site can be divided into two categories, one is the small jade animal face, which are mostly components that make up the charms. The other type is the large jade beast face, which can be made into a separate vessel. Three of these jade animal faces were unearthed at Tomb No. 27 in Liangdai Village. The number 250 is carved from green and white jade. The animal face is lifelike, the whole is fan-shaped, the animal face pattern is made, the animal eyes are round, and it is not angry. The animal face number 256 was excavated from the head of the tomb owner, the jade is delicate, it can be seen that it is yellowish-white as a whole, the shape is similar to a square, there is a pair of perforations in the middle, and the back is slightly curved. The jade beast face number 249 is partially white, the whole is brown and has miscellaneous spots, the shape is almost square, as a beast face shape, the animal horn is the side dragon head, there is a perforation between the forehead, the animal eyes are rounded, and the nose of the animal is convex.
In addition, Tomb No. 27 also unearthed a double-animal face jade ornament, which is relatively rare in shape. This piece of jade is two connected animal faces, the animal face has the same shape, from the front, it is both double-horned upwards, bent eyebrows and big eyes, and the nose of the beast is convex. It also has a pattern on the back, but its style is slightly different from the front ornament, which can be speculated that this is a jade ornament changed from a previous generation of jade.
Jade God Man
The Jade God Man was unearthed on the lower right hand side of the tomb owner. Green and white jade, translucent, slightly yellow. This jade piece is carved in a circle of the image of a god and man, in the shape of a standing, high nose, large ears, deep eyes, a slightly open mouth, a bun high around the back of the neck, and arms folded around the chest, as if silently praying. The feet of the Jade God Man are carved into the shape of a platform, which may be inserted on some kind of artifact for some kind of sacrificial activity.