Since ancient times, China has had the habit of revering jade and loving jade. Jade has a variety of functions such as ceremonial use, decoration, and furnishings, and its use runs through the entire ancient society and is an important part of traditional Chinese culture. In the past hundred years of Chinese archaeology, with the vigorous development of China's archaeological cause, the jade artifacts obtained by scientific excavations in different historical periods have emerged in an endless stream, which has greatly broadened people's horizons. Thanks to this, the understanding of jade and jade culture has been continuously updated and improved.
The Paper has learned that on January 15, the "Jade Out of Kungang - Tianjin Museum Collection of Ancient Chinese Jade Exhibition" will be exhibited at the China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing, and the exhibition selects more than 200 sets of jade masterpieces from the Neolithic era to the Qing Dynasty collected by the Tianjin Museum, in order to let the audience intuitively feel the charm of traditional Chinese jade culture.
In the concept of the ancients, jade has spirituality, is the artifact of heaven and earth, worshiping ghosts and gods; jade has nobility, is a symbol of power and status; jade has connotation, Xue Han gentleman is better than jade, self-cultivation philosophy; jade has affection, is a beautiful thing that cultivates sentiments and purifies the body. Jade becomes the crystallization of the beauty of humanity and the beauty of nature.
Unit 1 | Neolithic Jade
The Neolithic Era opened the dawn of ancient Chinese civilization, and jade was also bred in the land of China, and unique jade has appeared in different regional archaeological cultures such as Hongshan culture, Longshan culture, Qijia culture, Liangzhu culture, and Shijiahe culture. Ancient ancestors not only used jade to wear and decorate, such as the use of jade, jade, jade ring, jade pendant, jade pipe, charms, etc., but also gave jade a deep religious and ceremonial ideological connotation, such as the jade of Liangzhu culture, the jade pig dragon of Hongshan culture, and the jade phoenix of Shijiahe culture.
Gouyun-shaped jade pendant Neolithic Hongshan culture
Jade Pig Dragon Neolithic Hongshan Culture
Owl-shaped jade pendant Neolithic Hongshan culture
Tiger head shaped jade Pei Neolithic Shijiahe culture
Neolithic Liangzhu culture
Double bird-shaped jade juan Neolithic
The second unit | Shang Zhou Jade
During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the level of productivity continued to increase, which promoted the unprecedented development of the jade manufacturing industry. The ceremonial function of jade was further strengthened, and jade became an important instrument for the aristocratic ceremonial system, in addition to the ceremonial utensils such as jade ge, jade zhang, jade handle shaped ware, jade gui, jade wall, jade qun, etc., there were also imitation bronze containers such as jade gui, jade plates, and jade beans. The variety of jade pendant ornaments and various realistic shapes of jade carving ornaments has increased, and the ornaments are mostly seen in the main ornaments such as animal face patterns (gluttonous patterns), dragon patterns, cockroach patterns, and cloud patterns, which have distinct characteristics of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. At the same time, geometric decoration is also becoming increasingly popular. Human face shapes and animal sculptures were popular during the Shang Dynasty. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, the number of jade pendants surged, and the jade pendants in the shape of sculptures of people and animals such as dragons and birds were quite characteristic of the times.
Shang Yuqi
Shang Animal face pattern jade ornament
Shang Ox-faced jade ornaments
Shang Tiger shaped jade ornament
Shang Yan shaped jade pei
Shang Dragon Shaped Jade
Shang Phoenix-shaped jade
Western Zhou Yu Chun
Western Zhou Yu Xuanjie
Warring States Valley dragon-shaped jade
The third unit | Qin and Han Jade
During the Qin and Han dynasties, the jade industry was further developed, and the jade shape system was generally regular, and a large number of Hetian jade was used. Practical jade has increased significantly, ornaments, jade dancers, jade seals, etc. have been renewed, and the shape and ornamentation of sketches such as people and animals complement each other and exude a strong atmosphere of life.
The Han Yu people worship the mantis pattern jade
Eastern Han Dynasty Tiger pattern jade pendant
Han Yu Cicada East
Han Mantis-shaped jade
Han Jade Pig
Unit 4| Jade artifacts of the Southern and Northern Dynasties of the Wei and Jin Dynasties
During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the jade industry was relatively low. This period belongs to the "low tide period in the history of jade development", and talc pigs and cloud-shaped pendants are more representative. Compared with the two Han Dynasties, the decorations change the former's rich beauty to simple beauty, mostly with dragons and phoenixes as ornaments, and the knife technique is vigorous and smooth.
Wei Jin 螭形玉珮
North and South Dynasties Jade Wing Beast
North and South Dynasty Jade Sheep
North and South Dynasty Jade Camel
Unit 5| Tang, Song and Liao gold and jade
The Tang and Song dynasties were an important period of change in China's ancient jade artifacts out of the trough and then introduced new ones. The development of various types of jade such as clothing wearing, living utensils, and furnishings is balanced and stable, and Buddhist culture, flowers, birds and trees and other themes flourish, "getting rid of the eastern shackles of the ceremonial system, completing the transformation to secularization and daily use, and developing synchronously with the painting and sculpture technology at that time", the jade inlay process took advantage of the momentum. The "Spring Water Jade" and "Qiushan Jade", which reflect the hunting scenes of northern nomads in the Liaojin Period, have unique charm, and the antique jade carvings of the Song Dynasty are also in the ascendant.
Don Fei Tian
Song Feitian
Liaojin Garoluo-shaped jade ornament
Golden Jade Galaha
Tang Islamic culture jade ornament
Song Jade Beast
Unit 6 | Ming and Qing Jade
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, with the development of commercial production, there was a tendency to program the jade carving process. Official manufacturing, folk jade workshops and jade commodity trading have developed rapidly, and Yangzhou, Suzhou, Beijing and other places have increasingly become national jade-making centers. Since the middle and late Ming Dynasty, many aspects such as jade types, ornamental themes, and jade craftsmanship have shown a new era style. Ceremonial utensils, costume utensils, daily necessities, furnishings, antique utensils are various, character landscapes, legends and stories, and a large number of modeling ornaments with allegorical themes have emerged, and multi-layered carving techniques, field Yang patterns, gold inlaid jade, jade and other craftsmanship art have become more and more exquisite, and jade production has reached its peak during the Qianlong period.
Ming Dragon mantis ring ear jade pot
Qing animal face pattern through the ear jade pot
Ming cloud pattern stinger ear jade
Ming Binaural Jade
Ming Jade Double Beast
Ming Jade Kirin
Qing Guan Chao Yu Shan Zi
Qing Nine Mantis Pattern Jade Bi
Qing Yu Niu Boy
17th to 18th centuries Cindu stan lotus pattern jade holding pot
Poster of "Jade Out of Kungang - Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Jade from Tianjin Museum"
Jade out of Kungang - Tianjin Museum collection of ancient Chinese jade exhibition
Exhibition time: January 15, 2022 - March 27, 2022
Exhibition Venue: Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum, 4th Floor, Exhibition Hall D
(This article is compiled from the relevant materials of the China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing.) ）