The ancient Chinese had a special affection for jade, and in their long-term hard work, they created countless jade carvings.
In ancient times, many colorful jade objects could not only be used as practical goods and ornaments, but also played an important role in religion, etiquette, political and moral concepts and other aspects.
The Sackler Museum in the United States is a Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty jade bi unearthed by archaeological excavations has a large number and a large number of styles, and the shape and ornamentation have been developed on the basis of the Warring States jade bi. In addition to the traditional jade bi with round holes, the Han Dynasty also popularized the jade bi with carved ornaments on the outer edge. This jade bi has a beautiful shape and smooth and vivid ornamentation, which is the best among Han jade.
Through-carved dragon and tiger decorated with grain grain jade bi
Luoyang Jincun excavated
Collection of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The outer edge has a jade bi with a carved ornament, which originated in the Warring States period and was popular in the Two Han Dynasties. Yubi developed into the Warring States, due to its own functional changes, as well as aesthetic awareness and production technology improved, people are no longer satisfied with only the round body of the bi to make a fuss, they boldly extended the pattern decoration to the outer edge of the outline, making it more artistic appreciation, this jade bi is also known as the out of the outline of the jade bi.
In the Warring States period, the outer edge of the jade bi, the outer edge is generally a pair or two pairs of transparent carved dragon pattern or phoenix pattern, mostly in the form of symmetry, mainly used for decoration, and the smaller volume is a component of the group of jade.
The tombs of Marquis Yi of Suizhou, zhongshan tombs of the Pingshan Warring States, Warring States Tombs of Qufu Lucheng, Huaiyang Pingliangtai Chu Tombs, Luoyang Jincun Warring States Tombs and Mengjin Warring States Tombs have all unearthed jade bi with transparent carvings on the outer edge.
This kind of jade bi in the Western Han Dynasty basically inherits the style of the Warring States period, and the outer edge of the bi is ornamented as a single animal shape, the number is two to four, mostly in symmetrical forms.
The tomb of the King of Nanyue was unearthed from the Jade Bi
For example, the tomb of Zhao Ming, the King of Nanyue in Guangzhou, although buried in the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, some of the jade artifacts in the tomb still have a clear Warring States style, and some may even be old jade left over from the Warring States period. There are four such pieces of jade bi unearthed from the tomb of the King of Nanyue, two of which have a pair of carved ornaments on the outer edge.
One is a double phoenix vortex bi: on the lower sides of the bi there are symmetrical phoenix pattern attachments, phoenix high crown long tail, with yin line carved details; the other is dragon and phoenix vortex bi (ring): bi ornament hooked vortex, the inner hole carved a dragon, the dragon head curled tail, each side carved a phoenix, the phoenix body slender, high crown long tail, the details are carved out of the yin line.
There are also two pieces of outer edges with three sets of ornaments, one is the three phoenix vortex bi (ring): bi ornament hooked vortex, two phoenixes are located on the lower sides of the bi, the head of the phoenix is facing outward, the tail is rolled up, symmetrical left and right, and there is a phoenix above the bi, the phoenix body is slender, the phoenix head is facing upwards; the other is damaged.
Among these four pieces of jade bi, the carved double phoenixes on both sides of the dragon and phoenix vortex bi (ring) are quite similar to the style of the Jade Bi phoenix bird of the Lucheng Warring States; although the phoenix bird of the three phoenix vortex bi (ring) is three, it still has the characteristics of left and right symmetry, retaining the legacy of the Warring States.
In the middle of the Western Han Dynasty, this kind of jade bi, its transparent carving attachment has a significant change in the modeling style, the transparent carving attachment is generally only a group, located above the jade bi, the attachment is mostly composed of pairs of animal patterns, and embellished with cirrus patterns.
The tomb of Liu Sheng, the King of Zhongshan, was excavated from the tomb of Kuo Yubi
For example, the Double Dragon Valley pattern bi excavated from the tomb of Liu Sheng, the king of Zhongshan, has a set of transparent carved double tornado cloud pattern attachments above the bi, the double dragon opens its mouth, the dragon body is bent, the dragon head is upturned, and the shape is vivid and beautiful, which is a rare treasure in the Jade Bi of the Han Dynasty. There is only one set of transparent carving attachments of this jade bi, with a smooth cirrus cloud pattern to set off the curly and healthy double dragon, the level of craftsmanship of the carving is obviously more than that of similar jade bi in the Warring States period, representing the new artistic style of the Western Han Dynasty, and the jade bi with multiple groups of individual animal patterns on the outer edge of the Warring States period is very different in style.
This kind of jade bi in the Eastern Han Dynasty basically inherits the style of the Western Han Dynasty, generally only a set of transparent carved accessories, the shape tends to be broad and low, the ornamentation is more elaborate and meticulous, and there is a jade bi with auspicious inscriptions in the accessories.
The tomb of Liu Chang, the King of Zhongshan Mu, was excavated from the tomb of Kuo Yubi
For example, the valley pattern bi excavated from the tomb of King Zhongshan in Beizhuang, Dingxian County, is a group of transparent carvings above that are wide and low, and the ornament is double mantis cirrus cloud pattern, double mantis curved body and long tail, between the play and the clouds. The ornamentation of the bibi is elaborate and the lines are smooth, which shows the exquisite skills of the jade workers at that time.
The tomb of Liu Yan, king of Zhongshan Jian, was excavated from the tomb of Kou Yubi
In the Eastern Han Dynasty, some of them also carved auspicious inscriptions in the animal pattern attachments, such as "Changle", "Yishou", "Extending Life", "Yisun", "Yisun", etc. For example, a jade bi excavated from the Eastern Han Tomb of Laohudun in Ganquan, Hanjiang, Jiangsu Province, is engraved with the inscription "Yi Descendants".
The top of the bi is decorated with a carved phoenix bird pattern, and there is an inscription "Yi" under the phoenix, and there is a tiger on each side of the bi body, and there is a seal "son" and "sun" between the two tigers. The bi is small and exquisite, and the transparent carving decoration is lively and smooth, which is a beautiful jade carving artwork.
The Eastern Han Tomb of Tiger Dun unearthed the "Yi Descendants" Jade Bi
The Jade Bi, which has undertaken the functions of worshiping the heavens and passing through the heavens since ancient times, is endowed with new, secular blessings and wishes, indicating that the Han Dynasty Jade Bi has gradually begun to get rid of the mysterious color of ideology and change to secularization.
The carved auspicious character Yubi, decorated with calligraphy, and combined with other divine beast ornaments, pay attention to the treatment of the image and the layout of the chapter, round and calm, beautiful and elegant, so that the shape of the jade bi itself, ornaments, etc. are more consistent, but also rich in changes, resulting in better artistic effects.
Huangnigang No. 1 Tomb "Yi Descendants Day Chang" Jade Bi
The Han Dynasty's out-of-the-silhouette jade bi, almost including the highest level of design and carving at that time, there are through carving, round carving and line carving, etc., most of them are decorated with neatly arranged grain patterns, the ornaments of the through carving are beautiful, the ornamentation is smooth and vivid, the process technology is far more than the traditional jade bi of the round hole, and its social function is not the same as the traditional jade bi as a ceremonial jade, mainly used for decoration and wearing.
From ancient times to modern times, the jade bi has been almost universally respected and loved by the emperors and nobles, down to the ordinary people, and has become a treasure of the country. It is its exquisite ornamentation, exquisite craftsmanship, as well as its beautiful meaning and profound cultural connotation, that deeply attract everyone who loves jade.
What are Dragonfly Eye Glass Beads?
Dragonfly eye glass beads are glass beads decorated with eyes as patterns, and one or more glasses of the same or different color as the mother are embedded in the monochrome glass bead matrix, forming a multi-layered ring ornament or a circular bump on the surface, similar to the compound eye of a dragonfly. Western scholars call them "Eye Beads" or Compound Eyebeads, commonly known in China as "Dragonfly Eyes".
Dragonfly-eyed glass beads first appeared in Egypt in the 16th century BC, beginning with the Egyptian reverence for the one-eyed Horus and the resulting evil-eye consciousness. The ancient Egyptians believed that the evil eye had the power to resist evil, so they often embedded the eye pattern on the artifact as a talisman to wear. The technique was later mastered by the Phoenicians and Persians, who also had the belief in the "evil eye", and dragonfly-eyed glass beads soon became widely popular in Eurasia, with the Iranian state of Jilan as a manufacturing center.
Neo-dynastic eyepiece unearthed in Egypt, 16th-14th centuries BC
Eyeballs unearthed in Iran, 5th-3rd centuries BC
Phoenician eyeball unearthed in the Mediterranean, 6th century BC
Dragonfly-eye glass beads first appeared in Xinjiang in China, and the dragonfly-eye glass beads excavated from the ancient tomb M27 of Qunbak in Luntai County and the dragonfly-eye glass beads excavated from the M14 of Zaluok in Zhimu County are the earliest specimens, dating from about the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty to the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period. In Chinese mainland, dragonfly-eyed glass beads first appeared in high-grade aristocratic tombs, such as the tomb of Lady Gudui Fuchai of GushiHou of Henan, the tomb of Zhao Qing of the Jin Dynasty in Taiyuan, Shanxi, and the tomb of Marquis Zeng yi and his wife in Suixian County, Hubei, from the late Spring and Autumn period to the early Warring States period. Zeng Houyi's tomb unearthed 173 dragonfly-eyed glass beads, and the number is amazing. These dragonfly-eyed glass beads were introduced to the West, most likely brought into Xinjiang by nomadic people living in the Eurasian steppes through migration, trade, and other means, and then spread to the interior.
Tomb No. 1 of Gushihou Gudui in Henan was excavated at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period
Hubei Suixian ZengHouyi tomb excavated, early Warring States period
The tomb of Zhao Qing in Jinsheng Village, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, was excavated at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period
The tomb of Mrs. Zeng Houyi was excavated
At present, there are about 1,000 dragonfly eye glass beads unearthed in 18 provinces across the country, which are more concentrated in Hubei, Hunan and Henan, and the era is from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Two Han Dynasties. Dragonfly eye glass beads after the middle and late Warring States period include three types of components: lead barium, sodium calcium, potassium and calcium. The academic community recognizes lead barium glass as original to China, soda-lime glass for the West imported, tending to think that potassium-lime glass is also domestic.
There are many types of dragonfly-eye glass beads found in China. According to the mosaic technique of the eyes, it can be divided into flushed eye beads, raised eye beads and Horned Eye beads. If divided according to the pattern of the eyes, it can be divided into simple eye beads, stratified eye beads, multicircle Eye Beads and compound eye beads, and so on.
Flat eyeball, Luoyang Jincun Eastern Zhou tomb excavated
Convex eyeballs, excavated from the Warring States Tomb in Shuangyuan Village, Chengdu
Horn cone eyeball, excavated from the Warring States Tomb of Jiudian in Jiangling, Hubei Province
Snare eyeballs, Excavated from the Warring States Tomb of Taohualun in Yiyang, Hunan
Combination type eyeballs, unearthed from Mijiatan beach in Chenxi, Hunan, Warring States
Centrifugal circular-shaped eyeballs, excavated from the late Warring States Tomb of Songshan in Beiling, Zhaoqing, Guangdong
Han Dynasty dragonfly-eyed glass beads found in Guangzhou
At present, 6 Han Dynasty dragonfly eye glass beads have been found in Guangzhou, which are excavated in 4 tombs: 2 excavated from the tomb of the Nanyue King of the Western Han Dynasty excavated in 1983 (C138, E142), 1 early Western Han Tomb M3 (Guangzhou Han Tomb M1048:83) excavated in Huanghuagang, Xianlie Road in 1956, and 2 out of the 2006 Huaguoshan Donghan Tomb M8 on Guanzhou Island (2006GG Huaguoshan M8:8), In 2010, 1 M35 of the early Eastern Han Dynasty tomb of the old Guangzhou Pipe Casting Factory on Xiwan Road was excavated (2010GXZM35:106-4).
Tomb of the King of Nanyue E142, Early Western Han Dynasty
Tomb of the King of Nanyue C138, lead (barium) glass
Guangzhou Han Tomb M1048:83 (different angles), pre-Western Han Dynasty, lead barium glass
2010 GXZM35:106-4 (Eyeball detached from the mother), Eastern Han, soda-lime glass
| Qin Yu vibrato |
The Qin Dynasty was the first centralized dynasty in Chinese history, founded in 221 BC by Qin Shi Huang and set its capital at Xianyang. The Qin abolished feudalism and established counties and counties, and most of the central and local political institutions set up were inherited by later dynasties. Qin unified writing, currency, weights and measures and railroads, built the Great Wall, built chi road, huge projects, cost more than the national strength, resulting in increased taxes, in 206 BC Qin regime was overthrown by Chen Sheng, Wu Guang peasant uprising, becoming the shortest unified dynasty in Chinese history.
Spring and Autumn Yubi
It is famous for the Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty, which is known as the eighth greatest wonder in the world, but the rapid development of Eastern Zhou jade did not continue in the Qin Dynasty. Judging from the physical objects and documentary records, the jade of the Qin Dynasty developed slowly, but it was not broken, after all, the Qin Dynasty was a political, economic and culturally strong dynasty, it took some measures favorable to jade, and compared with the jade of the Eastern Zhou and Han Dynasties, the jade of the Qin Dynasty can only be regarded as a period of intermittent period in the prosperous process, for many reasons.
Spring and autumn rectangular jade ornaments
The reasons for the scarcity of jade in the Qin Dynasty can be summarized in at least the following aspects.
First, the founding time of the country was short, and the style was not formed. Because the jade industry is a high technical requirement, carving difficult craft, some high-level jade is often from the hands of famous artists, and the master of the king is not able to be cultivated in a short period of time, some famous jade workshop, often the son inherits the father's business, the skill is passed down from generation to generation, and the secret is not announced. Because the State of Qin was founded for only 15 years, it did not cultivate some jade masters, so it did not form its own style of jade industry. It turns out that some jade craftsmen in the Warring States period may still be serving the Qin Dynasty, adhering to the original jade style, and it is difficult for us to distinguish their artistic styles in ancient jade.
Spring and autumn lantern-shaped jade pendant
Second, precious treasures were plundered in large quantities. With the peasant revolt at the end of qin and the struggle between Chu and Han, Both Liu Bang and Xiang Yu visited Xianyang City and plundered rare treasures. According to the "Chronicle of History, Xiang Yu Benji": Xiang Yu burned the Xianyang Palace, the fire was not extinguished for three months, and stole a large number of treasures and beauties, including exquisite jade. "History of Goods": "After the defeat of Qin, Hao Jie all competed for gold and jade, and the Ren clan was alone in the kiln. Chu and Han were far from Rongyang, and the people were not allowed to cultivate, and the rice stone was to wan, and the Haojie gold and jade belonged to the Ren clan, and the Ren clan became rich. In 206 BC, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu went to the "Hongmen Feast" together, and the jade walls and jade jade used were probably plundered from Xianyang Palace City, the Qin Dynasty fell, and a large number of jade treasures in the Qin State fell into the hands of the leaders or rich people of the rebel army, and some may be mixed in the Han jade, which needs to be carefully distinguished, and some do not know the end.
Spring and Autumn Asian glyph jade pendant
Third, the jade curtain of the Qin court has not yet been unveiled. The history of the development of Chinese jade shows that the royal jade of the court is a sign of the level of jade of the times, because the royal family uses jade to use the best jade, using the best jade materials, carved by the best craftsmen. Except for one piece of jade cup from the ruins of Afang Palace that belongs to the practical jade of the court, the remaining jade of the Qin Dynasty seen before the mouth is a palace sacrifice jade or a general Qin Dynasty jade, which cannot reflect the true level of the Qin Dynasty jade. The Xianyang Palace City was destroyed, and most of the Jade used in the Qin Dynasty court was plundered, but the Imperial Tombs of the Qin Dynasty and the tombs of the upper nobles have not yet been excavated, and it is presumable that there must be a large number of Qin Dynasty treasure jades. Therefore, the true appearance of the jade of the Qin Dynasty is also based on new materials excavated by underground archaeology.
Spring and Autumn Yuge
The above points are probably the direct or indirect reasons why the jade of the Qin Dynasty is inferior to the jade of the Warring States or the Han Dynasty.
In the process of the development of Qin culture, the Qin rulers still took some measures conducive to the development of jade.
First, attach importance to the collection of jade. Before unifying the whole country, Qin Shi Huang collected jade jewels such as "Kunshan Jade", "HeshiBi" and "Pearl of bright moon". Kunshan jade is Xinjiang Hetian jade. Qin Shi Huang also ordered that the Heshi Wall be condensed into the "Chuanguo Seal", and the seal book "Emperor Shouchang by the Order of Heaven" was printed. Qin stipulated that the jade seal could only be used by the emperor, and Yu used the seal. According to the "Chronicle of History", the Qin Tombs of Lishan Mountain contain a large number of treasures.
Spring and autumn saddle-shaped jade pendant
Second, attach importance to ritual jade. Qin Shi Huang traveled everywhere, and everywhere he went, he had to sacrifice the four sides of heaven and earth and the ancestors, and the sacrifices were mostly jade. In 1971, 85 pieces of sacrificial jade were unearthed in Lianzhi Village, the northern suburbs of Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, including The "Six Instruments" ceremonial jade stipulated in the Zhou Li, including Chun, Bi, Huang, Gui, Zhang, and Amber, and qin shi huang in the twenty-eighth year (219 BC), when he was touring the Yangtze River in the south, in order to sacrifice the water god, he once threw jade walls into the Yangtze River. Jade was also used in important ceremonies of the Qin Dynasty. When the child inherited the throne, he wore a jade crown.
Spring and autumn round jade pendant
Third, pay attention to the display of jade. According to the literature, there are a large number of jade treasures in the Qin Xianyang Palace. The Miscellaneous Records of Xijing (volume 1) records that Liu Bang, the ancestor of Han Gao, "first entered the Xianyang Palace, the Zhou Xing Treasury, and the gold and jade treasures are indescribable." It is particularly surprising that there are five jade lanterns, seven feet and five inches high, which are used as cockroaches to hold the lamp by mouth", this kind of jade lamp with a large body has not been found so far, or has been lost. In 1976, the jade cup on the site of Qin Afang Palace in Dongzhang Village, the western suburb of Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, was both practical and decorative.
Spring and Autumn Chime-shaped jade pendant
Fourth, pay attention to jade sword ornaments. Qin was a dynasty of revered martial arts. War cannot be separated from weapons. The Qin Dynasty was popular to use jade to decorate swords, because Qin was belligerent, there were many swords, and there must be more sword jade, which also promoted the development of Jade in the Qin Dynasty from one aspect.
Spring and autumn Triangle jade pendant
| Qin Yu style |
The jade of each era has its own characteristics. Although the number of Qin jade is small and the characteristics of jade art are still difficult to fully grasp, it still has its own jade style.
Spring and Autumn Bas-reliefs of the Jade Dragon
Before the unification of the Six Kingdoms of Qin, there were Two categories of Kunlun Mountain and Khotanese jade and Heshi Wall, from the literature, the Heshi Wall was Jingshan Jade, although the Jingshan Mountains looked at different theories, but most scholars believe that in present-day Hubei Province, within the territory of the Qin Dynasty, from the excavation of Qin Dynasty jade, there are also two categories of Qin Dynasty jade, one is Khotanese jade, used to make decorative jade and decorative jade, such as the jade cup excavated from the site of Afang Palace, that is, Khotanese jade. The other type is real estate jade, that is, jade produced within the territory of the Qin Kingdom, which is closer to the Shaanxi Lantian jade and Henan Nanyang jade system, this type of jade is mainly used for sacrificial jade and funerary jade, such as the 85 pieces of jade in the Qin Dynasty sacrificial jade pit near Xi'an City, all of which are green jade and should be real estate jade.
Spring and autumn chiseled jade pendant
According to its use, Qin Dynasty jade can be divided into three categories: sacrificial jade, decorative practical jade and decorative jade.
Spring and Autumn Dragon Pattern Jade Juan
The Zhou Li stipulates that Cangbi, Huang Chun, Qing Gui, Chi Zhang, Bai Hu, and Xuan Huang are used to sacrifice the four directions of heaven and earth. Although a large number of jade artifacts were unearthed in the Zhou Dynasty, it has never been seen that the "six instruments" jade contained in the "Zhou Li" have been produced at the same time, but a complete set of "six instruments" of ceremonial jade has been unearthed in the jade pit of the Qin Dynasty, indicating that the Qin Dynasty still attaches great importance to the etiquette of the Zhou Dynasty. In 1971, 85 pieces of sacrificial jade were excavated from the pit 0.8 meters deep from the surface of Lianzhi Village in the northern suburbs of Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, including Yubi, Chun, Gui, Zhang, Hu, Huang, which were complete sets of "Zhou Li" sacrifices, and at the same time, jade people and jade pendants were unearthed. It is only flattened and square, the walls are small round, and only a small hole is pierced between the two. Gui and Zhang neither make holes nor ornaments. There are two kinds of rings and double beast head patterns, the former has no stripes, and the latter only has the shape of the animal head at both ends, but the two ends of the huang and the back of the beast are not perforated and cannot be tied, so there is no doubt that jade is used for sacrifice. Amber has a flat shape, only as a contour line and head and foot shape, which is very different from the running jade tiger with fine craftsmanship in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, and is specially used as a sacrificial jade. The jade people unearthed in the jade pit, with their limbs tied, their faces expressionless, and their heads have buns, resembling the Qin Terracotta Warriors, which should be the jade people used for sacrifice, and also the new form of the ancient human martyrdom system in the Qin Dynasty.
Spring and autumn jomon jade ring
In the process of unifying the Six Kingdoms, Qin Shi Huang displayed the plundered Six Kingdoms Treasures in the court, indicating that the Qin Dynasty had a hobby of displaying treasures. According to the literature, the Jade furnishings of the Qin Dynasty were still quite large, and the body was huge, such as the jade lamp that Liu Bang saw when he entered the Xianyang Palace, which was as high as seven feet and five inches. Most of the ornamental jade was plundered and destroyed in the late Qin War, and today we can only see a jade cup excavated from Afang Palace, but from it we can also glimpse the charming style of its decorative jade, and the decorative jade of the Qin Dynasty is currently often seen in jade sword ornaments and jade walls.
Dragon-shaped jade pendant from the late Warring States period to the Qin Dynasty
The carving and decoration skills of the jade of the Qin Dynasty did not have the grace and elegance of the Warring States jade, nor did they have the exquisite carving and thousands of flowers of the Han Dynasty jade, the shape was more clumsy, and the pattern was relatively rough. The sacrificial jade is made of only contoured vessel shapes, and there is no detail processing. Although the jade and decorative jade are more delicate than the sacrificial jade, compared with the jade of the two dynasties before and after, they still appear to be rough, and the grain pattern and milk pattern decorated with the grain pattern and the milk ding are semi-slow, not full, and sparse. The decoration is hooked with cloud patterns, the lines are rough, the ground is rough, and the post-processing modification appears sloppy and sloppy, which can be seen from the standard of Qin Dynasty jade is still underheated. In short, from the aspect of carving and decoration, the Qin Dynasty card device is more than enough coarse and insufficient, giving people a feeling of short-term behavior. At the same time, from the jade of the Qin Dynasty, it seems that it can also be vaguely seen that the jade smiths at that time were not like the jade craftsmen of the Zhou and Han dynasties, and they were talented. Full of aura, it seems inadequate.