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Hello everyone! Bao Bo Micro Class has started, and today Bao Bojun brings you a small fish that is "alive and jumping" - Western Zhou Jade Fish.
This jade fish is from the early Western Zhou Dynasty and was excavated in Room B of Tomb No. 1 of Rujiazhuang, a cemetery in baoji country, number 280. Length 11.5cm, width 3.2cm, thickness 0.15cm, weight 18g. Green jade texture, the body is dark green, the tip is reddish brown, the jade is crystalline, fresh and transparent, the fish is arc-shaped, the wide single yin line is carved with fish eyes, gills, thin single yin line carved fins, the fins have a two-way punching hole, and the tail is slightly affected.
The vessel and the jade fish BRM1B: 281 is a pair, the jade, the shape is basically the same, for the folio molding process, similar to the jade fish has Tianma - Qucun Xizhou cemetery excavated M6080: 28, 29, is our study of the Western Zhou jade processing technology reliable data.
(Western Zhou Yuyu BRM1B: 281 Baoji Bronze Museum Collection)
Do you know what folio forming means? What is the difference between it and the forming folio? And how are jade mines distributed around the world? What is the hardness of jade? Let Bao Bojun answer for you one by one!
The ancients used jade fish more widely, including headdresses and charms that used it as ornaments, jade masks and coffin ornaments that used it as burial jade, and ear spoons and jade knives that used it as daily life tools. Now follow Bao Bojun to appreciate the fine works together.
Headdress, which uses jade fish as a pendant for hairpins or hair bunches.
(Wearing a restoration figure Source: Reference 1)
(Yuyu Jinhou Cemetery M92:66 Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology)
Some jade fish are used as part of the charm or jade group to add a little agility and interest to the charm.
(Western Zhou Charm bRM2:78 Baoji Bronze Ware Museum Collection)
Some jade fish are often embellished on silk as jade noodles to indicate the eyebrows or ears of the tomb owner.
(Jade covering Jinhou Cemetery M93:1 Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology)
Coffin decoration with jade Some jade fish have small holes, used to wear and tie to the object, so some scholars believe that this kind of jade fish has the role of this decorative coffin, the Western Zhou Dynasty noble coffin will have a coffin cover, known as the absurd, which is embellished with small pieces of gold ornaments or jade ornaments, such small decorative shapes are mostly fish or leaves.
((Bowfish) National Cemetery Rujiazhuang No. 1 Tomb Excavated Jade Fish Location Map)
(Jade Fish BRM1B:215 Baoji Bronze Ware Museum Collection)
(Jade Fish BRM1B:199 Baoji Bronze Museum Collection)
Daily necessities ear spoon, small size, one end is jade fish-shaped, one end is a concave spoon, the ancients to the tomb owner with the burial of such daily necessities also reflect the idea of seeing death as a matter of life. In addition to this Yejiashan ear spoon, a fish-shaped jade ear spoon (M5:1285) has also been unearthed in the tomb of The Lady.
(Jade Ear Spoon Hubei Yejiashan Cemetery M107:51)
Quiz
1, there is about the relative hardness of jade, which of the following options is correct?
A. Hetian jade > diamond > turquoise > agate
B. Diamond > Turquoise> Agate > Andada Jade
C. Diamond > Hetian Jade > Agate > Turquoise
D. Diamond > Agate > Hetian Jade > Turquoise
Answer: D
2. Is the jade fish (BRM1B:280) mentioned in this lesson made by using a process?
A. Restructuring due to shape
B. Forming folio
C. Folio forming
D. Two-sided punch
Answer: C
bibliography:
1.Li Zhenjing. A brief analysis of jade fish in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Southeast Culture, 2020.01.
2. Hubei Archaeological Research Institute, Suizhou Museum, Collaborative Innovation Center for Excavated Documents and Ancient Chinese Civilization Research. Briefing on the excavation of M107 in Yejiashan, Suizhou, Hubei Province. Jianghan Archaeology, 2016.03.
Image Source:
Baoji Bronze Museum, Pondering - Baoji Bronze Museum Collection of Jade Special Exhibition, Complete Collection of Jade Excavated in China. Shanxi roll
Editor: Chen Haomin
Editor-in-charge: Cui Ruihua Yang Qian
Review: Li Qi