The Chinese nation has always had the tradition of loving and revering jade. Because "fish" and "Yu" are harmonious, meaning "there is more than one year", the ornaments with fish as the theme have become popular since the Shang Zhou.
▌ Jade fish
The tomb of the Shang Dynasty in Tengzhou, Shandong Province, was excavated. It is flavon-shaped, ice-blue, jade delicate and transparent. The front and back lines are the same. The head, eyes, fins, and tail are complete, and the tail part is forked on both sides to thin like a blade
▌ Jade fish
The Shang Dynasty tomb in Anyang, Henan was excavated. Light ice blue, jade delicate, crystal moist, transparent. The front and back are the same pattern, the head, eyes, and fins are complete, the tail part is forked, and the mouth is worn in a circle
▌ Jade fish
The tomb of The Lady of Yin Ruins in Anyang, Henan Province, was excavated. It is yellow-shaped, light green, with brown spots. The body is narrow and long, curved into a semicircle. Closed mouth round eyes, dorsal fin carved into a prismatic shape. There are short mortises in the mouth. Length 10.6 cm, thickness 0.2 cm
▌ Jade fish
The Yin Ruins in Anyang, Henan were excavated. Green. The body is round and fat, with yin carved arcs and straight lines to represent the scales, fins and tails, respectively, and there is a hole in the mouth. Length 7.11 cm, width 2.78 cm, thickness 0.41 cm
Most of the fish-shaped jade objects of the Shang Dynasty were excavated from the tombs and sites of the Shang Dynasty in Henan, Hunan, Shanxi, Shandong and other places, and there are two kinds of piece carvings and semi-circular carvings. According to the overall shape of the piece carved jade fish is divided, it can be divided into three types: first, straight stripe, the front and back decoration are the same, the head, eyes, and fins are complete, and the length is about 3 to 8 cm. 2. Juan-shaped, arched back jump, snout obliquely extended forward and down, split tail obliquely backwards downwards. Third, the fish body is round and wide, flat and round, with a width of 2 to 3 cm, and the fish scales are expressed in two or three rows of small arcs.
▌ Jade fish
Shaanxi Fufeng Western Zhou tomb excavated. Gray yellow, there is a sense of transparency under the light. It is long and flattened, with a forked and droopy tail, and thinned on both sides. Use the yin line to figure out the fish eye, gill, fin and other parts on both sides. The ends of the mouth are flush, a round hole is drilled on the top, and the edges are chamfered. Length 8.5cm, width 2.4cm, thickness 0.15cm. It is now in the Collection of Baoji Zhouyuan Museum in Shaanxi Province
▌ Jade fish
Shaanxi Fufeng Western Zhou tomb excavated. Jade, translucent. The fish is enlarged , with a knife-shaped fork in the tail and a round hole in the mouth. On both sides, the fish's eye, gills and fins are made of shady lines, and the dorsal fin is carved with a thin yin pattern. Length 8.2cm, width 3.3cm, thickness 0.3cm. It is now in the Collection of Baoji Zhouyuan Museum in Shaanxi Province
In the Shang Dynasty, jade used for jade fish mainly included green jade and impure white jade, of which most were green jade. There are generally two kinds of shapes: one is a thin slice straight, the round body is small, the body shape is short, and there is a perforation in the mouth; the other is arched, the fish body is full of yin carved lines, and there are yin carved lines up to the gill line, showing a complete fish head form. The fins are covered with small straight lines on the fins, which are generally rough to make. Some of the tails are not forked, and some resemble swallowtails. The eyes are slightly convex and round, or carved into round eyes with double negative lines, and the drilled fish eyes can be tied with a rope, or another tether hole can be drilled. The front of the beak has a "T" shape, similar to the protrusion of the inlaid tenon.
▌ Jade fish
Shaanxi Fufeng Western Zhou tomb excavated. Russet, polished all over. The body is curved and arched, the head is large, the abdomen is wider, the knife-like tail, and the anterior abdomen is more out of the limbs. Drill a hole in the tail and one hole in the mouth. Use the yin line to figure out the fish eyes, gills, fins and other parts on both sides. Length 7.2 cm, width 2 cm, thickness 0.3 cm. It is now in the Collection of Baoji Zhouyuan Museum in Shaanxi Province
▌ Jade fish
The tomb of Menggu in the Sanmenxia Kingdom of Henan was excavated. Miscellaneous jade, jade Qin eroded into white. Double-sided carving, the yin line is carved with round eyes, gills, fins and caudal lines. The beak of the fish appears to be hooked in front of the elephant trunk, with a drooping forked tail and a drilled fin. Length 7.1cm, width 2.5cm, thickness 0.4cm
▌ Jade fish
The tomb of Yu Ji in Sanmenxia, Henan was excavated. Green jade, dark blue-brown, most of which has large brownish-yellow patches or spots due to the qin. The jade is delicate and slightly transparent. The fish has a curved body, a perforated mouth, and a complete head, eyes and fins. Length 7.2 cm, width 1.8 cm, thickness 0.3 cm
The Western Zhou Dynasty was another peak in the production of fish-shaped jade, and western Zhou tombs and sites have been excavated in Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Henan and other places. Its early overall shape still follows the rules of the Shang Dynasty jade fish, filling the flaky fish contour with round eyes, a dorsal fin and two abdominal fins, and formatting elements such as gills and a fork, so that it is difficult to distinguish the difference between Shang and Zhou on some monolithic jade fish. However, after careful observation, the main difference is that there is a difference between the double circle round eye of the Western Zhou jade fish and the single circle round eye of the Shang Dynasty.
▌ Jade fish
The tomb of Menggu in the Sanmenxia Kingdom of Henan was excavated. Green jade, the whole vessel is gray. Arched back, the ornamentation on both sides is the same. The eyes, gills, fins and tail are complete, and the body is decorated with three rows of scales. There are three holes in the mouth and one hole in the tail. Length 7.1cm, width 2.5cm, thickness 0.4cm
Most of the jade fish in the Zhou Dynasty were green jade, and the shape was different from that of the Shang Dynasty. Although it still retains the form of a combination of fish and a carving knife, it is placed near the chest and waist. The original carving knife that was attached to the jade fish has been replaced by an elongated fish tail, the practicality of the carving knife has been reduced, and a large number of jade fish carving knives have been used as hand holdings. The tail length of most Western Zhou jade fish has increased compared with that of Shang Dynasty jade fish, and the tail end is mostly sloped or drooping as a horseshoe shape. The Zhou Dynasty jade fish are mostly curved and make water jumps. The fish has a long body and scales on the body, which are oblong. The mouth is slightly open, the lips are thick, the upper lip is upturned, and the mouth is wider than the gills.
▌ Jade fish
The tomb of Menggu in the Sanmenxia Kingdom of Henan was excavated. Green and white jade, partially grey. Arched back, the ornamentation on both sides is the same. Round eye, with a single negative line carved out of the fish eye, dorsal fin, abdominal fin and fish body scales and tail patterns. The head and tail are worn in a circle. Length 7 cm, width 2 cm, thickness 0.4 cm
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