jade

Examples of jade in the following topics:

• Jade in Neolithic China

  • Jade has been used in virtually all periods of Chinese history, and the earliest jades of the Neolithic Period were often quite simple and unornamented.
  • As early as 6000 BCE, Dushan Jade, or a jade substitute found near Mount Du, has also been mined.
  • Jade was used to create many utilitarian and ceremonial objects, ranging from indoor decorative items to jade burial suits, reflecting the ancient Chinese belief that jades would confer immortality or prolong life and prevent decay.
  • The jade from this culture is characterized by finely worked large ritual jades, commonly incised with the taotie motif.
  • Describe the jade work and religious architecture of the Liangzhu culture.

• Burial Goods of the Han Dynasty

  • The Han Dynasty was known for jade burial suits, or ceremonial suits made of pieces of jade in which royal members in Han Dynasty were buried.
  • A Jade burial suit is a ceremonial suit made of pieces of jade in which royal members in Han Dynasty were buried.

• Cultures of Mesoamerica

  • Primarily centered in the modern states of Tabasco and Veracruz in the Gulf of Mexico, the Olmec people are known especially for creating an abundance of  small and extraordinarily detailed jade figurines.
  • Although we don't know the specific purpose of these jade objects, their presence in some Olmec graves suggests they served a largely religious purpose in addition to being signs of wealth and goods for trade.

• Art of the Middle Kingdom

  • Small Buddhist figures and groups were produced to a very high quality in a range of media, as was relief decoration of all sorts of objects, especially in metalwork and jade.
  • Chinese jade was attributed with magical powers, and a range of objects and small sculptures were often carved in jade.

• Ceramics and Bronze in the Shang Dynasty

  • Tens of thousands of bronze, jade, stone, bone, and ceramic artifacts have been obtained.
  • Bronze vessels, stoneware and pottery vessels, bronze weapons, jade figures, hair combs, and bone hairpins were found.
  • The Shang had a fully developed system of writing, preserved on bronze inscriptions and a small number of other writings on pottery, jade, horn, and oracle bones.

• Colossal Heads of the Olmec

  • To fill these centers, they made objects from many types of materials including jade, clay, basalt, and greenstone.

• Carving

  • Hard stone carving is another ancient form of carved sculpture and involves carving semi-precious stones such as jade, onyx or rock crystal.

• Sculpture of the Aztecs

  • The use of skulls and skeletons in Aztec art originated before the conquest, and the Aztecs often carved skulls into their stone sculptures, monoliths of lava, and masks of obsidian and jade.

• The Decorative Arts under the Ming Dynasty

  • These items could be found in the homes of the wealthy alongside embroidered silks and wares of jade, ivory, and cloisonné.

• Luxury Arts

  • The arts of jewelry and hardstone carving of gemstones, such as jasper and jade, adorned with rubies, diamonds, and emeralds are mentioned by the Mughal chronicler Abu'l Fazl, and a range of examples survive.