Jade is one of the earliest traditional handicrafts in China. Dr Joseph Needham, a British natural scientist, once said, "Love for jade is one of the characteristics of China culture." According to textual research, there were simple jades in China as early as the Neolithic Age. The most valuable jade articles were unearthed in the Chahai site in Liaoning Province 8000 years ago. Jade beads, jade tubes and jade blocks were found in Hemudu site in Zhejiang province from 6000 to 7000 years ago. The origin of jade should be said to be earlier than this. However, people at that time did not understand the value of jade. They just use those hard and delicate stones to grind them into weapons or tools. As time goes on, people gradually realize the beauty of jade. After patient scrutiny, jade has become a work of art and a practical product.
China used jade as a symbol of power and etiquette in ancient times. The Yellow Emperor once gave jade to tribal leaders as a symbol of enjoying power. Later, in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, jade was a sacrificial vessel to heaven and earth. In the Zhou dynasty, the wind of valuing jade was extremely strong. Jade is used for sacrifices, and bronze is used for banquets. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the admonition that "a gentleman is better than jade" and "a gentleman is unreasonable, and jade does not go to the body" was preached. In the Western Han Dynasty, jade was said to be "a thing that repels evil spirits and hates victory". From slave society to early feudal society, jade has always been regarded as a decorative work of art. In China, many jade ornaments and ceremonial utensils were found in sacrificial objects unearthed from ancient tombs. Nowadays, in museums all over China, the common ancient jade articles are jade bottle, jade furnace, jade incense, jade tripod, jade cup, jade Jue and jade jar. From the Neolithic Age to the Qing Dynasty, there were many jades left in China, including more than 20,000 pieces handed down from ancient times in the Palace Museum.
In the middle of feudal society in China, large jade articles appeared. There is a big jade pot in Beijing Beihai Park Tuancheng-Dushan Dayuhai, like a big bathtub. It is a sprinkling device for Kublai Khan's banquet in the Yuan Dynasty, which can hold more than 3,000 liters of wine. The jade pot weighs 3.5 tons, with a maximum circumference of 493 cm, a height of 70 cm and a depth of 55 cm. Jade urn is oval, surrounded by Yuntao, mosquito dragon and hippocampus. It has a beautiful shape and is the oldest and largest jade handed down in China.
A18th century large-scale jade carving during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty-Dayu Water Control and Yushan, is displayed in the Treasure Hall of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Based on the Song Dynasty painting "Dayu Water Control Map". This jade carving is 2.4 meters high and about l meters wide, which vividly shows the scene of ancient working people fighting floods. According to historical records, this jade is produced in Hotan, Xinjiang, China, and weighs more than 5 tons. It took three years and traveled more than 4,000 kilometers before it was shipped to Beijing. It took many years to carve this rare national treasure.
There are four famous jades in China, namely Xinjiang Baiyu, Liaoning Xiuyu, Henan dushan jade and Hubei Luyan Jade. Especially jade has the reputation of "the king of jade". Emeralds are extremely precious and used to be possessed by emperors or rich people. As the saying goes, "Gold is valuable, jade is priceless", or jade is "priceless". It is said that King Qin Zhao once traded 15 cities for a precious harmonious wall. Why is jade so precious?
First, scarcity. Rare things are expensive. It takes a long time for jade to form under the crust, especially jadeite, white jade, agate and green gold. In ancient China, jade pickers rode cattle, climbed mountains and mountains to find jade, and stepped out outcrop or semi-outcrop jade by animals' hooves. Some jade rushed downstream along mountains and glaciers and was fished away on the way. According to records, in ancient times, when picking jade in Hotan, Xinjiang, a woman's tree was fished in the water. According to legend, the ancients believed that jade was the essence of yang, and it should be called yin qi, so that jade would not be lost, otherwise it would be difficult to get beautiful jade. Later, jade became less and less, so we began to dig mountains and mine, and attack mountains to collect jade. It is extremely difficult to choose a good jade.
The second is hard work. Jade can be roughly divided into jadeite and nephrite. Jade is delicate and tough, with considerable hardness. If the hardness of diamond is set to 10 degree, then the hardest jade such as jadeite can reach 8 degrees and 9 degrees. Generally speaking, jadeite with hardness above 6 degrees is called jadeite. Only emery and Jin Gangzuan powder tools can grind jadeite. No matter how hard the steel knife is, the jadeite is polished into jade, which is translucent, soft, smooth and crystal clear, and the inner eye can't tell the difference between mineral particles. Jade with hardness below 6 degrees is nephrite. Nephrite is soft in texture and good in toughness, and can generally be carved with a knife, so its value is relatively low.
Third, the color is beautiful. According to legend, there are beautiful jade in the place where Phoenix lived. Jade is rich in natural colors, such as white as suet, red as chicken blood, and green as blue sea ... Common ones are white diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and metamorphic rocks, which can be processed into jade articles such as rings or earrings, and are durable and high-grade decorations. Some jadeites have several colors, which are called "clever colors". Even if some jadeites are impure in texture, once they are skillfully cut, they turn defects into beautiful spots and squirrels in flowers or trees, which are vivid and fascinating.
China people say, "If you don't cut it, you can't cut it." . The ancients first used tools such as stone and bone, and used sand and water as media to ponder jade articles, which took a lot of effort. Later, iron and copper were used as disks, and emery or Jin Gangzuan powder was used to speed up jade carving. At present, there are jade carving factories all over China. Jade carving has gradually changed from manual operation to semi-mechanization and electrification, and the productivity has increased, but there are fewer and fewer natural jade materials, so the price of jade is still expensive. Good luck and happiness!