Chinese jade
Jade has been mined and carved in China since the Neolithic.
Chinese jade is the name for jade that has been mined or carved in China since the Neolithic period, and it remains the most important hardstone used in Chinese sculpture. While deep green jadeite is more familiar in Europe, Chinese jade has historically appeared in many colors, with white "mutton-fat" nephrite being the most valued. Ancient sources in Henan and along the Yangtze River were worked from prehistoric times and are now mostly depleted; today, most Chinese jade comes from Xinjiang in the northwest.
Jade was prized for its hardness, durability, musical qualities, and beauty. Its subtle, translucent colors and supposed protective powers linked it to Chinese ideas of the soul and immortality. Along with gold, it was seen as a symbol of heaven. Jade carving in China began over seven thousand years ago, around 5000 BCE, producing the largest collection of intricately worked jade artifacts of any civilization. An early important use was the Six Ritual Jades, which appeared with the Liangzhu culture in the third millennium BCE: the bi, cong, huang, hu, gui, and zhang. Their meanings were not recorded before the Eastern Zhou dynasty, but by the time of the *Rites of Zhou*, they were thought to represent the sky, earth, and four directions. During the Han dynasty, royalty and high officials were buried in full jade suits sewn with gold thread, believed to preserve the body and its attached souls. Jade was also thought to fight fatigue in the living. The Han period greatly improved earlier jade-working techniques.
After the Three Kingdoms period, these uses gave way to Buddhist practices and new Taoist developments like alchemy. Still, jade remained part of traditional Chinese medicine and an important artistic medium.
**Name**
The Chinese word *yù* (玉) has a broader meaning than English "jade." It can refer to any gemstone, as well as "beautiful" (for women) or a courteous "your." *Yù* has covered many rocks and minerals that carve and polish well, including jadeite, nephrite, agalmatolite, bowenite, and other serpentine varieties. Today, jadeite is called *yìngyù* (硬玉, "hard jade") and nephrite is *ruǎnyù* (軟玉, "soft jade"). The term appears in many Chinese set phrases and idioms, such as *pāozhuānyǐnyù* (拋磚引玉, "cast aside a brick, pick up a jade"), meaning to offer humble remarks to spark better talk, and *yùlì* (玉立, "jade standing"), meaning gracef
- field
- Hardstone carving and sculpture
- nationality
- Chinese
- known_for
- Jade artifacts from Neolithic onward; Six Ritual Jades; jade burial suits; symbolic association with immortality and heaven
- earliest_known_production
- c. 5000 BCE
- primary_materials
- Nephrite (ruanyu) and jadeite (yingyu)
- key_historical_cultures
- Liangzhu, Yangshao, Longshan, Hongshan
Lore & Background
Jade production began in China over seven millennia ago (c. 5000 BCE), yielding the largest body of intricately crafted jade artifacts created by any single civilization. A prominent early use was the crafting of the Six Ritual Jades, found since the 3rd-millennium BCE Liangzhu culture: the bi, the cong, the huang, the hu, the gui, and the zhang. Since the meanings of these shapes were not mentioned prior to the eastern Zhou dynasty, by the time of the composition of the Rites of Zhou, they were thought to represent the sky, the earth, and the four directions. By the Han dynasty, the royal family and prominent lords were buried entirely ensheathed in jade burial suits sewn in gold thread, on the idea that it would preserve the body and the souls attached to it. Jade was also thought to combat fatigue in the living. The Han also greatly improved prior artistic treatment of jade.
Reader's Guide
Chinese jade holds deep significance in Chinese culture, symbolizing ancient ethics and ideologies and representing the progression of Chinese culture. Its use spans virtually all periods of Chinese history, generally according with the style of decorative art characteristic of each period. Jade was prized for its hardness, durability, musical qualities, and beauty; its subtle, translucent colors and protective qualities caused it to become associated with Chinese conceptions of the soul and immortality. With gold, it was considered to be a symbol of heaven. The polysemous term yù has semantically broader meanings than English 'jade,' referring to many rocks and minerals that carve and polish well. The Chinese character for yu dates back to c. 11th century BCE oracle bone script. Jade has been used in traditional Chinese medicine and as an artistic medium, with ancient jade shapes derived from bronze sacrificial vessels and motifs of painting used to demonstrate extraordinary technical facility. The Qing dynasty was the final dynasty to gain political control over jade-producing regions.
Did You Know?
- The Chinese character for yu (jade) dates back to c. 11th century BCE oracle bone script, depicting pieces of jade hanging on a string.
- White 'mutton-fat' nephrite was the most highly praised and prized jade in most of China's history.
- By the Han dynasty, royal family and prominent lords were buried entirely ensheathed in jade burial suits sewn in gold thread.
- The bi and cong are types of objects only found in jade in early periods, and probably had religious or cosmic significance.
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