Jade Carving(玉雕Yudiao)

Jade is loosely understood in China as the collective name for most precious stones, and jade carving in this sense constitutes an important part of Chinese arts and crafts. The love of jade ware, according to Dr. Joseph Needham, the noted British naturalist, has been one of the cultural features of China. Crude jade tools have been fornd among the archaeological finds dating back to the New Stone Age.

There is, however, no evidence to indicate that Neolithic people attached a great value to jade ware; they chose jade only because it was hard and good for making tools and fighting weapons. As time went on, people came gradually to appreciate the beauty of the stone, Which after carving and polishing might be turned into things not only useful but also nice to look at.

In the historical epoch during which the slave society was replaced by the feudal society, jade ware became established as objects of pure decoration. Among the funerary objects unearthed from tombs of that long period are many jade articles used as personal ornaments or ceremonial vessels. The jade exhibits one sees today in museums of the country normally comprise vases, incense-burners, tripods, cups and wine vessels of various descriptions.

Large-sized jade articles began to appear in the middle of Chinese feudalism. There is today in the RoundCity of the BeihaiPark a large jade jar the size of a small bathtub. It was used as a wine container by the Yuan Emperor Kublai Khan when he feted his followers. The 3.5-ton jar may holds as much as 3,000 litres of wine.

It has a circumference of 493 cm and measures 70 cm high and 55 cm deep in the middle. The elliptic jar is well-shaped and engraved all round with clouds, waves, dragons and sea horse. It is the oldest jade object of a large size kept in tact in the country.

Another large piece worth mentioning as a jade sculpture dating from the reign of Qianlong in the 18th century. Entitled “Jade Mountain Showing the Great Yu Taming the Flood”, it was sculpted after a song Dynasty painting of a similar title. The masterpiece, standing 2.4metres high and about 1metre wide, depicts in vivid detail how the Great Yu, a heroic representative of the ancient working people, fought the Great Flood.

According to historical records, the uncut jadestone, weighing more than 5 tons, was discovered in Hotan area, Xinjiang, took three years to be transported over the distance of 4,000 kilometres to Beijing, and some more years to be carved and polished into the national treasure that it is.