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Jadeite

Jadeite is one of the two minerals called jade. The other jade mineral is nephrite, which is a variety of actinolite. Jade has been used for eons in China and Central America as an ornamental and religious stone of deep significance. The nephrite jade was used mostly in China, although both have been used in both regions.

Xinjiang Hetian Jade

Hetian, located in the southwest of Xinjiang in Northwest China, is famous for its exquisite, pure white and flawless jade - Hetian jade. Hetian jade has a history of more than 2,000 years, originating in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC).

Jade handicraft

Chinese handicraft has stood out in the endless flow of Chinese culture: It was an emblem of the ingenuity of the ancient Chinese. Today it still shines in the world. It began very early and develops very quickly. Its achievements are most remarkable. Jade handicraft is the oldest Chinese handicraft. It dates back to the Neolithic Age, with a history of between five and ten millennia.

An introduction to Chinese jade

In Chinese, "jade"(yu) refers to a fine, beautiful stone with a warm color and rich luster, that is skillfully carved. In Chinese culture, jade symbolizes nobility, perfection, constancy, and immortality. For ages, jade has been an intimate part of the lives of all Chinese.

Twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac

The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac (rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig) have played a significant role in Chinese culture since ancient times. They have been associated with the cardinal directions, times of the year, and certain constellations.

Ritual object (bi)

The austere shape, imposing mass, and monumental proportions identify this perforated disk (bi) as an important ceremonial object of China's Neolithic culture. Worked from a mottled green stone identified as nephrite (a form of jade), it bears traces of saw and drill marks on its otherwise smooth surface that provide a textbook study of early Chinese lapidary techniques.

Pendant in the form of a knotted dragon

A conceptual as well as a technical tour de force, this pendant defies the obdurate character of jade and makes it appear to be impossibly supple and pliant. The pendant takes the form of a serpentine dragon, whose body is grooved to resemble twisted rope.

Jade handle-shaped ornament

Throughout the Shang and Zhou dynasties, jade continued to be used in the creation of ritualistic objects, in particular tokens of rank and symbolic aids for the celestial journey thought to be undertaken by the dead.

A jade buffalo

Objects made of jade are thought to have played a ceremonial role in many Late Neolithic cultures. Harder than steel, jade (or nephrite) is laboriously fashioned by means of slow abrasion with sand or quartz grit.

Jade belt slide

Belts composed of metal pieces attached to leather or fabric were first introduced to China from Central Asia in the Western Jin period (265–317 A.D.). During the Tang dynasty, jade belt plaques of this type were produced in large numbers.

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