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Jade is found in mountains and
riverbeds, and Chinese consider jade to be "the essence of heaven and
earth." When skillfully polished and carved into various articles, jade is
attributed with certain cultural characteristics. In ancient Chinese cosmology,
the firmament was considered to be round, and the earth square. Thus a round
jade ceremonial ornament with a hole in Beyond maintaining its historical role, jade artistry has been further developer with creativity and skill, and has become an indispensable part of everyday life. Jade remains an eternal symbol of China's magnificent civilization.
The majority of carved jade items were ornamental in nature, including pieces for display and items for personal use such as combs, hairpins, bracelets, and waist pendants. Jade ornaments were also set in walking sticks, waist sashes, garments, and caps. |
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In
Chinese culture, jade symbolizes nobility, perfection, constancy, and
immortality, and jade is loosely understood as the collective name for most
precious stones.
the center, called a pi, was carved to honor the gods of heaven, and a
long hollow jade ornament with rectangular sides, called a ts'ung, was made to
honor the spirits of earth.
"The
living wear jade as a symbol of their moral integrity, and jade accompanies the
deceased to comfort their souls." Over four thousand years ago in
China, great quantities of jade utensils were often laid over or around a
casket, particularly the pi-representing the round heaven, and the ts'ung
signifying the rectangular earth. They were a symbolic link of communication
between heaven and earth, of exchange between man and the spiritual world.
Later, jade articles were carved specifically for burial with the dead, based on
the idea that the jade's qualities of nobility, perfection, constancy, and
immortality would prevent the physical body from decay. Examples of jade objects
for burial use are a thin, light jade cicada which was placed in the mouth of
the dead, and a thick, round jade piglet, which was enclosed in a hand of the
deceased. A cicada goes under the ground and is "reborn" after
shedding its skin; and a pig breeds quickly, thus increasing wealth. Thus
natural motifs are used to express human desires for reincarnation or increased
wealth for one's family.
