Funerary objects of jade
According to the Historical Records, in 1046 BC the capital city of the Shang was lost to armies of King Wu of the Zhou. Reluctant to be a prisoner of war, King Zhou of the Shang, a most notorious tyrant…
Jade carvings unearthed from the tomb of a Shang dynasty royal concubine
Jade carvings of the Shang-Zhou period feature a much better workmanship than Liangzhu jade artifacts. Those excavated from the tomb of a Shang Dynasty royal concubine testify to the truth of this assertion. The women, Fu Hao, was a concubine…
Story of a priceless bi
In ancient China, what is broadly referred to as bi – round flat jade piece with a hole in the center – could be priceless. Here is the story of a priceless bi, to which the Chinese proverb “worth several…
Jade artifacts of the Liangzhu culture – 2
It is a long time since we began taking note of the decorative designs on jade artifacts of the Liangzhu culture –– particularly on those used at sacrificial ceremonies –– that feature animal faces complete with eyes, noses, mouths and…
Jade artifacts of the Liangzhu culture – 1
A jade cong produced 3,300-2,200 years ago, a typical art object of the Liangzhu culture. For its size, it is dubbed as “king of all congs”” width=”90″ height=”65″ />Back in the early 20t h century, in Shanghai, adventurers and merchants…
Jade artifacts of the Hongshan culture
The Hongshan culture existed about 5,000 years ago, in areas drained by the Liaohe and Xilamulun rivers in northeast China. Jade artifacts of the Hongshan culture are recognized as unique in workmanship and regional character. Most of them take the…