Making Jade Artifacts with Ancient Methods
There were the following steps to making jade in the ancient method: 1. ** Sand pounding and grinding **: The stone sand was crushed with a pestle and mortar, then sieved. The stone sand was classified according to its size, and then the mud in the sand was rinsed with water. The clean sand sieved out could be used to grind jade articles later. The coarse particles were used for cutting, and the fine particles were used for carving. 2. If it was an emerald raw material, the outer shell would be wrapped with a rough stone, and this part of the stone would need to be cut off. In ancient times, two people would use a wooden frame to set up a jade, each holding one end of a steel bar, and carry out a saw-saw-like friction cutting. At the same time, a kettle with a hole in the bottom of the kettle would be hung on the jade, and the water would drip onto the jade, increasing the sharpness of the steel bar to cut off the stones on the surface. If it was the raw material of Hetian Jasper, the surface was covered with stone skin. When opening the jade, a teapot filled with black stone sand and water was hung on it. There was a hole in the bottom of the teapot, and the water mixed with black stone sand dripped onto the jade. Then, a steel wire saw was used to rub and cut back and forth to remove the stone skin. 3. ** Cutting into blocks or strips **: Use a sharp circular steel plate and hard red sand soaked in water to cut the jade material into blocks or strips. You can also use a cutting machine to change the corresponding tools according to different uses. After the preliminary design and drawing, the worker will use the cutting machine to cut off the excess jade material. 4. ** Punching (Grinding Edge)**: A punching tool made of a steel ring that is 45 to 20 centimeters thick and soaked in red sand will grind the edges and corners of the block or strip jade material to roughly shape the jade. Its working principle is similar to that of a pricking tool, but the pricking tool is changed. 5. Grind (Grind the surface): Grind the surface of the jade with a 20 - 30% thick steel plate to show a warm and soft luster. 6. "Dig out the hall (hollow the inside): When making a jade with an empty hall, first screw the steel drum into the center of the jade, so that a cylinder (jade pole) appears in the center of the jade. Then take out the jade pole and hollow out the inside of the jade. 7. "Embellishment (carving patterns)": Use a small round steel plate with sharp edges to polish the surface of the jade to create patterns. You can also use a small tool ("Ding Zi") to carve. Different types of tools will leave different patterns on the surface of the jade. 8. ** Drill (drilling)**: When making jade with hollow patterns, first use a diamond to drill through the small hole, then use a bow saw to rotate the fine stone sand back and forth to drill a round hole out of the jade. 9. [Penetrating Flower (Cutting According to Patterns)]: After drilling, use the steel wire string of the bow to pass through the small holes on the jade piece, and then cut it according to the pattern drawn with the fine stone sand soaked in water. 10. ** Hole drilling (punching small jade ware)**: When making snuff bottles, thumb rings, and other small jade ware, pull the "taut bow" back and forth to drive the "iron cup"(the lower end is embedded with a diamond) to rotate, and use the diamond to punch holes in the jade ware. 11. ** Wood (Polishing)**: Large jade articles are polished with a wooden mortar and soaked in yellow sand or various colored mortar. Small jade articles are polished with a small mortar made of dry calabash pieces. 12. ** Leather Pendant (Polishing)**: A leather pendant made of cowhide is used to polish the jade, making the jade appear bright and warm. Read more exciting novels for free
Ancient Jade Artifacts
There were many types of ancient jade articles, which could be divided into ritual vessels, accessories, containers, musical instruments, funeral articles, etc. In terms of ritual vessels, there were jade Bi used to sacrifice to heaven, jade Cong used to sacrifice to the earth, Gui, Zhang, Hu, Huang used to sacrifice to the four directions, Gui used by emperors and vassals for court betrothal gifts, sacrifices, funerals, Mao held by emperors, Cong used to sacrifice to the four directions of heaven and earth, etc. The accessories included all kinds of jade jewelry (such as hair ornaments, earrings, finger ornaments, wrist ornaments, arm ornaments, string ornaments, etc.), jade pendants, jade belt hooks, jade belt plates, rings (as ornaments to show identity), jade ornaments (knots on ancient hats), jade hairpins (jade hairpins, ancient women's jewelry), jade hairpins (long needles used by men to tie up their hair or crowns), Zigang cards, etc. The containers included Jue for drinking wine, Bi for warming wine, Zan for offering sacrifices like a spoon, jade nuptial cups used by young couples in ancient times for marriage and drinking, and jade pots. The musical instruments included jade pipes (wind instruments), jade chimes (percussion instruments), and jade zither poles (jade zither pillars). Funeral supplies include jade clothes. There were also jade items such as the dragon used to pray for rain, the jade used to decorate the end of the scabbard, the jade used to swear blood vows in ancient times, all kinds of insect-type jade articles such as jade insects (cicadas), jade bracelets for health preservation, jade ornaments for exorcism, and ancient wine vessels and jade cups. <a href="/?from=ask_words" style="color:red" target="_blank">Read more exciting novels for free</a>
Ancient Jade Artifacts of Tang Dynasty
An Introduction to the Illustrations of Ancient China Jade Artifacts
The "Illustrated Classic of Ancient Chinese Jade Decorations" has compiled nearly 400 patterns of ancient Chinese jade articles. The editor accurately and meticulously presented the original patterns and shapes of ancient Chinese jade articles through ink engraving and a small number of line drawing patterns, vividly recreating the charming style of ancient Chinese jade articles. Chinese jade had a glorious history of 7,000 years. Since the ancestors used beautiful stones to make decorations, jade was highly respected as the times changed. Its patterns became increasingly rich and exquisite. And this illustration showed the jade patterns in this development process. In China, the meaning of jade was constantly changing. It was transformed from a special stone into a symbol of power, status, wealth, and theocracy, and finally became a symbol of noble quality. These were also reflected in the development of jade ornaments. <a href="/?from=ask_words" style="color:red" target="_blank">Read more exciting novels for free</a>
Talks on Jade Artifacts Since Ancient Times
China jade had a long history. It had appeared more than 8,000 years ago and had continued to this day. Ancient jade was a unique artifact of Chinese civilization. Jade made by ancient grinding methods was ancient jade, and jade made by modern technology such as electric diamond tools was new jade. From the point of view of usage, since prehistoric times, jade ware was the highest standard of utensils. It was mainly used as ritual vessels (such as jade Bi used for sacrifice to heaven, jade Cong used for sacrifice to earth, Gui, Zhang, Hu, Huang used for sacrifice to the four directions, etc.) and accessories. In terms of value, jade from before the Han Dynasty was called high ancient jade. It was the source of China jade culture. High ancient jade from a reliable age could easily fetch millions in auctions. It was cherished by foreign museum and senior collectors. It was the first choice of powerful collectors. In terms of identification methods, there were three common methods: one was to use a key to scratch. If the hardness was low, such as marble, there would be scratches, but if the hardness was high like Hetian jade, it would not. The second method was to touch the jade. When pushing the jade, there would be a feeling of oil being pushed away and there would be slight resistance. The stone was dry, and the density of high-grade jade was higher. When weighing, such as Hetian jade seed material, it would feel heavy, while ordinary stones would be more floating. The third method was to use a lamp to observe. Natural jade had a natural structure, while man-made jade might have no structure or even bubbles. Judging from the types of jade, the definition of modern jade was broad, including Hetian jade, emerald, agate, Dushan jade, Shoushan stone, etc. Among them, jadeite was the representative of jadeite. Its main component was aluminum metameta Hetian jade was the representative of nephrite. Its main component was calcium, calcium, magnetite, and iron. Its Mohs hardness was 6 - 6.5 degrees, and its refraction index was around 1.61 - 1.63. It usually had a greasy luster, giving people a warm and moist feeling. It was mainly composed of tremolite minerals, and its texture was tight and delicate. <a href="/?from=ask_words" style="color:red" target="_blank">Read more exciting novels for free</a>
Jade Artifacts Unearthed from Ancient Corpse
Jade artifacts unearthed from ancient corpses are of great significance in archaeological research. From the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Han Dynasty, people believed that sealing the nine orifices of the dead with jade articles could make the corpse immortal. Therefore, many jade articles were unearthed in ancient tombs. Some of these jade articles were used by ancient corpses to stuff their mouths or anus. They were not suitable for wearing and playing. For example, in the highest grade cemetery of Liangzhu culture, Fanshan Cemetery, more than 1200 pieces of cultural relics such as jade articles, pottery, stone tools, and lacquer cups inlaid with jade were unearthed from 11 tombs, of which more than 90% were jade articles. The jade cong king unearthed here was of the best quality and had the most exquisite carving skills. It weighed 6.5 kilograms, and eight complete patterns of gods and beasts were carved on its straight groove. The faces and hats of the gods, the big eyes, nose, and mouth of the divine beasts were carved with shallow embossed techniques, and the upper limbs of the gods and the lower limbs of the divine beasts were carved with Yin lines. It was extremely complicated and was an outstanding work of micro-carving in Liangzhu. Another example was the jade, jade pillow, jade mask, jade Huang, etc. unearthed from Tomb M11 of the Han Dynasty Tombs in Tiecha Mountain. Among them, the jade mask was made of very thin jade pieces, which were carved into a certain shape and decorated on silk and other fabrics to form the plane outline and five senses of the head. The whole thing looked like a mask. The jade pillow was inlaid with jade wood pillow, which was more precious. A large tomb of the Zhou Dynasty was found in Hancheng, Shaanxi Province. A considerable number of exquisite funerary objects were unearthed from Tomb No. 26, among which the largest number of jade articles were found, with five cauldrons and four Gui. Tomb No. 27 on the east side was buried with seven cauldrons and six Gui, and a jade pig dragon more than 5000 years ago was also unearthed. The ancient corpse jades unearthed from different ancient tombs reflected the culture, craftsmanship, funeral customs and other historical information of the time. <a href="/?from=ask_words" style="color:red" target="_blank">Read more exciting novels for free</a>
Ancient China Jade Artifacts of the Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty was a unified multi-ethnic country with a complete patriarch system. Jade articles became the treasures monopolized by the emperors, and there were a variety of them. In addition to religious objects, there were also tools, daily necessities, accessories, and jade ornaments. Among them, ritual vessels and jade carvings of figures were the most precious. For example, jade Zhang, jade Cong, jade Bi, etc., the value of figure carvings was even higher. The value of round carvings of animals and containers was second only to that of jade carvings of people. They were worth collecting. This was because the round carvings of people and animals were difficult to craft and had realistic artistic characteristics. They could reflect the social appearance of the time and had high artistic, economic, and scientific value. In addition, there were many types of tools and weapons in the Shang Dynasty. The production level was divided into high and low. The ceremonial utensils or weapons were exquisite and beautiful, which was also worth collecting. Jade articles in the early part of the Shang Dynasty were represented by the relics unearthed from Erlitou site and tombs in Yanshi, Henan Province. There were many kinds of jade articles such as jade Gui and jade Cong. Some of the new articles might be used for etiquette. The production of large-scale thin articles showed the progress of jade technology at that time. In the later part of the Shang Dynasty, the Erligang site in Zhengzhou was represented. Jade articles such as jade Zhang and jade Ge were also unearthed from other Shang Dynasty sites and tombs. <a href="/?from=ask_words" style="color:red" target="_blank">Read more exciting novels for free</a>
How to Appreciate Jade Artifacts and How to Appraise Jade Artifacts
Appreciating and evaluating jade articles can be done from the following aspects: * * 1. Material ** 1. * * Color **: The color of natural jade is natural, and the color distribution is even and natural. The color of dyed jade is gorgeous, regular, and floating on the surface. For example, all kinds of jade should have this natural color characteristic. 2. * * Hand feeling **: Due to the different density, the jade feels different. For example, Hetian jade had a high density, and it felt heavy and cold. Generally, natural jade felt like it was falling when held in the hand, while fake jade was often light and floating. 3. * * Internal structure **: Observing the internal structure of the jade with light, the internal structure of the natural jade is naturally orderly. For example, under the light or sunlight, the internal structure of natural jade looked comfortable, while artificial imitation jade may have obvious artificial traces and even bubbles inside. 4. * * Gravity **: Natural jade has a high density, which can be judged by measuring its gravity. For example, Hetian jade, jade, and other dense jade stones could feel their weight in his hand. * * 2. Styling ** 1. * * Overall styling **: The proportion of the styling should be balanced and harmonious. It should not appear stiff. It should pay attention to the overall beauty. 2. [Details: For a jade with a shape, details are very important. For example, the lines must be smooth, without any broken lines, and the thickness must be uniform and appropriate.] * * 3. Craftsmanship ** 1. * * Pattern **: Pattern is an important part of jade appreciation. It is a form of ancient art. Different periods had different characteristics of decorative patterns, and their complexity might contain the cultural thoughts of the time, which not only helped to determine the generation of jade articles, but also helped to understand the life, culture, and thoughts of the people at that time. Moreover, good jade articles had smooth lines, uniform thickness, and more charm. 2. * * Craftsmanship Difficulty **: For example, some jade carvings of the Han Dynasty have high requirements for artistry, craftsmanship, and material. They can be used as a reference to determine the value of jade. * * 4. Sound ** Hanging the jade with a rope, hanging it in the air and fixing it properly, and then gently knocking it with another jade stone, the sound of natural jade knocking out is clear (as the ancient saying goes, the sound is melodious), but the sound of fake jade knocking out is more muffled. He could also use the jade to knock on the jade to judge by the sound. * * 5. Historical and cultural value ** 1. * * Age **: Jade articles of different ages have different historical and cultural values. For example, the Han Dynasty was the peak period of Chinese jade articles. Jade articles of this period were unique in terms of artistry and craftsmanship. 2. Jade ware is a high-level cultural carrier. It reflects ancient politics, etiquette, commerce, totems, religion, beliefs, and even life customs and aesthetic tastes. It carries rich cultural content. When appreciating and evaluating jade, one had to consider all the above aspects. One could not draw conclusions based on just one factor. If there were still doubts after the initial judgment, the jade could be sent to a professional appraisal agency for appraisal. The appraisal report issued by the formal agency when the merchant sold it could also be used as a reference. <a href="/?from=ask_words" style="color:red" target="_blank">Read more exciting novels for free</a>
The Jade Artifacts of Rongcheng
The Rongcheng Museum has jade artifacts of different ages. Among them, there was a piece of jade from the Qin and Han Dynasties from the end of the Warring States Period to the beginning of the Han Dynasty. It was unearthed in 1982 at the Dongjing Building of Chengshantou Ruins (now Wolong Village). The jade was damaged, the jade color was green and white, and the surface was decorated with grain patterns. The two pieces of jade were the same color as the jade, both plain, and each had a hole at the bottom. There was also a jade pendant from the Han Dynasty that was collected in Buliu Town. It was white jade with dark brown carvings on some parts. One corner was missing and the shape was like a Huang. It was carved with cloud patterns and beast patterns, and there was a horned dragon on one side of the top. In addition, in October 1979, the villagers of Wolong Village near Chengshantou found a group of jade articles including one jade wall, two jade guides and one jade Huang when leveling the mound. This group of jade articles was sent to the museum of Qing Dao for collection. <a href="/?from=ask_words" style="color:red" target="_blank">Read more exciting novels for free</a>
The Origin of Jade Artifacts
As for the origin of jade, the academic community speculated that it could be traced back to the late primitive society based on the records that came out later. For example, the Bamboo Book Annals and other documents mentioned that there were records of jade articles during the period of the Yellow Emperor, Shun, and Xia Yu, about 4200 years ago. At that time, the origin of jade seemed to be related to the Queen Mother of the West in the Kunlun Mountains in the West. There should be more jade origins in the Xia Yu era. However, archaeological excavation shows that the history of China people using jade is much earlier than recorded in the literature. As early as seven or eight thousand years ago, the primitive ancestors had created jade culture on both sides of the Liaohe River and Songhua River. Moreover, prehistoric jade articles were widely distributed and varied in texture. Before the Shang and Zhou Dynasties widely used Hetian jade in the Western Regions, they experienced an era of "jade and stone were not separated, and local materials were used". <a href="/?from=ask_words" style="color:red" target="_blank">Read more exciting novels for free</a>
Jade Artifacts of Xianyang
The jades in Xianyang have profound historical and cultural meanings and unique artistic value. The Xianyang Museum collected the "Six Treasures of Weiling" unearthed from the architectural site of Weiling, the eighth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Hanyuan. These six jade treasures were respectively Jade Immortal Running Horse, Jade Bear, Jade Eagle, Jade Evil Repelling (2 pieces) and Jade Figurine Head. Among them, the Jade Immortal Running Horse is composed of three parts: running horse, feathered man and pedal, reflecting the thought of "ascending to immortality" in the Western Han Dynasty; The jade bear is made of Hetian seed material in Xinjiang, which shows the clumsy and cute bear with various carving techniques; The jade eagle's legs and claws are close together, which reflects the worship of the ancients to the eagle; The jade is made of Hetian white jade, which shows the fierce and fierce dominance of the evil spirit; The jade evil spirit presents the fierce look before hunting; The jade figurines are exquisitely carved and lifelike. These six round jade carvings were discovered in succession from 1966 to 1976. They were rare treasures among the national jade carvings. They had extremely high historical, artistic, and scientific value and were invited to participate in the Nanjing Museum's 90th anniversary special exhibition. In addition, the third exhibition hall of the Xianyang Confucian Temple Museum displayed a group of jade articles unearthed from palace ruins and tomb areas. These jade articles were also representatives of Qin Xianyang's handicraft products, which witnessed the craftsmanship level at that time. <a href="/?from=ask_words" style="color:red" target="_blank">Read more exciting novels for free</a>