Jade Pattern Cicada

Answer 1

In the jade patterns, cicadas had many meanings. From a cultural point of view, cicadas had always been regarded as a symbol of purity, purity, and spirituality. It contained a kind of elegant sentiment and was the continuation of traditional culture. Since ancient times, it had been loved by people with elegant character. For example, Cao Zhi's "Ode to Cicada" and Luo Binwang's "Ode to Cicada" all reflected the noble and pure quality of cicadas.

In terms of meaning, cicadas were homonyms for "winding", which meant "wrapping a hundred thousand cicadas around the waist"; jade cicadas hanging on the chest could pray for blessings and increase longevity, which was called "wearing cicadas"; dignitaries decorated jade cicadas on their crowns, which became a symbol of power and status, and were called "crowned cicadas"; cicadas "stayed far away from the sound, not because of the autumn wind", which became the manifestation of the lofty aspirations of scholars. Other than that, there was also the idea of shocking the world with a single brilliant feat and being as quiet as a cicada in winter.

From the perspective of historical development, jade cicadas first appeared in the Neolith Age. They were often unearthed from tombs from the Shang Dynasty to the Warring States Period. At this time, most of them were hanging ornaments. The jade cicadas of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties were simple in shape and extensive in carving. In the Han Dynasty, jade cicadas were popular in the mouth of burial jade. The jade cicadas of the Northern and Southern Dynasties were still made in the Han Dynasty, but due to the war, the source of jade materials was difficult, and most of them were carved with chalk. After the Song Dynasty, it was mostly used as a baldric, but it had a shape but no spirit. In the Ming Dynasty, there were two types of jade cicadas, thin slices and round carvings. Most of them were made of pink sapphire. In the Qing Dynasty, there were round cicadas and sheet-shaped cicadas. The painting technique was used together with the archaic decorative patterns. The materials used were exquisite, and the decorative patterns were sparse and clear. In the late Qing Dynasty, the lines of jade cicadas often collapsed. The knife technique was weak, and the indents were thin and deep. Xiuyan jade was often burned into red or black archaic cicadas.

In terms of craftsmanship, the famous "Han Eight Knife" craftsmanship originated from the Han Dynasty and was a new development on the basis of inheriting the jade carving techniques of the Warring States Period. The " eight strokes " of the " Eight Blades of Han Dynasty " was an approximate number. It referred to the jade carving's strong, powerful, and concise bladesmanship. With just a few strokes, the charm of the object could be fully expressed. Moreover, the use of the knife paid attention to the left and right symmetrical. On the back of the Eight Blades of Han Dynasty, the left and right grooves behind the knife formed the effect of the Chinese character " eight ". In the Han Dynasty, the main types of jade carvings that used the "Han Eight Knives" technique were jade cicadas, jade pigs, and jade Wengzhong. Jade cicadas perfectly interpreted this unique technique.
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