| About four thousand years ago, jade ware distinct
itself from stone ware. It not only become a symbol of wealth and power,
but also use for daily tools, weapons, and rital ware. Due to the extensive
usage of jade ware, that period was recognized as “Jade Age”. At that time,
it is well known that jade pin, jade bracelet, jade ornamental are used
for decoration; the jade dragon and jade bird might be symbols of mythical
objects; Jade ware might also be used for ritual functions and might be
representing the symbol of religion and power. In the Liangzhu culture remains,
the person that was buried in the tomb might have special social status
as suggested by the jade ritual ware buried in the same tomb. The animal
jade ware that discovered in Hongshan culture include eagle, dragon, bird,
tiger, turtle, silkworm, dog, fish, etc. It is well know that the is a “silk
way” in ancient china. However, before “silk way”, there is great “Hetian
Jade Way”
The characteristic jade ware unearthed from Hongshan culture is jade
totem.
Jade ware unearthed from Shang
Dynasty and Zhou Dynasty is mainly jade totem and jade ornament.
Jade ware unearthed from Spring and Autumn Annals period, Warring States
period, Qin Dynasty, and Han
Dynasty is mainly jade ornament
Jade ware unearthed from Three Kingdoms, Jin Dynasty, Southern and Northern
Dynasty, Sui Dynasty, and Tang Dynasty is very sparse.
In the period of Song Dynasty
and Yuan Dynasty, the jade industry was very well developed,
and jade ware is very popular ware in daily life. At that time, many noble
families have their own jade specialists to make jade ware. Many of the
jade ware are to imitate ancient style and make.
In Qing Dynasty,
the jade industry war energized and developed further because of the well-developed
jade technology in the imperial and local jade shops. When Sangui Wu (who
brought Manzhou into central China, and lead to their ruling of China)
visited Yunnan, and brought back jadeite back to central China. From then
on, jadeite became known to Chinese people.
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