Zhou Jade

[Ilario Grijalva]

Throughoutthe Shang and Zhou dynasties, jade continued to be used in the creation of ritualistic objects, in particular tokens of rank and symbolic aids for the celestial journey thought to be undertaken by the dead. This pale-green tablet with a concave grip and a conical hafting hole resembles a common type of Shang and early Zhou jade handle, but its large size and fully ornamented surfaces suggest that it served as a ceremonial scepter. The two broad faces of the tablet are identically decorated with a subtlety and complexity of design that illustrates the changing techniques for jade working characteristic of the later Western Zhou dynasty. Plumed birds stand atop a kneeling anthropomorphic figure, which surmounts addorsed animal masks that face both up and down the vertical axis. The upward-facing mask seems to hold the foot of the kneeling figure in its jaws; another such mask frames the erect bird in its gaping mouth.

Since ancient times, the tradition of jade working has produced such treasures as bracelets, amulets, statuettes, pendants, plaques, and cups. The process of jade working is not simple: composed of the minerals nephrite and jadeite, jade has a degree of hardness that rivals steel, so it must be cut and shaped with extremely hard abrasives. In the ancient world, jade was worked by hand over long periods of time, which added to both the value and desirability of these unique objects. It also made them likely to be well cared for and preserved; it is not uncommon for ancient jades to appear like new, thousands of years after artisans worked them into forms.

Representing a new shape in Neolithic blades, the ge-halberd blade was modeled after a bronze weapon produced at the start of the Bronze Age. Jade copies were likely held as symbols of power, rather than actively used. The ge-halberd blade above is one of the more than 50 such examples in the Winthrop Collection. Versions with bronze mountings, often decorated in turquoise, as in the above example, were considered the most prestigious style of these blades, and have been found at royal burial sites. Textile impressions suggest that they were carefully wrapped before burial.

This highly polished, translucent S-shaped plaque, shown in details above, depicts multiple creatures, with the head of a dragon and a large bird at its tail, clutching a curled worm or snake. Two holes were drilled on top for suspending the plaque, likely as the bottommost component of a pendant set.

These milk green jade pieces connect with each other and form a jade dragon. On this dragon, there are carved patterns of in total 37 dragons, seven phoenixes and ten snakes. On the 14th joint and the 15 the joint, there are also carved scenes of a phoenix catching a snake.

Bi was a ritual vessel used when offering sacrifice to the heaven. Jade Bi was first used 6000 year ago and in the Shang and the West Zhou Dynasty it became a symbol of status and there were strict rules about the usage of Bi. This Bi was used as adornment, ritual object as well as a symbol of power.

Huang was used to honor gods in the north. Huang was used to honor gods in the north. A theory is that the shape is an imitation of rainbow. The marquis, in his eternal sleep, wears 36 jade Huang, among which there are four pieces like this one on display.

Huang looks like a half of a Bi and a theory is that the shape is an imitation of rainbow. This pair of Huang is connected by three gold wire. This is the only artifact that combines gold and jade in Pre-Qin Period.

Both farming and collecting depend on weather, especially rain. Therefore, cloud was often used as decoration from the Shang dynasty to the Han dynasty.

These two dragon-shaped Pei were used as a pair. On one side of the dragon, there are cloud patterns and the other side is undecorated.

This Pei (pedant) was unearthed from the inner coffin. One end of this rectangular pedant is in the shape of a bird head. The whole piece is covered in cloud patterns, meaning that the bird is flying through cloud.

On the fluvial plain, people used to hunt and fish in the Warring States Period. Therefore, artifacts with patterns of or in the shape of fish were popular. This fish-shaped jade Pei is a semi-circle ring in the shape of a fish. It is square-edged and has a pointy tail.

Ancient Chinese believe that the sky envelops the square ground like a lid. The shape of Cong follows such opinion. Its outer edge is square and the inner edge is rounded. In the ancient ceremonies, Cong was used to offer sacrifice to the earth.

This Cong was found right under the back of the marquis. Though there is only a half, it is still a recognizable Cong with decorative animal-shaped carvings. This is the first half Cong that ever covered. It was probably a kind of burial object.

The ring was first a tool wearing on thumb when pulling a bow, then it became an adornment. This ring was found near the left hand of the marquis. The marquis was probably a left-hander when using bow and arrows.

In the mouth and skull of the marquis, 21 jade pieces have been found. Despite that they are as tiny as rice or beans, these Han are delicately carved. Even the fins on the jade fish are clearly visible.

This gold container is among the largest and the heaviest gold objects that were made before the Qin Dynasty. Its lid and edge are decorated with patterns of Panchi (snake-shaped dragons), ropes and thunderclouds. A gold colander was put in the containerIts hollowed-out part is an abstract pattern of two dragons playing with one ball.

The gold Zhen (lid) were placed under the coffin. Between them there are other 2 gold containers and among the 4 gold objects there are 4 bronze Zhen. No commonly recognized explanation has been made about the placement of these objects.

These gold spring were found twined on 2 of the spindle-shaped wood pieces that were placed on 2 lacquered gasket on a wood table in the east tomb chamber. On the 2 wood pieces there are in total 462 springs, each is 2 centimeters long and weighs 1.4 grams. The diameter of one gold wire is merely 0.5 centimeters and all the springs are quite soft. The function of these springs remains unknown.

173 glass beads were unearthed from the Zeng Hou Yi Mausoleum. They are made of soda-lime glass. These beads are similar to glass beads that were made in the West. These beads prove that Chinese people already made glass as early as in the Shang dynasty.

The exceptional quality and great breadth of the Freer and Sackler collections of ancient Chinese jades inspired this online catalogue. Its combination of museum and archaeological research with archival records and documentary images is designed to share knowledge and to encourage new study. The first three volumes are dedicated to Neolithic, Shang 商, and Western Zhou 周 pieces. The fourth and final volume features works produced from the Eastern Zhou 周 and Han 漢 dynasties.

I pursued this digital publication platform because it allows for limitless image sharing, easy inclusion of purchase and analytical documentation, and links to related objects in other collections and documented excavations. This on-line resource can readily expand over time to include new objects, information, and research. Most important it offers the opportunity for live engagement with archaeological practice in China today.

Each volume will contain comprehensive entries that reveal the evolving understanding of experts over the past century. Additional contents address the people involved in the discovery, sale, or study of each piece. The information contained in these Objects, Places, and People divisions of the catalogue is supplemented with Essays, which provide broader contextualization, and Resources, which offer reference materials useful for research.

From the beginning, the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation has promoted work on this project with generous financial support. We are extremely grateful for their sponsorship and encouragement as this work, first conceived as a print volume in 1997, evolved to become the present digital publication. Additional funding to help build the digital resource was provided by the Leon Levy Foundation.

GUEST: I grew up in Switzerland, and my parents started collecting Chinese art in the 1950s. My father went to China in 1964. And I don't know if he purchased this in China or if he purchased it through a dealer in London that my parents bought a lot of items from.

APPRAISER: This is a jade point set into a bronze shaft. And it's hard to imagine now that this was a richly embellished object. And underneath the encrustation, there very likely are inlays of gold...

APPRAISER: ...and silver. Certainly turquoise. And a very complex interwoven pattern likely incorporating dragons, fantastic animals weaving in and out in this kind of lacy design. Now this was not meant to be actually used as a spear point because it would have been attached to a wooden shaft. But this was meant...

APPRAISER: This was meant for ritual purposes, and it was actually included in a tomb. So the two great periods for the creation of ancient bronzes in China for ritual purposes were the Shang dynasty, followed by the Zhou dynasty-- spelled Z-H-O-U. Now the Zhou dynasty begins in 1046 and goes to 770 B.C.

APPRAISER: So it's not surprise that we have this kind of reaction to the surface. For years and years and years, these tombs lay undisturbed throughout the Chinese countryside, but in the late 19th century, they started to build a railway system and a road system through the countryside. And in the process, they were unearthing early works of art that were in tombs that were in the way of the construction. Many of those objects formed the core of what we see in the great Western museums throughout the world. Almost none of these retained that jade spear point. You find them not only in spears, but knives. Most often this part doesn't survive. The fact that these two have survived intact is pretty unusual.

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