Page 21 - Chinese Archaic Jades From The Yangdetang Collection PART II Christie's.pdf

hooked negative line in which one of the negative lines
is carved using a slanted tuo or tilting the tuo wheel at
an angle. This technique gives the jade object a sense
of depth and was a breakthrough in the progress in
the carving of jades (fig. 18, lot 2739). The slanted tuo
wheel technique continued to develop into the Han
dynasty and became what was known as the Hanbadao,
or the Eight Han Cuts. The technique was frequently
applied on jade pigs (fig.19, lot 2781) and cicadas from
the Han dynasty. The term is not from its literal meaning
of producing ‘eight cuts’ but it involved large, fluid and
clean cuts with a slanted tuo wheel.

In addition to the existing techniques which included
negative, low relief, and high relief carvings, this period
also developed other technical skills such as hollowing
out jade vessels, integrally carved loose rings, and the
production of jade embellished bronze weapons. This
was a time when jade craftsmanship was developing at
full speed.
fig. 20 detail of lot 2768
圖二十 拍品 2768 號細部 4. Iron Low Table-top Tuo Era

The most significant progress in the craftsmanship of
jade carvings is always embodied in the advancement of
四、鐵砣几式砣機時期 the tools. The application of iron metallurgy technology
in the mid-to-late Spring and Autumn Period brought
玉雕工藝的進步總是最大程度的表現在工具的革新 yet another significant transformation in the tools
上，春秋中晚期冶鐵技術的應用對玉雕業來說是又一 required for the jade carving industry. Jade objects of
次工具的變革。而戰國至漢代玉器能夠取得如此高的 high artistic value from the Warring State period to the
Han dynasty bear strong correlation to the advancement
藝術成就，完全與鐵工具的使用有著密切關係。只是
in the development of iron tools. At this time, people
此時還是跪坐之姿，故依然是几式砣機，手動力。
still sat on their heels, and the tuo wheels were placed on
low table-top apparatus powered by hand.
此期玉料雖然有相當一部分可能還是來自於西北的甘
青地區，但是已出現了和田玉的身影，筆者在戰國玉 During this period, a significant amount of the raw
器中找到了明確的和田玉籽料，而隨著漢武帝時張騫 material originated from the Gansu and Qinghai areas
鑿通西域，優質的和田玉開始大量的傳入中原。西漢 of the Northwest, and there are indications that nephrite
jades were used. The author found irrefutable evidence of
漢元帝渭陵出土的玉鷹、玉熊等玉器，就是和田籽料
the use of nephrite river material among jades from the
玉的典型代表。
Warring States period. The successful connection to the
West forged by the Han diplomat Zhang Qian before
春秋戰國時期，各個諸侯國都有自己的治玉作坊，所
100 BC allowed high quality nephrite to be imported
製玉器的紋飾風格亦不相同。戰國時期的楚式玉器
into China in large quantities. Jade objects including
製作最為精美，即使是小件玉器，也極盡繁複。除 jade eagles and jade bears unearthed from the tomb of
主體紋飾外，常用網格紋等細小的紋飾填滿空隙（圖 the Emperor Yuan of Han from the Western Han period
二十）。漢代玉器則將戰國玉器的造型、紋飾發展到 are classic examples of nephrite river material.

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