Page 87 - Jades from the Chang We Hwa collection Hong Kong Dec 3 2021

function. They include ritual objects (such as gui, bi, huang and Since its inception, the harsh northwest environment, the lack of
jue); ritual weapons (such as ge and jian); tallies (such as jade ‘soul’); resources, the arduous living conditions and being surrounded
display objects (such as reticulated rectangular plaques with by nomadic tribes have forged the stoic characters of the Qin
serrated edges; trapezoidal plaques with dragon decoration); State. This uniquely masculine quality manifests in the angled,
objects of art (such as jade horse heads); utility objects (such clean geometric shapes and decorations of Qin-style jades.
as jade belt hooks, jade belt rings, white jade ear pick, jade
buttons); jade ornaments (such as jade bi, huang, huan, xing, xi, * The content of the current introduction mainly derives from
and other jade pendants and beads); burial jades (such as han and Shaanxi Chutu Dongzhou Yuqi (Excavated Eastern Zhou Jades
masks); and ornaments probably made for the sarcophagus (such in Shaanxi) by Liu Yunhui, former Vice Director of the Shaanxi
as fish, shells, and slender plaques with angled ends decorated Cultural Relics Bureau. This publication includes the most
with dragons). complete collection of Qin-style jades which is invaluable to
researchers, for which I offer my gratitude.
There are three distinct characteristics on Qin-style jades of the
late Spring and Autumn period: In 1996, the Chinese Culture and Fine Arts Association
published Zhouyuan yuqi (Jades of the Zhou Plain), which was
1. Form: predominantly geometric shapes, some that are unique
to Qin-style jades, as well as three-dimensional forms such as penned by Mr. Liu Yunhui. This book took three years to finish
wheat grain, horse head, duck head, bird head, tortoise, shell, and includes abundant materials, widely considered the standard
cicada and snail. for dating developmental Chinese jades. I still remember
meeting Mr. Liu, who was Head of Cultural Relics Department
2. Decoration: the most distinctive being the incised angular of Shaanxi Cultural Relics Bureau, in the Chang Foundation on
lines that form geometric dragon patterns; some complete the 14th November 1998. I enjoyed our conversation very much
with head, eyes, nose, mouth, lips, plume, antler, teeth, claw and benefited greatly from it. The next time I met him was in
and body; others merely head without body or head without the Taipei Palace Museum in 2012, at The Cultural Grandeur of
eyes; some use S scrolls or antlers to represent dragons. Only the Western Zhou Dynasty exhibition. He was the vice director
incised decorations are used on Qin-style jades, no relief of Cultural Exchange Association of Shaanxi, which was
carving has appeared as yet.
responsible for this large scale exhibition and the publication
3. Carving techniques: piercing, drilling, cutting, polishing, inlay of its catalogue, making incalculable contribution to cross-strait
and incised decoration. cultural exchange.

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