Next, flick the pages and observe a well-to-do Chinese family mourning the death of a loved grandmother. They prepare her for the next world by bathing her body, dressing her in funeral clothes, and placing jade over her eyes—and in her mouth, ears, and hands. The jade will comfort her spirit and help preserve the body.
But Chinese jade isn't confined to the pages of history—it is a part of life today. In the Republic of China, precious jades can, of course, be found in quantity in the National Palace Museum and the National Museum of History, enclosed behind glass; but shiny jade figurines, vases, and pendants are, also, amply displayed in the antique shops on Chungshan North Road; young and old collectors alike gather at frequent jade auctions and street fairs; and in teahouses and private homes, people of all ages discuss, compare, and fondle pieces of jade—many priceless in terms of both money and sentiment.
Jade is not just a bright green stone. In fact, the "emerald green jade" known as fei-tsui, is not jade, but jadeite. Jadeite, when polished, has a glassy surface, while another form of jade—nephrite—takes on a more muted, oily sheen. In their pure form, both jadeite and nephrite are white; but they are also found in a range of colors, depending on the presence of different minerals in the stone. Jadeite is usually different shades of green, while the colors of nephrite include yellow, red, brown, blue, and black. In the case of ancient jade, spottles of color have entered the stone due to chemical reaction of the jade with the surrounding soil.
Techniques for carving and polishing jade are slow and laborious, requiring patient wearing away at the stone with abrasives. On a mineralogical scale of hardness which rates the diamond at 10, jadeite registers 6.5 to 7.0 compared with nephrite's 5.5 to 6.5.
Early records on jade rarely mention carving techniques, perhaps due to secrecy on the part of jade artisans and ignorance on the part of the authors. However, as early as the 4th Century B.C., there was reference to a kun-wu knife; this instrument could, reputedly, slice right through the jade as if it were merely wax or clay—aided by the rubbing on of a bit of "toad grease." While such a technique is completely apocryphal, the kun-wu knife continued to appear in records until as late as the 19th Century. The grain of truth in the story is that grease was probably used to keep abrasive powders concentrated on a certain part-but in combination with wires or saws, not magical knives.
In old China, jade was revered as an intermediary between heaven and earth during an age when communication with the unpredictable gods was of sacred importance. One of China's earliest existing records, the Book of Rites of the Chou Dynasty (1030-221 B.C.), described the six articles of jade used in rituals for the gods of heaven, earth, and the four directions of the compass:
....They are grayish-blue jade made into perforated round discs (pi) for heaven, yellow jade in square cylinder tubes (tsung) for earth, red jade tablets (kuei) for the east, red jade scepters (chang) for the south, white tiger-shaped jade (hu) for the west, and black semi-circular jade (huang) for the north.
The use of such jade objects in sacrifices and other rituals probably stems from the vital role that stone played in the early development of humankind. With stone tools and weapons, humans began controlling their environment. Jade retained a symbolic significance as the finest of all stones, even when no longer fulfilling a practical role. Still, the meaning of the early ritualistic pieces is not fully understood today. For example, the square cylinder shape of the tsung, which was often found on the abdomen of the corpse: Theories have been proposed to explain its significance as a symbol of the earth, of female power, or even as part of a chariot wheel.
In addition to sacrificial objects, another important early usage of jade was in burials. Jade was thought to have a beneficial power, and jade pieces were used to close up apertures in the body. The mouth jades were most important, and were often carved into tongue-sized pieces shaped like cicadas. The cicada, a long-lived insect common in the Far East, after hatching, buries itself in the earth, then reemerges as a winged adult. The cicada-shaped jades seem to have been symbolic of human resurrection.
Jade came into use for ornamentation as early as the Shang Dynasty. Nobles and wealthy families would have thin slabs of jade carved into pendants, necklaces, and breast pieces, as fittings for swords, and as decorations for furniture and clothes.
In time, the importance of jade was raised to a philosophical level through a famous passage of Confucius, in which he praises its virtues:
It is soft, smooth and shining
—like intelligence. Its edges seem
sharp but do not cut—like justice.
It hangs down to the ground
—like humility.
When struck, it gives a
clear, ringing sound—like music.
The strains in it are not hidden
and add to its beauty—like truthfulness.
It has brightness—like heaven.
Its firm substance is born of
the mountains and the waters
—like the earth.
From its distant origin in Stone Age utility, jade was elevated into an object of admiration among the Chinese scholar-gentry, through whose eyes we view almost all of Chinese history and culture.
Most of the ancient jade existing in the world today was once buried, then rediscovered either at excavation sites or by grave robbers; the robbers made identification and dating of jades much more difficult, as well as contributing to the dispersion of jades throughout the world. By the Ming and Ching Dynasties, the main function of jade was decoration and ornamentation, and jade wine cups, pen holders, and screens adorned the studies of scholars. Jade musical instruments, chopsticks, and chessboards demonstrate the application of the love for jade to the traditional recreations of the gentry class.
Today, both "old" and "new" jade is in circulation—even jade from the Ming and Ching periods is not really considered "old," or as ancient jade. For the average person, discerning the difference between genuine old jade and new (or even faked jade) is not easy. Faking old jades by injecting them with color, by burying them, or even by cooking them in oil is, reportedly, common practice among unscrupulous jade dealers throughout the Far East.
Jade experts all agree that one can readily tell the differences between genuine and fake jades with experience and study, but it is difficult to set up guidelines for those without this knowledge.
"Some people think that 3,000 years ago, everything was very primitive. So if they see a piece of crudely-carved jade, they feel it must be old," says Hsieh Chun-yi, a retired army man who devotes a great deal of time to jade. "Not so. It is the ancient jade that is the most exquisitely carved. This is one proof of authenticity. Another proof is its condition—it doesn't matter whether it's animal, vegetable, or mineral, all things age, even though minerals take a little longer. So you should observe the aging of a piece, the condition of its carving, and the quality of the stone."
Hsieh has been giving informal Saturday afternoon classes on jade at the Paradise Teahouse on Chingchen Street for two years. The classes began as get-togethers with four or five friends who often asked him questions. After a few weeks, everybody was still interested, and there seemed to be more and more to discuss. The participants now number about ten, and range in profession from professors to TV directors and accountants. The group has worked through the history of jade and is currently concentrating on the techniques behind the carving. Each week, group members also bring treasured pieces from their own collections for others to view.
"In my family, the last generation and the generation before that all collected jade, so I was exposed to it early on," Hsieh explains, speaking with the obvious satisfaction of a favorite topic. "From my youth to adulthood, jade has been a major interest. Studying jade is different from studying the precious jewels of the West. The translucence, color, and shape of the jade—it has very special qualities. Jade also carries a lot of Chinese tradition with it, and that's why while most jade collectors used to be older people, now they are younger people who are really more interested in understanding the jade as a part of Chinese culture."
After its long association with the Emperors and the scholar class, jade has come within range of all ranks of Taiwan's increasingly affluent people. The Kwang Hwa market—located at Hsinsheng South Road and Pateh Road in Taipei—holds auctions and sales several times a week. Those who attend have a variety of different motives and backgrounds.
"When it comes to jade collectors, you have to look at a person's family background, profession, and his general economic situation," says Yuan Ji-cheng, who runs ancient-jade auctions every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. "One kind of person doesn't have much to do at home, perhaps because he is older and retired. Many younger people appreciate jade because it looks so clean and, according to Chinese tradition, is very propitious.
"Still others like to enjoy jade and make a little money at the same time," Yuan continued. "Investing in jade is safer than a lot of other ways—if you purchase a genuine piece of old jade worth, say, tens of thousands of dollars, in ten years it may well be worth several millions."
"Collecting jade is better than playing mahjong. I wish everybody would collect jade," says Oliver Lin, an ebullient auctioneer of "new jade" at the Kwang Hwa market. Lin sells an average of NT$50,000 (US$1,250) worth of jade in a daily seven-hour session. "Collecting jade adds interest to a person's thoughts—gives them a hobby. When you have a hobby, your life is full. If you're married, your wife will trust you more because you have a good hobby instead of going off to play mahjong, or going dancing and drinking."
In the Chinese language, collecting jade is referred to as "playing with jade." Today's jade collectors combine a modern-day practicality with their pleasure, purchasing jade with a respect for its place in Chinese tradition.
Though jade has lost its original ritualistic functions, it retains a majestic aura of attraction. Jade is a stone of both beauty and durability. It bears the dignity and mystery of its passage through thousands of years of history—a journey not yet at its end.