In China, jade is a beautiful word. Jade in Shuo Wen Jie Zi alone has more than 100 characters, and there are countless characters composed of it, which contains noble, beautiful and loyal cultural implications. Today, we often refer to those beautiful as clean as ice, as clean as jade, and happiness from now on, jade face, jade body and so on. Even we often use the word jade or the radical word jade to name it, which shows that China people love and worship jade.
Generally speaking, there are two reasons why any kind of object is loved and respected by people: first, the material and external form of this object make people feel aesthetic pleasure, and second, the cultural connotation contained in this object makes people recognize and love it. Chinese jade is a perfect combination of the two. It not only has beautiful texture and modeling, but also has humanistic thought, emotion and national spirit. Dr Joseph Needham once praised in the History of Science and Technology in China: "The love for jade can be said to be one of the characteristics of China culture. Its texture, shape and color have inspired sculptors, painters and poets for more than 3,000 years." Mr. Zhang, a famous scholar in modern times, once lamented: "The more United jade is with our nation, the more inseparable it is. Anyone who studies the national history of China must know the whole story of jade. " It can be said that China's jade not only contains national virtues, accumulates national wisdom, entrusts national feelings, and reflects the social structure and philosophical thoughts in different historical periods, but also plays a very important role in China's politics, religion, culture and thought, and plays an irreplaceable social function and role. At the same time, respecting and cherishing jade has become a social fashion of the Chinese nation, and Chinese jade is favored and cherished by the world for its unique artistic characteristics.
First, the beauty of materials.
In ancient times, jade was synonymous with beautiful stone. Xu Shen in the Han Dynasty said in Shuo Wen Jie Zi: "Jade is more beautiful than stone, and there are five virtues." Mr. Yang Boda thinks: "The discoverer of the beauty of jade should be the person who looks for jade and makes jade tools. These two things are often undertaken by one person at the beginning. In the process of finding and polishing jade tools, they gradually discovered and understood the beauty of jade, forming the beauty and concept of jade. This aesthetic feeling is the reflection of the color, luster, hardness and toughness of jade in the mind, forming a feeling and understanding. People who know and love the beauty of jade will dress themselves up by processing it into ornaments such as pieces, beads and tubes. " Judging from the current archaeological data, the ancients' cognition of jade in the Neolithic Age has reached a quite high level. Jade unearthed from Hongshan Culture, Liangzhu culture, Longshan culture and other prehistoric cultures belong to tremolite jade materials in mineralogy. Tremolite, colorless, is a calcium magnesium silicate containing water and fluorine, and its composition contains no or little iron. The hardness is 6-6.5 degrees, and its single crystal is mostly fibrous and fine staggered polymerization, so its texture presents a warm and delicate translucent feeling. Hetian jade in Xinjiang, China is the best tremolite jade in the world, and its common colors are mainly white, blue, yellow, blue and ink. From the late Neolithic Age, high-quality Hetian jade began to be imported into the Central Plains. By the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, especially after the Han Dynasty, Hetian jade had become a treasure sought by emperors and nobles by all means. In the Qing Dynasty, the number of Hetian jade reached a historical peak due to the emperor Qianlong's love for jade, and the number of jade used in the court alone reached dozens of tons every year, which provided excellent materials for making jade at that time.
Because Hetian jade is delicate in texture, soft in luster and not dazzling, and the whole body presents a subtle and soft aesthetic feeling, there is an old saying that "a gentleman is better than jade", and even jade is personified. Book of rites? In The Righteousness of Employing People, Zi Gong asked Confucius, "Who dares to ask a gentleman for your precious stones?" How much is the scarcity of jade? Confucius said, "It's not because of the abundance of jade that it's expensive. In the past, a gentleman was better than jade: gentle and kind, benevolent; Be cautious and know; Cheap but not embarrassing, righteous; Hanging like a team, courtesy also; Knock, it sounds louder and longer, and finally it is happy; Yu, flawless, loyal; Fu Yin Pang Da, letter also; Gas is like Bai Hong, and the sky is also; The spirit is found in mountains and rivers, and the land is also; Zhang Gui TEDA, Deye; The world is expensive, and the Tao is also. As the poem says, "Speaking of a gentleman who is as gentle as jade." Therefore, a gentleman is also expensive. Here, according to the physical properties and social needs of jade, Confucius ingeniously endowed the essence of heaven and earth with eleven virtues, thus making jade develop into a "virtuous" jade with ethical and political value (filial piety and loyalty to the monarch) and become the carrier and embodiment of truth, goodness and beauty. For thousands of years, this glorious image of jade has played an inestimable role in shaping the excellent national character of the Chinese nation, cultivating moral concepts and building spiritual civilization of the whole society.
After Confucius put forward that jade has eleven virtues, there are Guan Zi's "jade has nine virtues" and Gou Zi's "jade has seven virtues", the core contents of which are mostly based on the benevolence and morality advocated by Confucius. The ruler's "exclusive respect for Confucianism" in the Han Dynasty further refined and strengthened the theory of "jade virtue". Xu Shen's Shuo Wen Jie Zi explains: "The beauty of stone has five virtues, namely, gentle virtue, benevolent side, external knowledge virtue, middle knowledge virtue, righteous side, soothing voice, far knowledge virtue, wise side, brave side, sharp side and sincere side. If translated into vernacular, it is "polishing, like a gentleman's benevolence; "True, not false, just like the meaning of a gentleman; When knocking at the door, the sound is sweet and pleasant, spreading to the distance, like the wisdom and virtue of a gentleman; Be unyielding, like the courage of a gentleman; The cut edges and corners are square and harmless, just like the virtue of a gentleman. " It can be seen that the ancients attached great importance to the texture and characteristics of jade, especially the suet white jade in Hetian jade, which was deeply loved and respected by the ancients and has long been a symbol of noble character and pure soul. At the same time, it is not difficult to see that among the natural attributes of jade, tenderness is its outstanding feature, which conforms to the moral standards and national character pursued by Chinese ancestors. In this way, the beauty and kindness of jade are combined, symbolizing kindness, peace and harmony. Jade is warm and moist, expressing the good wishes of Chinese ancestors and becoming the favorite thing of Chinese people.
Second, the beauty of craftsmanship.
Exquisite jade materials are fascinating, and exquisite craftsmanship is even more amazing. No matter which jade work in history, it is watered by craftsmen with painstaking efforts and sweat, and it is the crystallization of the wisdom of jade workers. In order to carve a jade article, I really don't know how many people have worked hard and rushed around for it. For example, the Palace Museum's "Dayu Harnessing Water and Jade Mountain", from material selection design to final lettering completion, the whole project took ten years and cost countless silver. Even if it is a small jade article, it must be carefully designed and pondered by the artist after repeated thinking and sketching. Therefore, a successful work requires not only the superb skills of craftsmen, but also the thinking and creative ability of artists. It can be said that it is a perfect combination of mental and physical labor.
The craft of jade originated from the production of stone tools, but it is different from stone tools and more delicate and complicated than stone tools. First of all, we must choose materials, because only by choosing the right materials can we process good jade articles. Second, design, jade design must absolutely obey the specific conditions given by the material itself, and try to make the work an organic combination of material beauty and modeling beauty. Thirdly, it should be considered that this is the most critical link in making jade and the most unique process. According to the design requirements, the craftsman must implement various techniques such as cutting, hooking, dividing, drilling and hollowing out, and carefully ponder bit by bit to achieve realistic and vivid artistic effects. Finally, polishing, polishing is to make the jade brighter, but there must be no damage and destruction to the jade shape and decoration. Li Chengyao's Illustration of Ancient Jade in Qing Dynasty recorded the whole process of Chinese jade pod treatment at that time, and it took about 13 processes from material preparation to molding. At the same time, due to the hard texture and high toughness of jade materials, the processing difficulty is incomparable to other materials.
In addition, after thousands of years of development and innovation, China jade craft gradually formed jade styles represented by Beijing (Beijing), Suzhou (Suzhou) and Fanzuo (Western Regions) in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, especially the exquisite jade craft dominated by color, which added gorgeous brilliance to the jade craft.
1. Jingzuo
Beijing-made jade is a kind of jade craft style centered on Beijing, and it can also be said to be the representative of northern jade. The jade articles made in Beijing are majestic and solemn. There are many sculptures and reliefs, and the pattern technology is also complicated. For example, all kinds of antique jade and seasonal jade collected by the Palace Museum all present a noble and elegant temperament and a leisurely and free Beijing flavor. In particular, animal-shaped round carvings, whether animals or birds, are mostly plump and round, with solid and robust descriptions. The vessel is thicker and more stable. Although it is sometimes treated as an art of interweaving flowers and plants, it still retains the simple and dignified local characteristics and the open and cheerful northern customs.
2. Su Zuo
Su Zuo refers to the jade craft represented by Suzhou. Song Ying Xing's Heavenly Creations in the Ming Dynasty once said: "All jade from him goes to Ganzhou and Suzhou by boat or camel. Go to the common market, East China, unload and extract Yanjing. Jade workers distinguish between high and low prices and then cut them. Although good workers gather in the capital, they skillfully push Su County. " Obviously, in the Ming Dynasty, Suzhou's jade carving technology has been pushed to the top of the country. Lu Zigang, a famous jade carving artist, is one of Suzhou jade masters.
Su Zuo's jades are generally small, and the patterns are mainly Jiangnan scenery and literati paintings, with fine craftsmanship and originality. According to reports, during the Daoguang period, Xu Hong, a famous jade carving artist in Suzhou, was good at carving small pieces of jade and ivory. He can carve gourds and peaches with an inch of ivory, just like the real thing. The exquisite craftsmanship is amazing, and such objects are often used as ornaments. Another artist, Zhu, can carve exquisite hollowed-out flowers and birds, terraces, pavilions and bridges, landscapes and other vivid patterns on jade, ivory, hawksbill, agate and snail shells. Therefore, Su Zuo's jade articles are good at a clever word, mostly small materials and simple shapes. It uses hollowing out, hooking and other methods to show their abilities and give full play to their own specialties, so that common things, scenery and descriptions are vivid, with gentle Jiangnan sentiment and beautiful and magnificent characteristics. It can be called a wonderful flower in jade works in Ming and Qing Dynasties.
3. Iisasa
Fanzuo is also called Xifanzuo. It refers to the jade-making process in the western border of China and neighboring countries. It mainly includes jades from northern India, western Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, also known as the jades of Khundustan. Because there are great differences between this area and Chinese mainland in religious beliefs, living customs and other aspects, the production of jade articles has a strong exotic atmosphere.
Twenty years after Qianlong, imitation jade began to enter the Central Plains and was favored by the emperor. Therefore, imitation jade gradually became popular. Its craft is generally more regular and exquisite, and its shapes are mostly daily utensils such as plates, bowls and boxes. However, the wall is as thin as paper, crystal clear and moist, and the decoration techniques are often mainly inlaid. There are not only inlaid gold, silver thread and gold foil, but also all kinds of precious stones and glass, which make the moist jade more luxurious and colorful. At the same time, the patterns on the surface are mostly full and rich passion fruit, which is unique and refreshing.
Be original
Qiaozuo, also known as Qiaose. It is a special craft that jade workers skillfully design and use the natural color and texture of jade materials, and apply the honing techniques suitable for jade materials to make the shapes and colors of works achieve natural and perfect artistic effects.
According to the available data, as early as the Shang Dynasty, the ancients had mastered this skill skillfully. For example, the two jade turtles unearthed from Yin Ruins in Anyang are exquisite products made of materials of different colors and carefully designed and pondered. After the Tang Dynasty, the exquisite jade articles became more and more mature, such as the agate tauren cup unearthed in Jiacun, the autumn mountain jade in Yuan Dynasty, the Picture of Lady Tongyin in Qing Dynasty, and the jadeite cabbage collected by the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
It can be seen that Chinese jade craft is not only a special craft with rich oriental artistic characteristics, but also a manifestation of China people's wisdom for thousands of years. Its exquisite craftsmanship and wonderful and touching life interest make China jade art more colorful.
Third, the implication of beauty.
The reason why China's jades are deeply rooted in people's hearts and continue to develop so far has made the tradition of China people's love for jade and precious jade last forever. The reason is not only the charm of jade material itself, but also the cultural significance given to it by people. Mainly manifested in:
(1) Jade is a symbol of religious deities: the ancients thought jade was the essence of rocks with spirituality and regarded it as a sacred object. People not only make jade play the role of communication between people and gods in primitive religion, but also use it to worship the mountains and rivers of heaven and earth and the ancestors' gods, convinced that jade has the special function of eliminating diseases and evil spirits and washing away disasters. It can be seen that jade has been the patron saint of the descendants of the Yellow Emperor for a long time, and it is also a spiritual thing that protects a person's life. Yu Pei's concept of exorcism has already penetrated into the hearts of China people.
(2) Jade is a symbol of political power: with the emergence of class, Chinese jade has been given new meaning and formed a systematic jade use system. According to the category, size, decoration, color, texture and quantity of jade, it shows its status, making jade a symbol of distinguishing between noble and noble, which has great power and political significance.
(3) Jade is a symbol of character and morality: in traditional culture, jade is also the embodiment of virtue in Confucianism. "The beauty of jade has five virtues" laid the theoretical foundation for Confucianism to use jade, and became the standard for a gentleman to live a clean life. Therefore, wearing jade has always been a fashion, and both emperors and ordinary people regard it as a symbol of perfect personality and noble character.
(4) Jade is a symbol of treasure wealth: jade not only plays an important role in the religious and political fields, but also has a very high position in the economy. Jade has been regarded as a treasure since ancient times because of its excellent texture and scarce output. Guan Zi once said, "Jade is the upper coin, gold is the middle coin, and knife cloth is the lower coin." The word "treasure" written by Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Shang Dynasty means that shells (money) and jade are hidden at home. The records of jade articles in the Warring States period further illustrate the position and value of fine jade articles in people's minds. Therefore, the concept of jade as treasure not only stimulated the development of jade, but also played an extremely important role in the political exchanges in ancient society.
(5) Jade is a symbol of good luck: Chinese jade is not only excellent in texture, but also rich in connotation, which means beauty. Especially in the Ming and Qing dynasties, most of the works are "the picture must be intentional and the meaning must be auspicious". Some of them reflect the ancient people's idea of seeking longevity, some embody the idea of seeking rebirth, and more express people's yearning and pursuit of a better life, that is, auspicious blessings. For example, a big monkey climbs a small monkey on its back, which means that "it will be sealed for generations"; Lotus and fish are carved together, which means "more than every year, more than every year." In addition, those auspicious color pictures, such as beaming, celebrating the New Year with a pine crane, celebrating Five Blessingg's longevity, and having five sons admitted to the university, show people's thoughts and feelings of looking forward to luck and the future. Here, they are not only a decoration, but also a portrayal of the soul. At the same time, it also shows good wishes and optimism. They have wordless charm and irreplaceable function of all words. It can be said that with the social harmony, it condenses into China's unique auspicious symbolic artistic language, such as homophony, symbol, symbol, etc., so that creators and appreciators can enjoy and satisfy it, jump out of form and picture, and enter a three-dimensional, fuller and more fulfilling world. Especially when jade is introduced into people's homes and closely combined with local culture, it becomes a symbol of wealth, peace and auspiciousness, thus making the traditional concept of respecting and loving jade deeply rooted in the hearts of China people.
"Flower King Gong Ji" once said: "Sometimes, the weather is lively, the materials are beautiful and the workmanship is skillful." Among them, the ingenious use of materials and art has always been the principle of the ancients to treat jade, and has made amazing achievements. Throughout the history of jade works, although they have different functions and shapes, they all shine brilliantly in every chapter of the history of jade development. Hard and fine materials, unique modeling, exquisite skills, how can we not let people be ecstatic and applaud? At the same time, they also embody the characteristics of the times and national personality with a majestic posture. Some of them are solemn and exquisite, while others, though flashy in materials and not refined in production, reveal a skillful temperament.
In addition, the decorative patterns of China jade also reveal the ingenuity and creativity of jade workers in past dynasties. Whether geometric patterns, natural realistic patterns or abstract mythical animal patterns, the objects on the screen have the characteristics of flexible brushwork, vivid lines, concise interest, vivid spirituality, convenient use and easy writing. However, as mentioned above, the aesthetic feeling brought by Chinese jade comes not only from the form, but mainly from the specific factor that constitutes it, that is, the human factor. It is people who endow it with various concepts and cultural connotations, allowing talented artists to skillfully integrate natural beauty and spiritual beauty, infiltrate humanistic ideas and social functions into jade articles, and embody profound national culture implicitly and comprehensively in all works of art. At the same time, it is this humanistic idea that is more vivid and attractive than natural images, arousing a spirit from the bottom of my heart, arousing more colorful expectations than life, and inducing hope and love. In other words, the beauty of jade has already surpassed the beauty of simple modeling, craftsmanship and materials. It is a kind of regenerative beauty, sublimated beauty. This kind of beauty, like spring rain, permeates the earth, burying value and energy in people's spirit. Therefore, it not only won people's inseparable love for jade, but also showed its artistic charm.