Shanghai Museum - Jade Gallery, Shanghai, China

The Shanghai Museum, located in the heart of the People's Square, is a premier institution dedicated to ancient Chinese art and culture.

Housed in a distinctive building designed to resemble a traditional bronze vessel (a ding), its collection spans thousands of years and includes over 120,000 precious artifacts, such as ancient bronzes, ceramics, paintings, and calligraphy. The museum serves as a critical bridge between China’s rich historical legacy and the contemporary global stage, providing visitors with a comprehensive and meticulously curated journey through the evolution of Chinese craftsmanship and aesthetic philosophy.

A standout highlight of the institution is the renowned Jade Gallery, which showcases a breathtaking collection of jade artifacts ranging from the Neolithic period to the Qing Dynasty. This gallery provides an intimate look at the technical mastery required to carve this revered stone, which has held symbolic significance as a marker of virtue, status, and immortality in Chinese society for millennia. Among the displays, visitors can admire intricately crafted ritual objects, ornate jewelry, and exquisite decorative pieces that demonstrate the exceptional skill of ancient artisans, solidifying the gallery as an essential destination for those interested in the profound cultural importance of jade in Chinese history.

Entering the Jade Gallery

Introduction «Long known as the 'Country of Jade', China boasts its tradition of jade carving for up to ten thousand years. Aside from Chinese people, jade is also cherished by ancient Indians of Central America and the Maoris in New Zealand; early jades have been unearthed from regions such as Siberia, Europe, and the Japanese archipelago. However, it is only the Chinese people who have had such a constant fascination with jade, which continues into today. In ancient China, jade serves as a medium for dialogue with ancestors, deities, and the Heaven, an amulet worn by people both alive and dead for protection against evils, a token indicating the bearer's wealth, power, and identity, and even an elixir of life. Jade has been prized by intellectuals through all ages for its subtle translucency, whiteness, and durability, and these qualities have been moralized to equal the virtues of a junzi gentleman, including benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, courage, and moral integrity. The jade culture has been deeply embedded into China's national character.»

I. Neolithic Period

The Neolithic period (c. 9,000 to 4,000 years ago) «The Neolithic China witnesses the rise of worked jades in great numbers across its vast land. With typical regional features, these jades are used for either ritual or ornamental purpose, as represented by the objects in animal or geometric shapes from the Hongshan culture in the Liao River basin, the ritual articles from the Liangzhu culture in the Yangtze River delta, such as the bi discs, cong tubes and yue axes, and the zhang and dao blades from the Longshan culture in the Yellow River valley areas. These highly-prized artifacts, with either peculiar shapes or mystic motifs or both, are imbued with rich spiritual significances by Chinese forebears and are concrete proofs of early China.»

Cong tube with a mask combining humanoid-deity, animal, and flying birds at each corner Jade. Liangzhu culture (c. 5,400 to 4,300 years ago), (c. 3300–2300 BCE). Unearthed from Fuquanshan Site, Qingpu District, Shanghai

Humanoid deity Jade. Shijiahe culture (c. 2600–2000 BCE). Wearing a flat-top crown and huan-form earrings, this standing deity has his hands clasped before the belly-a typical posture of a pious shaman or a tribal leader-in his dialogue with gods in a prehistorical ritual.

Fu axe with design of a humanoid-deity mask and a falcon Jade. Longshan culture (c. 4,500 to 4,000 years ago), (c. 3000–2000/1800 BCE).

II. Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasties

The Xia, Shang and Western Zhou dynasties (21st century-771 BCE) «The Chinese ritual and music system is a social system that originated in the Xia dynasty to maintain the social order. Apart from bronzes, rulers of the Xia, Shang and Western Zhou dynasties also had a series of ceremonial jades crafted by following prehistoric traditions and gradually established the hierarchical use of jades. Jade pendants saw a high growth in this period, and took the forms of naturalistic animals and celestial creatures such as dragons and phoenixes. These designs, featuring intricate combinations of stylized elements, were manifestations of identity indispensable to the nobility. In particular, Western-Zhou pei sets (grouped ornaments) used huang pendants as primary components and served as a salient symbol of ranks. Jade pei sets of this type, in alliance with gui tablets, bi discs, and bronze vessels such as ding tripods and gui bowls, formed the ritual system in Chinese culture.»

1. Xia

Xia - Zhang blade Jade zhang blade first appears in the Shandong peninsula in the prehistorical context of mountain worship. Zhang, a proof of early China, is a significant ritual object in the Xia dynasty and is widely seen in the valley areas of the Yellow River, the Yangtze River, and the Pearl River.

2. Shang

Shang - Dragon pei pendant Jades, together with bronzes, are used in Shang rituals. This dragon pendant shares almost the same form with the oracle-bone script '龙' (loong; dragon), which indicates the advent of China's cultural ascendance.

'Animal mask' qi (notched axe) Jade. Shang (16th-11th century BCE).

3. Zhou

Zhou - Dragon pei pendant. Gift of Dr. Charles Chow The Western Zhou dynasty adopts a strict power hierarchy for governance, and its nobility wears jade pei sets (grouped ornaments) in various combinations to indicate identity. By the Eastern Zhou dynasty, the cultural norms have been deviated due to social turmoil. To restore the jade-wearing tradition, Confucians moralize jade with the "virtues" of a junzi (gentleman), hence the revival of the practice of wearing jade pei sets, featuring dragon pendants as their major components.

Handle-form object with dragon-and-phoenix design Jade. Western Zhou (11th century-771 BCE).

III. Spring and Autumn & Warring States Periods

The Spring and Autumn & Warring States periods (770-221 BCE) «In the Spring-and-Autumn and Warring-States periods (aka. the Eastern Zhou dynasty), hierarchy was wrecked and social norms not followed. While ritual jades declined, ornamental ones rose in new forms and significances. Under the influence of Confucianism, jades were gradually moralized to represent 'virtue', the innate divinity of the wearer. This zeitgeist led to the emergence of the pei miscellany that comprised diversified pendants in a group as a must for junzi, gentleman-intellectuals of high virtues. Besides the pei miscellany, other forms of jade, such as belt hooks and sword fittings, increased in number over time, and these jades signified not only the code of conduct but also social mores. Dragon designs were prevalent, represented by either coiling or interlocked ones; such romantic interpretation of divine creature echoed the 'Hundred Schools of Thought' in this flourishing era.»

Dragon pei pendant Jade. Warring States (475-221 BCE).

IV. Han and Jin Dynasties

The Han and Jin dynasties (206 BCE-420 CE) «The Han traditional spirituality lied in the theory that the dead would live a carefree and myriad life in the underground world and the state of immortality could be achieved after death. This theory bred a variety of jade carvings, to which classical concepts such as yin and yang (the negative and the positive), the Five Elements (wuxing), and theologized Confucianism, were imparted. In this context, jade amulets were made divine and lavish burial of jades reached an unprecedented level. Due to the chaotic divisions of China in the period of the Three Kingdoms, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, sourcing raw materials of jade became hard and therefore jade carving industry paused.»

4. Han

Han - Cicada han (burial accessory put in the mouth of the dead) Cicadas live underground for most of their lives before they emerge as adults and produce loud sounds. The Han people see the cicada as a symbol of transformation and resurrection because of its long life cycle. Jade cicada is placed on the tongue of the deceased and is usually deposited with such other jade forms as a jade suit, indicating the use of burial jades at its peak.

Dragon xian-bei-tou (belt buckle), incomplete Jade. Jin (265-420). Xian-bei-tou is the name of this belt buckle as it is so called itself in inscription. The present one is adorned with a sinuous, scaled dragon in openwork on obverse and inscribed at the upper and lower rims on reverse with details of registry information, including the item's name, the production year, the producer, time consumed, and the supervisors' names. Its user might have been a Jin-dynasty emperor.

V. Tang, Song, Liao and Jin Dynasties

The Tang, Song, Liao and Jin dynasties (618-1279) «In the Sui and Tang dynasties, jade carving evolved to embrace the themes attracting ordinary people, which included fauna, flora, human figures, and mountains and forests. The introduction of these themes, in the forms of utilitarian objects, indoor decorative items and personal ornaments, injected fresh vitality into the aged Chinese jade. Tang-dynasty jade belt plaques, engraved with musicians and dancers, denoted the contact, impact, and influence from foreign cultures. Life of the Northern and Southern Songs was vividly depicted in the patterns of birds and flowers as well as children holding lotus; Free-spirited themes of 'Spring Water' and 'Autumn Mountain' aptly represented the seasonal hunts of Liao-and-Jin nomadic peoples in North China. Diversified aesthetic expressions were the characteristic of the era.»

5. Tang

Tang - Belt plaque with a non-Han drinker The Tang dynasty saw the heyday of Chinese civilization. This plaque, with the carving of a non-Han drinker holding a rhyton on the obverse, well illustrates the Tang cosmopolitan culture.

Flying apsara Jade. Tang (618-907). The iconography of flying apsara originate from the gandharvas, the celestial beings from the Eight Legions in Buddhist religion. They are divine performers, including musicians, singers and dancers. Flying apsara were introduced to China by the end of the Eastern Han dynasty as Buddhist semi-gods. Apsara saw its heyday in the Tang dynasty and represented people's pursuit of a happiest life.

6. Song

Song - Carving of parrots, banana tree and rockery Jade carving in the Northern and Southern Songs follows the Tang heritage, featuring subjects inspired from the nature and patterns of auspicious signs, which are well received by ordinary people. Objects of this type, often intricately embellished and naturalistically interpreted, are regarded as 'jade pictures' for their stylistic resemblance to the contemporary court paintings.

7. Yuan

Yuan - 'Spring Water' belt plaque 'Spring water', as a popular theme of jade carving during the Jin and Yuan dynasties, originates from the spring hunt of the Khitans. It is the nomadic custom and the Han people's jade carving in perfect combination.

Belt hook undercut with a chi-dragon crawling towards a dragon head, with a loop Jade. Yuan (1271-1368).

Carving of a boy kneeling on lingzhi fungus Jade. Yuan (1271-1368). Unearthed from the crypt of Yuanying Pagoda (aka. Xilin Pagoda), Songjiang District, Shanghai

8. Ming

Ming - Gui bowl with bosses and dragon handles Most Ming dynasty artifacts took influence from the aesthetic preference of contemporary literati. The study of inscribed bronzes and stone steles that first appeared in the Northern Song dynasty, had an impact over many artifacts of the period. This archaistic work, a replica of a bronze gui bowl both in form and motif, denotes the Ming people's yearning for ancient times.

'Peach' cup with a 'bearded man' handle Jade. Ming (1368-1644).

9. Qing

Qing - Carving of a mountain with a farming scene Many mountain-form jade carvings depict scenes of figural narratives; their layouts follow those of early-Qing landscape paintings. Objects of this type represent the best jade carvings in Chinese history in the light of workmanship, designs and quality of raw materials.

Three rams, for indoor decoration Jade. Qing (1644-1911).

Carving with human figures in a mountain Jade. Qing (1644-1911). In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the thriving jade industry generated an interesting phenomenon - various carving schools based in places such as Peking, Suchow and Yangzhou. They were bred by regional geology, economy, customs and practices. The Yangzhou Carvings are well known for large indoor decorative works, such as jade mountains.

Yellow jade imitation of a bronze wine vessel Jade. Qing (1644-1911). As an indoor decorative item, the present work is actually a yellow jade imitation of a bronze wine vessel called gu. In the book Eight Treatises on Following the Principles of Life (zunsheng bajian), the Ming-dynasty author Gao Lian says, 'Chestnut-yellow jade is ranked the best.' A calculation of the jade artifacts in the Qing palaces shows that yellow jades are the rarest.

Fisherman Jade. Qing (1644-1911).

See Also

• Shanghai Museum - Bronze Gallery
• Shanghai Museum - Sculpture Gallery
• Shanghai Museum - Ceramics Gallery

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Source

• Shanghai Museum - Wikipedia

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Location