Yangzhou jade carving

Yangzhou is one of the most famous areas in China for jade production, and has a long history in the jade trade.

History

Over thousands of years, generations of jade craftsmen have been devoting themselves to carrying forward and innovating ancient traditional skills to create exquisite jade articles in various shapes and great quantities.

By the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, Yangzhou jade carving reached new heights, developing new skills in lattice-carving. Jade-carving reached its peak in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and Yanzhou became noted for making large jade pieces.

The jade carving industry gradually declined after 1840, and many artisans immigrated into Shanghai and Hong Kong. It was after the 1950s that this craft revived.

Features

Jade carving has a deep resonance in Chinese culture for aesthetic, moral, and even magical reasons. Chinese jade carving has evolved over the centuries, coming to reflect other art forms, popular customs, religion and folk tales.

Yangzhou jade carvings are made from several different types of jade. The two main types are nephrite and jadeite. Nephrite comes in a wide range of colors -- from soft green to many shades of pale gray and white. Its smooth texture and muted tones made it a favorite among traditional Confucian scholars. Jadeite, on the other hand, is found in much brighter colors, like vivid emerald green and rich lavender.

White jade, jadeite, emerald, agate, crystal, and coral are the kinds of precious stones generally used to make decorative Yangzhou jade articles. The objects include not only images of fairies and ladies of ancient times and representations of Buddhist-related subjects. Such traditional articles as incense-burners, cases, images of pagodas, cups, bowls and wine vessels are also made. There are figures of birds and animals, small ornaments like beads, and articles used in a Chinese study. The themes and subjects of jade carvings make them not only beautiful art objects, but also expressions of Chinese culture and ideals. There is a variety of carved flowers and vases of meticulous workmanship that are ideal as ornaments and souvenirs.

The beauty of the raw jade is truly brought out by skillful carving. Good carvers design their pieces according to the characteristics of the stone. Techniques adopted are mainly shade line carving, low-relief carving, high-relief carving, tridimensional circular carving, and hollow-out carving, etc.

Now in modern times, Yangzhou jade carvings are known for their delicate, graceful, elegant and exquisite style. In short, Yangzhou has presented itself as a significant model for improving and perfecting the jade craft in ancient and modern China.