| The
best know of Han decorative ornaments are the Weng Zhong the
Gang Mao and the Pi Xie.
The
Weng Zhong is the beloved old man depicted in Chinese art. According
to folklore he lived in the 2nd BC and was renowned
in his day for his unequal strength and physical prowess. After
his death images of him were erected outside palace gates in
his memory. Later the images evolved in to the motif of an old
man with baggy attire and clasped hands.
Other
familiar themes can be found in Han burial artifacts. For example
the cicada and the pig
Animal
motif carved in the round was characteristic of Han culture
having been influenced by three-dimensional representation in
western art.
But
of all the myriad of Han jade ornaments the most significant
legacy Han carving left behind are decorative jade ornaments.
Even many centuries later Han ornaments like jade hairpins buckle
bracelets and finger protectors continue to be produced in great
quantities.
White
jade with earthly spots brown and gray markings
This
piece is embellished with carving of the sun stars and planets
with clouds and landscapes. A bead disc shape appears near the
bottom while a hornless dragon has been carved at the top. In
its inscription of the Gui tablet system the Zhou Li mentions
a type that is like a shuttle at the top and ends with a sunflower
petal shape. This means that the top is shaped thin and is wide
and square. Such top weight tables are relatively late and coincide
with the growing popularity of Taoism during the Han dynasty.
Taoists ceremony held near mountain, rivers and marshes employed
these sharp types Gui tablets carved with Taoists symbols like
the sun moon and plants. The seven stars and eight diagrams
and so on this piece is most probably of this category. The
appearance of a bead disc on this Gui has led to some confusion
as the Yuan chapter of the Zhou Li also mentions a five Gui,
Pi used in sacrifices to the sun, moon and planets. It was thought
that this referred to a jade item with a Gui and Pi all in one
piece. Actually the ceremonies used a Gui and Pi separately.
Green
jade covered with yellowish brown marking
This
ring shaped piece is similar to modern jade bracelet with a
thick neck narrow body and rounded outer edge. There are four
animal masks around the edge carved in relief. This kind of
décor closely resembles that on the Iv-Da-Lin-Gu-Yun.
Light
yellow jade with brown markings
The
Zu division on this piece marks off a total of four sections
between them on each face is a poem in five-character meter
of the Gan Long emperor 1793. A line in the poem says Tong-Dan-Yi-Qian-Nian
that a bronze inner tub accompanying this piece is a thousand
years old. So we know at least that it was not added in the
chin dynasty. The Zu divisions are embellished with animal mask
with light relief along with cloud patterns and along with cloud
patterns and Bu Gua motifs. The carving is neat and precise
indicating that it is of Ching date there is a hole in each
base of the vase.
White
jade stained yellowish brown
This
piece has an additional round cylinder joined to the body at
the top. The joint
is carved in the shape of a posed dragon and phoenix heads while
the bodies are interposed. The jade has a very ancient appearance
but the cylinders are relatively short and different length
and therefore incomplete.
White
jade with gray and brown markings at the top
This
piece is made up of two rings with rectangular center holes
and joined by a jade ring. It was carved from a single piece
of jade both rings are embellished with a pattern of large and
small horns dragons in open work and relief on one side and
dragon patterns on the other and there is a decorative band
pattern around the inner edge of each ring.
Glossy
black jade
This
piece is carved in the shape of a reclining sheep with a herd
boy and a pointed hat setting on its back. There is a square
depression between he goat's head and the boy's figure obviously
intended to receive another object. The bottom of the piece
has been inscribe with a poem in five-character meter by the
Gan Long emperor dated 1767 and two seal impression Bi De and
Lang Run. |