The History of Asiatic Jewellery: Ancient China
Jewellery of China
Article Copyright © 2010 AllAboutGemstones.com
The practice of jewelry making in China began over 5,000 years ago, during the Yangtze Delta's Middle Neolithic Yang-Shao and Lungshanoid cultures. As Chinese jewelry design developed, elaborate design motifs were adopted which had specific religious significance, and were traditionally used in Buddhist ceremonies.
Early Chinese history begins with the mythical "Three Sovereigns" (Three August Ones) who were Fu Xi (Fu Hsi) the "Heavenly Sovereign," Nuwa the "Earthly Sovereign," and Shennong the "Human Sovereign." The Three Sovereigns were mythological rulers of China, and god-kings, during the period from c. 2852 BCE to 2205 BCE, preceding emperor Yu (aka Sì Wénmìng or "Yu the Great") of the Xia Dynasty. Nuwa was a feminine creator goddess who was credited with creating mankind, and repairing the wall of heaven. Nüwa was typically depicted with a serpent's body.
According to Chinese mythology emperor Huang-di (known as the "Yellow Emperor") is said to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese, becoming a main deity of Taoism during the Han Dynasty. Huang-di reigned from 2497 BCE to 2398 BCE, and is said to have lived to 100 years of age, fathering over 25 children. Legend has it that his wife, Luo Zu, taught the Chinese how to weave the silk from the silkworm. Upon Huang-di's death it is said that a Dragon came down from Heaven, carrying him away. Alternativly, Huang-di himself turned into half-man half dragon and flew away.
Chinese Jewellery Motifs & Materials
The dragon and phoenix were popular motifs in early Chinese jewelry, and remain so today. The dragon represents the primal forces of nature, and the universe, and are associated with wisdom and longevity. The "five-clawed" dragon was a symbol of Chinese emperors, while the phoenix, or fenghuang was the symbol of the Chinese empress.
Emperors Fu Xi (right) & Nuwa c. 2800 BCE |
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Yellow Emperor (c. 2390), Nüwa the Earthly Sovereign |
The earring was one of the more common items of Chinese jewelry, which could be worn by either the man and the woman. Earrings could be quite complicated and large. Early Chinese jewelry was fabricated using silver as a dominant metal, along with modest amounts of gold and bronze.
Without a doubt, one of the most prominent, and prized materials used in Chinese jewelry was jade, known as "Chinese Imperial Jade." Jade was ascribed with human-like attributes such as beauty and toughness. Jade was used as a talisman to protect the wearer and as a status symbol indicating the dignity, grace and morality of the owner.
Jìn Dynasty jade c. 350 AD |
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Fenghuang (birds), c. 2nd century BC |
Most of the jade used in China prior to the 17th and 18th centuries was nephrite, which was also known as "Ming Jade." There is an ancient Chinese proverb that says: "gold is estimable, but jade is priceless." Early jade rings show evidence of being worked with an early type of compound milling machine. Saltwater pearls were another indigenous gem that was popular throughout China.
Ming Emperor Zhu Yijun's Crown c. 1619 |
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Jade Carving |
Blue was, an still is an "Imperial" color in China, used to symbolize royalty and/or rank, and blue enameling was used to embellish royal ornamentation. Blue kingfisher feathers were sometimes affixed to jewelry headpieces as decorative accents.
In China, jewelry was worn by both sexes to show both nobility and wealth. Women wore an assortment of jewelry which could include a headdress or a simple head-band that was similar to the women of the Indus Valley. Jewelry, religious amulets and other decorative items were often placed in the graves of the deceased upon burial. Rulers and high officials were buried with jade artifacts to protect in the afterlife, and some royalty were even buried in a full suite made of green jadeite.
Ming Dynasty Jewelry Pins |
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Ming Dragon Headdress |
Today in China, pearls (freshwater and saltwater), jade (nephrite and jadeite), and cloisonné enameling remain the most popular gemstone materials in China. The Chinese don't forget the past, and these gems are an integral part of their culture, heritige, and spirituality.
China's Ancient Silk Route
The ancient "Silk Road," or "Silk Route," was not a single passage-way but an extensive interconnected network of 5,000-mile-long trade routes that traversed the Asian continent connecting China and Southeast Asia with the Indus Valley and Persia, as well as the ancient Mediterranean cultures of Canaan, Egypt, Mycenae and Rome.
Although the name implies that silk was traded along these routes, this was certainly not the only commodity to be imported from east to west. During the 3rd millennium BC, semiprecious gems such as lapis lazuli, and goods such as Egyptian cotton made their way east along the Silk Road, while jade, ivory, beeswax, camphor, musk and silk from China, Borneo and India made their way westward.
Under the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907), and its powerful general Su Dingfang, China controlled the entire Silk Road as far west as Aria (present-day Herat, Western Afghanistan), enforcing its rule with the help of the Göktürks who now carried Chinese titles, and fought side-by-side with the Chinese to maintain control.
During China's Eastern Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) a sea route was added to the Silk Road land routes. The sea route began at the mouth of the Red River near modern-day Hanoi, traveling through the Malacca Straits of Southeast Asia, to Sri Lanka and India, then on to the Persia, Axum (modern-day Ethiopia) and Rome.
Bibliography on ancient Asiatic jewelry from China
1. Oppi Untracht, Jewelry Concepts & Technology - Complete Reference Guide  . Doubleday
2. William Meacham, The Neolithic of South China . www.jstor.org
3. Elena Neva, Types and Forms of Ancient Jewelry from Central Asia . www.transoxiana.org
4. C. C. Lamberg-Karlovsky, Industries of the Ancient Near East. 1997 American Oriental Society
5. Caroline Perry, Jewelry Inspired by Ancient Cultures . Running Press
6. Elena Neva, Types and Forms of Ancient Jewelry from Central Asia . www.transoxiana.org
7. Untracht, Oppi., Traditional Jewellery of India. New York: Abrams
8. Neich, R., Pereira, Pacific Jewellery and Adornment.
9. Michel Danino, The Indus-Sarasvati Civilization . www.voiceofdharma.com
10. Radha Krishnamurthy, Gemmology in Ancient India . www.new.dli.ernet.in
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