The jade wares of the Yuan Dynasty are the least outstanding in the production of jade wares in the past dynasties. Why are they so valuable?

There are excellent works of jade unearthed and handed down in the early Ming Dynasty. The style is inherited from the Yuan Dynasty, and the workmanship is rigorous and exquisite. Judging from the jade articles such as tiaras, jade belts, jade pendants, jade guis, jade inkstones, jade pen holders, and jade cups unearthed over the years, the jade material used in the jade articles during this period had a strong luster, strong grinding, fine polishing, and was not heavy. The details clearly preserve the legacy of Yuan Dynasty jade.

Strictly speaking, the jades of the Early Ming Dynasty do not have their own style. Many of the exquisite jades unearthed, such as the above-mentioned jade belt plates, should be included in the category of Yuan Dynasty jades, or they were originally left over from the Yuan Dynasty. Jade.

In the mid-Ming Dynasty, the processing and distribution of jade articles were mostly concentrated in the southeastern regions such as Nanjing, Shanghai, Jiangxi and other places. White jade Tieguai plums, white jade butterflies, jade chicken heart pendants, white jade belt hooks, hollow jade with longevity characters, jade rings, jade crowns, jade hairpins, etc. were unearthed from the Lu Shen Tomb in Shanghai. The jade pieces are small and exquisite, representing the uses of jade by landlords, wealthy businessmen and others. Variety and workmanship.

In the early late Ming Dynasty, the society in the southeast area was stable, the urban economy was prosperous, and the people were wealthy, so the output of jade increased. The representative jade articles of this period include jade belt hooks, jade bowls, jade bowls, jade pots, jade jutes, jade guis, jade pendants, jade belts, etc. unearthed from the Dingling Tombs of the Ming Tombs, including jade articles used by the deceased during his lifetime and jade used for burial after his death. . Among them, jade pots and jade jutes are even more colorful using chiseled gold or jewelry inlay techniques.

At that time, ancient jade had become an antique (or curio) and a high-priced special commodity. In order to obtain high profits, merchants used low-quality jade, color-mixed jade and other cheap jade materials to create a large number of fake antiques. The number of jade articles increased sharply, and the art became obviously rough. There were fewer sophisticated craftsmen, and they were mostly combined with gold, silver and gem inlay techniques.

Subsequently, jade craftsmanship has also seen a trend of commercialization. Jade has thick bodies, dull shapes, sloppy workmanship, and complicated decorations. There are a large number of jade pots and jade cups that have been handed down to this day.

In terms of patterns, in line with the social atmosphere of the late Ming Dynasty, the homophonic theme of Fu Rui and auspiciousness is very popular. This kind of pattern of "the picture must be intentional and the meaning must be auspicious" is first to pray for blessings, and secondly to take into account To beauty. This is the result of the prosperity of the urban commodity economy and the commercialization of jade production, and is also a new change in my country's jade culture.