The Historical Origin of Yangzhou Jade Carvings

With the three prosperity of Yangzhou, jade carving technology experienced three peaks in Han, Tang and Qing dynasties. In the middle of Qing Dynasty, Yangzhou became the national jade carving center. Yangzhou jade carving has formed the basic characteristics of vigorous, mellow, elegant, exquisite and exquisite for thousands of years. Dozens of fine works of Yangzhou Jade Factory have won prizes at home and abroad or been collected as treasures by the state.

During the Qianlong period of Qing Dynasty, Yangzhou jade carving entered its heyday. The two Huai salt administrations set up a jade bureau in Jianlong Temple in Yangzhou to undertake a large number of court jade articles and pay tribute to the court every year. After 1840, the jade carving industry in Yangzhou declined year by year, and Yangzhou jade workers flowed to Shanghai and Hong Kong. Those who stayed in the local area mostly engaged in carving plane jade pieces, and some people changed careers. In 1950s, Yangzhou Jade Factory was established, and Yangzhou jade carving skills were re-passed on.

Jade is hard and delicate, with a hardness of 4-8 degrees Mohs. Hand-carved process is complex, and its technological characteristics are pondering, that is, "cutting jade" and "grinding jade". Its production technology maintains the traditional local cultural characteristics of Yangzhou for thousands of years, and integrates various techniques such as yinxian carving, deep and shallow relief, three-dimensional round carving and hollow carving, forming a rich, mellow, elegant, delicate and delicate feature with a beautiful, elegant and exquisite artistic style.

Jade articles in Yangzhou can be divided into six categories: furnace bottles, figures, flowers and birds, animals, antiques and mountain carvings, with complete varieties and diverse colors. The white jade pagoda furnace made in the early 1970 s was a blockbuster in the national jade appraisal. It was exhibited at counters in Tokyo and Nagoya on 198 1, which was highly appreciated by people from all walks of life in Japan. White jade five-element tower, carved in 1986, with seven floors and eight sides, is105cm high and 32cm wide. It is a rare masterpiece among jade pagodas in past dynasties to connect four pagodas from four directions with eight jade chains and 440 circle chains. In the same year, Juzhen Tuyu Mountain, with a height of 1.20 cm and a width of 90 cm and a weight of 1 1,000 kg, is a secluded paradise with the theme of famous stone carvings, which integrates Leshan Giant Buddha, Dazu Giant Buddha, Longmen Giant Buddha and Yungang Stone Buddha. The exhibition caused a sensation, and the capital press released news in succession, giving high praise. According to Hong Kong Daily, this Jasper Mountain "is the only jade treasure that China has seen in the past 200 years after the Great Jade Water Control Map made during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, which fully embodies the new level of jade carving skills in China". 1989 "Happy Birthday" made of sapphire and 1990 "Mountain Carving" made of Bai Yushan won the National Gold Cup. The above five jades have been appraised as treasures by the state, and now they are collected in the Treasure Hall of China Arts and Crafts Museum.

Today's Yangzhou jade carving artists have completely inherited the traditional excellent skills of Yangzhou jade carving and are determined to innovate. In practice, they followed the law of "choosing materials according to their materials", combined with the requirements of the times, and constantly improved their ability of "taking jade" and carving skills, creating a large number of products with novel composition, beautiful shape and exquisite craftsmanship. Their "mountain carving" and "acrobatics" skills are unique, showing the exquisite craftsmanship of Yangzhou jade carving.

Yangzhou's jade carving technology has a long history. According to relevant historical records, the history of jade carving in Yangzhou can be traced back to the Xia Dynasty more than 4,000 years ago. In the ancient book The Book of Songs Gong Yu, there are descriptions of Yongzhou Gong and Yangzhou Gong Yaokun. From 65438 to 0977, more than 60 Neolithic stone tools, pottery, jade and clan tombs were found in Shugang, Yangzhou, which proved that jade-making technology existed in Yangzhou in the Xia Dynasty.

Jade Huang and jade tube were unearthed from the Neolithic site in Longqiu, eastern Jianghuai, and many jade articles were unearthed from the Han tomb in Yangzhou, with various types and beautiful shapes. Through carving, yinxian carving and bas-relief techniques were adopted. In the Tang Dynasty, Yangzhou jade craft reached a new peak, and the noble giants decorated pavilions with jade, so-called carved jade households. In Tang Xizong, Gao Pian, with a history of salt and iron, built a royal building in Yangzhou, made hundreds of thousands of dragons and phoenixes out of jade and decorated them, and presented tens of thousands of pieces of Yangzhou jade jewelry to the court. In the Tang Dynasty, jade ornaments became popular among the people. At the same time, Yangzhou jade and jade carving skills have also been exchanged with other countries.

By the Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Yangzhou jade articles had developed into exhibits. In the Song Dynasty, Yangzhou jade carving appeared carving and repairing skills, which laid the foundation for the formation of later characteristic skills. By the Song Dynasty, Yangzhou jade articles had developed into furnishings, with increasingly rich varieties of flowers and birds, stoves and bottles, and the artistic level of modeling and pondering was greatly improved.

The folk jade carving skills in Qing dynasty were mainly concentrated in Beijing, Yangzhou, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Tianjin and other places, and there seemed to be a clear division of labor. Among them, Yangzhou is good at carving large-scale jade articles, and Yangzhou jade craftsmen are good at combining jade carving art with calligraphy and painting art. In terms of modeling and decoration, they use the perspective effect of painting to carve multi-layer patterns, from near to deep, from big to small, showing a vivid picture with stories.

By the mid-Qing Dynasty, Yangzhou jade carving had a complete range and its artistic level was unprecedentedly improved. Especially in Qianlong period, Yangzhou jade carving entered its heyday and became one of the main distribution centers and production centers of jade in China. Jade Mountain, which weighs 10/000 kg and 10000 kg, near the Qing Palace, is mostly made in Yangzhou, among which Jade Mountain, which weighs 10000 kg and is known as the king of jade, has become a rare treasure and is famous far and wide. After 1840, the jade carving industry in Yangzhou declined year by year, and Yangzhou jade workers flowed to Shanghai and Hong Kong, while those who stayed in the local area mostly engaged in carving plane jade articles.