What are the turquoise treasures unearthed in China?

As early as the Paleolithic Age in China, people began to beautify their lives with stone ornaments. In the middle and late Neolithic period, a large number of stone tools, jade articles and gem crafts appeared, such as beads, rings, pendants and bracelets made of jade and turquoise.

Turquoise is called "turquoise" for short, because its shape is like a pine cone, its color is close to pine green, and turquoise has different colors, mostly sky blue, light blue, green blue and green.

Turquoise has uneven texture and different shades of color, and even contains light stripes, spots and brown-black iron wires. The degree of tightness also varies greatly, with more loose pores and less dense and hard pores. After polishing, it has a soft glass luster to waxy luster.

Turquoise is best like glazed porcelain. If there are irregular wires, the quality will be poor. The value of white turquoise is lower than blue and green. The iron "black line" in the block is called "iron line turquoise".

For example, there are two turquoise fish-shaped ornaments dating from 6500 to 4000 years ago in Yangshao cultural site in Dahe Village, Zhengzhou, Henan Province.

Huang Yubi inlaid with turquoise animal faces, found in the cultural site of Guanghe County, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, is 36.6 cm long, 6.7 cm high and 0.8 cm thick. Jade material is dark green, made of hetian moyu, with a hole on one side and a crescent shape. The turquoise is inlaid by land reduction, leaving the bottom to form the outline of the animal face.

There are two turquoise rings on it, and the eyes are reserved for yellow. The bottom of the gable is in the shape of a mouth, embedded with irregular square turquoise. The four sides are reserved as a frame, and the hole is open on one side. Because of long-term wear and tear, the hole has been ground into an inclined hole. The turquoise inlaid on this jade yellow can be described as seamless and airtight. This kind of craftsmanship is incredible.

Turquoise produced in northwest Hubei was called "Jingzhou Stone" or "Xiangyang Dianzi" in ancient times. Hubei turquoise has a large output and excellent quality.

For example, the turquoise on Yungai Mountain is named "Yungai Temple Turquoise" because of Yungai Temple on the top of the mountain, which is the world-famous original stone producing area of turquoise sculpture works in China. Besides. Jiangsu and Yunnan also have turquoise.

Erlitou, Yanshi, Henan, was the capital of Xia Dynasty in China. There are turquoise dragons here, which are composed of more than 2000 turquoise pieces. The size of each turquoise is only 0.2 cm to 0.9 cm, and the thickness is only about 0. 1 cm.

There are also bronze ornaments inlaid with turquoise, bronze inlaid with turquoise and so on. They are also important turquoise products in Xia Dynasty. For example, in the Xia Dynasty, it was decorated with a gluttonous pattern of turquoise, with a height of 16.5cm and a width of 1 1cm, showing a shield shape. It first casts a brand-shaped frame, and then sticks hundreds of Fiona Fang or irregular turquoise and embeds it into a protruding animal face.

This plaque is located on the chest of the deceased, and it is probably an ornament to wear. It is the earliest and most exquisite inlaid bronze, and its discovery can be said to be the first of its kind.

An ivory cup inlaid with turquoise was found in Fu Hao's tomb in Shang Dynasty. The cup body is made of hollow ivory root, because its material shape is quite ingenious. The mouth is slightly waist-tied, and the tangent is slightly smaller than the mouth.

The whole body is carved with exquisite gluttonous patterns and deformed poems, and inlaid with turquoise, making it into the shape of head and tail, embellishing the face and head of the animal, and inlaid with turquoise, which is connected with the cup body with small round tenons symmetrical up and down.

There are two turquoise ivory cups with similar shape and volume. It is 30.5 cm high, made of ivory root segments, shaped like thin lips and small waist. One side of the cup body has a dragon-shaped handle with the same height as the cup body, which is carved with fine patterns and is quite decorative. The upper and lower edges are two common broad edges separated by turquoise strips.

Ge was the most common weapon in Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and it was called "Hooker" in ancient times, which was used to kill. Its length varies according to the needs of attack and defense. The so-called "the soldiers who attack the country are short, and the soldiers who protect the family are long."

For example, the animal face pattern with turquoise in Shang dynasty is 40 cm long, with a wide and long blade and a sharp tip, and the front and back sides of the end are inlaid with animal face patterns with turquoise; Hu is short; The inside is arc-shaped, with a circle passing through it, and the front and back sides of the end are shallowly engraved with animal faces.

There are two ancient tombs in Yimen Village, the southern suburb of Baoji City, Shaanxi Province. A large number of gold, jade, iron, bronze, agate and turquoise ornaments were found in one tomb.

Among them, 40 pieces of turquoise string ornaments are all natural stone-shaped, with no obvious processing marks, different sizes and shapes, all of which are drilled. The color is relatively uniform, delicate and charming, and the texture is delicate and soft, with spots and brown-black iron lines, mainly green and turquoise, with occasional dark green spots. The largest is 3.8 cm long and 2.9 cm wide; The smallest is 0.7 cm long and 0.6 cm wide.

In addition, the early Warring States period found in Shanbiao Town, Jixian County, Henan Province was inlaid with turquoise moire beans, which covered the hand. Flat feet. The whole body is decorated with moire and inlaid with turquoise. Shanbiao Town in Jixian County is the cemetery of Wei State. A copper wire inlaid with turquoise beans was also found in the tomb of the Warring States in Gangxin, Changqing, with a height of 27.5 cm and a diameter of 18.5 cm. As a ritual vessel.

A hemispherical plate with a thick handle and a flat round foot with a thin handle. There is a bowl-shaped lid on the plate, which is covered with a flat hand, but it is the foot of the plate.

The whole body is decorated with copper wire and turquoise inlaid with geometric hook thunder pattern.

Hook is a belt hook worn by ancient nobles and literati warriors. Buckles are used in conjunction with hooks, which are mostly cast in bronze and also made of gold and jade. The technology is quite exquisite.

In addition to carving patterns, some are inlaid with turquoise, some are plated with gold on copper or silver, and some are inlaid with silver on copper and iron by mistake, which is the gold and silver process. Hook originated in the Western Zhou Dynasty and was widely popular from the Warring States to the Qin and Han Dynasties. It gradually disappeared during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties.

For example, the gold-inlaid turquoise copper belt hook found in Changsha, Hunan Province, is 17.5 cm long and 0.2 cm wide. Belt accessories. The hook has a flat body, a narrow neck and a duck-shaped head. The back is decorated with moire gold and inlaid with turquoise.

In the tombs of the Qin and Han dynasties, it was found that there were all kinds of animals buried with them, and some of them were inlaid with turquoise. This monster is an animal image in the myth of bronze sculpture, with vivid shapes, including a dragon head, a tiger neck, a tiger body, a tiger tail, a turtle foot and so on.

For example, the monster inlaid with turquoise is 0.48 meters high, and its body is inlaid with turquoise, with embossed Feng Niaowen, dragon pattern and vortex pattern. This monster has many sharp horns on its head, a long tongue and a terrible face. On the back of the main monster, there is a square seat that supports another little monster. The little monster held Yi Long, and his head held high and he struggled.

The Tang Dynasty was the most prosperous period for the development of bronze mirrors in China, and they were often decorated with turquoise to make them more exquisite.

For example, the tang dynasty bronze mirror inlaid with turquoise mother-of-pearl flowers, with a diameter of 20.5 cm, is round and plain, and buttons are decorated with a circle of beads on the mother-of-pearl. The overall pattern is carved with mother-of-pearl, inlaid on the back of the mirror, with turquoise in the middle. It is a rare mother-of-pearl bronze mirror in Tang Dynasty, with large mirror surface, complete patterns and exquisite workmanship.

In the Ming Dynasty, turquoise was widely used in all kinds of jewelry, such as the gold hairpin inlaid with turquoise flowers in the twelfth year of Zheng De (AD 15 17) found in the tomb of Mrs. Xu Fufu, a warehouse outside Nanjing Taiping Gate, with a length of 1 1.5 cm and a head diameter of 3.8 cm. Gold. The pin is round.

The top of the hairpin is flower-shaped, and six petals are wrapped with gold wire, with a round gold support in the middle. The periphery of the gold bracket is made of gold wire, and turquoise is embedded in the bracket.

During the Qing Dynasty in China, turquoise was called Tianbao, which was regarded as an auspicious and happy sacred object and was often embedded in various daily necessities. For example, in the middle Qing Dynasty, bronze gilding was inlaid with turquoise and passion flower patterns, and the height was 17 cm. The incense is covered with gold thread and embedded with turquoise and coral.

From the mouth edge to gaskin, they were decorated with flowers, lotus petals, passion flowers and wishful patterns, and the ears of the two animals were gilded. The cover part is engraved with flowers and flowers, and the cover button is engraved with the pattern of cloud bat. The whole utensil was ornate in decoration, dazzling in color and exquisite in craftsmanship, and was used by the Qing court.

Snuff became popular in Qing dynasty, and various snuff bottles came into being, many of which were made of precious turquoise. For example, the turquoise snuff bottle in Qing Dynasty is 6 cm high and 4.8 cm wide. The hookah is blue-green, blue-green, with iron wires in the middle. Flat round, flat belly, two sides cut yinxian rock flowers, yinxian filled with gold. The hookah pipe is equipped with a light pink hibiscus stone cover with a tooth spoon inside.

Gawu is a religious instrument in Qing Dynasty. Gawu is a Tibetan transliteration, which refers to Buddhist box ornaments hung around the neck or slung on the back. Most Gawu are equipped with Buddha statues, dharma gods or amulets. It is actually a shrine that you can carry with you.

Gawu is made of gold, silver, copper and other metals as well as wood.

For example, Ganlongjin Gawu inlaid with turquoise, also known as "Buddha's Nest", is 13.5 cm high and 3.2 cm thick. This is a Gawu inlaid with turquoise and lapis lazuli in pure gold, which contains a tantric Buddha statue. The niche box is decorated with exquisite patterns by carving technology.

In ancient times, people associated it with religion. Tibet has a special reverence for turquoise, and Mongolian and Tibetan areas like to embed turquoise on knives, hats and clothes, which is a sacred decorative object and used for religious ceremonies.

High-quality turquoise is mainly used to make curved ring faces, brooches, earrings and so on. General quality is used to make necklaces, bracelets and costumes of various styles.

Large pieces are used for carving handicrafts, which mostly show the content of goodness and beauty, such as Buddha statues, immortals, cranes, fairies, landscape pavilions, flowers, birds, insects and fish, people and animals.

Turquoise has played an important role in Tibet since ancient times. It was used in the crown of the first Tibetan king as an altar offering, and it was also a gift from the Tibetan king to monks in high positions and a tribute to neighboring countries. Gold and turquoise were the main materials in the jewelry worn by the nobles in ancient Lhasa.

Many Tibetans wear or wear turquoise necklaces, which are regarded as souls. An ancient legend describes the relationship between turquoise and soul: according to God's will, the subjects of the Tibetan king are not allowed to throw any turquoise into the river because the soul may leave his body and die.

Turquoise is often embedded in gold, silver and bronze, and the colors reflect each other, which is beautiful and full of national characteristics. Tibetan and Mongolian compatriots especially like precious swords and ornaments inlaid with turquoise.

In addition, many Tibetans use turquoise in their daily hair accessories. Nomadic women comb their hair into petals decorated with turquoise and coral. For married women in southern Tibet, it is essential to wear a string of turquoise beads in their hair, which expresses their wishes for a long life for their husbands. It is considered disrespectful to their husbands not to wear any turquoise in their hair.

On the one hand, blue is considered auspicious, and many special powers are attributed to this blue or bluish gem. Moreover, turquoise tablets can be used as pigments, and Tibetan doctors also use turquoise as medicine. Most Tibetan women also make necklaces with turquoise beads and other valuables such as coral, amber and pearls. Some women will proudly wear a 7 cm long turquoise block with two coral beads on the side.

Wearing this jewelry means personal safety for the husband who goes out for business. Men's jewelry is relatively simple, usually a few turquoise beads strung together with coral are hung around their necks, or a turquoise bead is tied to the earlobe with a thread. In the western Himalayas, valuables such as turquoise are directly sewn on women's dresses or children's hats. Sometimes the front of the whole coat is decorated with metal sheets, shells, beads of various materials, buttons and turquoise. It is said that the turquoise ornaments on children's hats can also protect their souls.

At the same time, some Tibetan compatriots believe that wearing a ring inlaid with turquoise can ensure a safe journey. Dreaming of turquoise means auspiciousness and the beginning of a new life. Wearing turquoise to turn green is a sign of liver disease. Some people say that this shows the function of turquoise to suck out jaundice virus.

Amulet containers became an important kind of jewelry and jade in Tibet at that time. Every Tibetan has one or several such containers to store religious documents. Protective items such as cloth pieces or pocket religious figures cut from the clothes of high-ranking monks.

This kind of container can be plain cloth bags, but most of them are beautifully carved gold and silver boxes, rarely decorated with turquoise.

Sometimes a piece of turquoise with the right size is placed in the center, and sometimes many flawless turquoise, diamonds, rutile and emeralds are uniquely arranged on the golden ancestral objects.

It is particularly worth mentioning that in Lhasa and central Tibet, a special type of amulet is popular: a mandala-shaped box with two gold and silver crossed squares in the place where the Buddha statue and worship are held, and usually the whole box is decorated with turquoise.

Any jewelry and jade in Tibet may contain turquoise. It is common to set turquoise in gold, silver or bronze and white copper rings. There is a special kind of ring, which is a typical saddle shape and usually very big. Tibetan men wear them on their hands or hair, and women like small rings.

No matter which Tibetan group, both men and women, love earlobes. Women wear earlobes in pairs, while men only wear one earlobe on their left ear. The earlobe worn by the nobles in Lhasa is daunting. A big earlobe made of gold, turquoise and pearls is dragged from the ear to the chest.

A flower-shaped earring worn by women in central Tibet on important occasions is covered with turquoise. It may be more appropriate to call them "ear shields" because these earrings are carefully placed in front of the ears and tied to the hair or hairnet. There are many other ornaments decorated with turquoise, such as pendants and chains, milk bucket hooks, apron hooks, chest ornaments, back ornaments, hair ornaments, metal garlands and so on.