Liangzhu Jade

By KAKO CRISCI

The Liangzhu culture (circa 3300-2300 B.C.) was first discovered in the 1930s in the Zhejiang province of China, which included the coastal areas around the mouth of the Yangtze River. From the 1970s to the 1990s, a large number of jade artifacts of outstanding quality were unearthed there. It became the biggest discovery of jade artifacts of th

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dynastic Jade Gallery
• Release date: Sep 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9798986702858

Book preview

Abstract

The Liangzhu culture (circa 3300-2300 B.C.) was first discovered in the 1930s in the Zhejiang province of China, which included the coastal areas around the mouth of the Yangtze River. From the 1970s to the 1990s, a large number of jade artifacts of outstanding quality were unearthed there. It became the biggest discovery of jade artifacts of the twentieth century.

During last forty years, archeological development provided scholars with evidence that not only revealed the evolutionary course of Chinese civilization, but it also confirmed the history of China’s five thousand years of civilization. Because of their studies, our knowledge of these ancient people and their cultures expanded considerably.

Liangzhu jade pieces are the biggest and most brilliant examples of art that began during the Neolithic period. They are the most important and the most well-preserved remnants of their culture. Jade helps us to understand the Liangzhu’s beliefs, the way they thought, their perceptions of life and their social systems.

Cong tubes and bi discs are the most signature jade forms, and these two jade forms are the majority of Liangzhu jade. We know that the Liangzhu jade must have been very important to them, but for a long time we could not identify the meaning of them. In this book, the author introduces the research done by Hayashi Minao, who was the most respected and studied scholar of the twentieth century. He explained clearly what were the meaning of the cong tubes and bi discs.

More than one hundred illustrations and photographs of unique jade artworks open a unique window of appreciation for the most extraordinary neolithic jade. Through the varieties and diversities of this jade collection, we are getting close to the true picture of their unity in a diverse society, and through their outstanding quality of their jade, we are sharing the power of prayer from the Liangzhu people.

Table Of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Main decoration motifs

Human face

Monster face and body

Bird figure

What did those motifs mean to the Liangzhu people?

A few micro views to see Liangzhu jade

Long straight lines

Short lines

Circles

Holes

Openwork

A few ways to divide them into age groups

The early period

The middle period

The end of the Liangzhu period

Section One. Cong tube

What was cong?

How was cong used?

1. Cong - White creamy single section

2. Cong - Yellow-green two sections

3. Cong - Fava bean green two sections

4. Cong - White salmon pink single section

5. Cong - Substantial heavy short two sections

6. Cong - Red soft jade two sections

7. Cong - Red five sections

8. Cong - Red seven sections

Section Two. Bi disc

What was bi disc?

The meaning of the central hole on bi disc

2-1. A massive thick bi disc, with a full set of humans and monsters

2-2. A massive bi disc with four human faces and two monster faces

2-3. A massive fully-incised red jade bi disc

2-4. Bi disc, with three notches and a monster head

2-5. Bi disc, with four notches

2-6. Bi disc, with four notches

2-7. A pair of rings with four notches on the outer edge

Section Three. Tool-shaped jade pieces

3-1-1. Ax

3-1-2. Ax with notches

3-1-3. Ax

3-1-4. Ax with notches

3-1-5. A massive Ax with a monster face

3-1-6. Top fitting

3-1-7. Bottom fittings

3-1-8. Red tube side piece

3-2-1. Jade plowing tool

3-2-2. Plowing tool with a small bird

3-2-3. Plowing tool with a large bird

3-3-1. Lefthand Sickle

Section Four. Huang

4-1. Huang with a full set of motifs

4-2. Huang monster with two birds

4-3. Huang monster with two birds

4-4. Huang monster face with notches

4-5. Huang with three dragon heads

4-6. Huang monster with two female heads

4-7. Huang with two wings

4-8. Huang with an openwork face

4-9. Huang stone with a face

4-10. Huang plain

Section Five. Animals

5-1. Fish

5-2. Birds kissing pendant

5-3. Flying bird

5-4. Standing bird

5-5. Fish

5-6. Fish

5-7. Bird - three dimensional fully incised

5-8. Creamy white small Bird

5-9-10. A pair of creamy white birds

5-11. Bird

5-12. Fish

5-13. Two birds sharing one body pendant

5-14. Chicken bone white bird

5-15. Turtle

5-16. Turtle

5-17. Fish with pendant

5-18. Red fish

5-19. Red cicada

Section Six. Decorations

6-1. Fork mountain-shaped plaque

6-2. Fully-incised stone plaque

6-3. Fully-incised stone centerpiece plaque

6-4. Fully-incised plaque

6-5. Fully-incised bracelet

6-6. Bracelet with dragon faces

6-7. Bracelet with characters

6-8. Red bracelet

6-9. Arm bracelet

6-10. Pendant with human head and monster head piece

6-11. Round decoration

6-12. Round decoration donut shape

6-13. Round red nut

6-14. Bead with monster face and characters

6-15. Split ring Jue

6-16. A Huang pendant over trapezoid piece

6-17. A pair of belt buckles

How the Liangzhu leader looked