Yangzhou Jade Carving

Yangzhou Jade Carving

　　Yangzhou, a famous cultural and historical city, is one of China’s important jade production centers. The art of jade carving boasts a long and storied history. For thousands of years, master jade artisans have poured their hearts and souls into their craft, diligently practicing and inheriting as well as developing the fine traditions of Chinese jade artistry. They have created numerous jade treasures in diverse forms, all exquisitely crafted and highly skilled. Ancient texts such as the “Book of Documents? Tribute of Yu” contain records stating “Yangzhou presented yao and kun (types of fine jade).” In 1977, over 60 clan burial sites from the late Neolithic Age were discovered at the tail end of Shugang in Yangzhou, yielding artifacts such as stone axes, stone adzes, jade bi discs, and jade cong tubes—indicating that as early as 4,000 years ago, our ancestors lived and worked here and had already begun jade carving activities. After the liberation, over a hundred Han Dynasty tombs discovered and excavated within Yangzhou unearthed hundreds of jade artifacts spanning dozens of varieties.

During the Tang Dynasty, jade carving in Yangzhou saw new developments amid the flourishing handicraft industry. Nobles and wealthy families adorned their buildings with jade ornaments, creating what was known as “carved railings and jade-inlaid gates.” During the reign of Emperor Xizong of Tang, the Salt and Iron Commissioner Gao Pian built an “Imperial Tower” in Yangzhou, decorating it with hundreds of thousands of gold and jade carvings of coiled dragons and frowning phoenixes. Gao Pian also presented tens of thousands of jade and jewelry pieces he had amassed over the years to the imperial court. Among the public during the Tang Dynasty, the use of jade ornaments and accessories also gradually became fashionable.

By the Song Dynasty, Yangzhou jade items had begun evolving into display pieces, with varieties such as floral and bird motifs, incense burners, and vases growing increasingly rich, while the artistic standards of design and carving techniques improved significantly. During the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, Yangzhou jade carving entered its golden age. Nearly ten large jade mountains in the Qing Palace weighing from several hundred to over ten thousand jin (one jin equals roughly 0.5 kg), were mostly carved in Yangzhou. Among them, the “Mountains and Rivers of Emperor Yu Taming the Floods” jade mountain, weighing over ten thousand jin and hailed as the “King of Jade Artifacts,” became a rare treasure renowned far and wide.

Today’s Yangzhou jade artifacts fully inherit and further develop the fine traditional skills. Artisans have designed and produced a large number of exquisitely carved jade pieces with graceful designs, whose artistic standards remain at the forefront, and whose products enjoy a high reputation in the international market. These works have been exhibited multiple times at domestic and international shows and fairs, receiving high praise and acclaim. Foreign friends have used glowing terms such as “a marvel of human creation,” “the pinnacle of Eastern art,” and “divine craftsmanship beyond nature” to describe their impressions—testament to how Yangzhou jade artifacts have contributed to enhancing friendship and cultural exchanges between China and people around the world. In recent years’ national and provincial Arts and Crafts Hundred Flowers Awards, Yangzhou jade has consistently ranked among the top in the industry. Today, this ancient yet vibrant flower of arts and crafts continues to grow on the path of inheriting tradition and innovating for the future.

Yangzhou jade artifacts are divided into six categories: incense burners and vases, figures, flowers and birds, beasts, antique replicas, and mountain-shaped carvings. The range of varieties and designs is extensive. The “White Jade Pagoda Incense Burner,” crafted in the early 1970s, caused a sensation in the national jade carving competition and was displayed in dedicated showcases in Tokyo and Nagoya in 1981, earning high praise from various circles in Japan. The “White Jade Five-Element Pagoda,” completed in 1986, features a main tower with seven levels and eight sides, standing 105 cm tall and 32 cm wide. It is connected to four surrounding towers by eight jade chains and 440 loops of chain, forming a remarkable ensemble—a rare masterpiece among jade pagodas throughout history. Also completed in 1986, the “Jadeite Mountain – Gathering of Treasures,” standing 120 cm tall and 90 cm wide, weighs over 1,000 kilograms and is themed on famous stone carvings. It combines the Leshan Giant Buddha, Dazu Rock Carvings, Longmen Grottoes, and Yungang Grottoes to create a profound and mysterious paradise. When exhibited, it caused a sensation, with major news outlets in the capital issuing reports and giving high praise. Hong Kong newspapers called this jadeite mountain “a rare jade artifact seen in two hundred years since the Qing Dynasty Qianlong era’s large jade piece ‘Mountains and Rivers of Emperor Yu Taming the Floods,’ fully reflecting a new level of Chinese jade carving craftsmanship.” In 1989, the “Hundred Longevity Ruyi” made of bluish jade using thin-walled carving techniques, and in 1990, the “Great Thousand Buddha Land” white jade mountain using the “mountain-shaped carving” technique, both won national gold cups. These five jade artifacts were designated as national treasures and are now housed in the Treasure Hall of the National Art Museum of China.