Jade carving is one of the oldest carving arts in China. Crude jade tools appeared in China as early as in the late Neolithic Age. Jade carving became an industry in the Shang(16th century BC-11th century BC) and Zhou( 11th BC-221 BC) dynasties, and jade wares were used in rituals or as decorative pendants. In ancient China,jade was also regarded as a symbol of refinement and moral ethics.
Jade is a high-quality stone and has a good many variants. There are white jade, yellow jade,jasper,jadeite,agate,turquoise,etc.
Jade carving refers to the process to carve a piece of jade into a fine article of art. A carving artist has to thoroughly examine a piece of jade, cudgel his brains to make a design according to its natural colors and shape, and turn it into an artistic work
Jade can be carved into human figurines,containers,images of birds,animals,flowers as well as small things like a brooch,ring,seal or decorative object. What is worth mentioning is the huge jade carving in the Forbidden City .It is called “ Da Yu Harnesses Flood” ,which is 224 cm in height, 96 cm in width,and about 5 300kg in weight. It demonstrates the high skill of Chinese carving artists.
Jade wares are mainly produced in Beijing,Shanghai,Guangzhou,Liaoning,Jiangsu,Xinjiang, etc. Chinese jade carving works enjoy the high reputation in the world
