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Why did the ancients love to carve dragons and phoenixes on jade?

In the collection circle, you can always see some objects carved with dragons and phoenixes, which are often used to symbolize good luck. After all, dragons are miraculous animals in ancient myths and legends. As a scale worm, the legend of dragon has spread all over the continent. On the other hand, Phoenix is the king of birds in ancient legends in China.

In ancient times, jade was regarded as a valuable thing and an auspicious object, so jade was used as a material for ritual vessels, ornaments and keepsakes. Therefore, it is not difficult to find jade carving dragons and phoenixes among many handed down artifacts. For example, the National Museum has many ancient jade. These jades of different times have their own characteristics.

From these collections, perhaps we can appreciate many ideas and skills of the ancients.

Yulong in the late Shang Dynasty

1976 Unearthed from Mufu Tomb in Yinxu, Anyang City, Henan Province

Emerald is dark green with brown spots. Jade Dragon is carved into a circle, with the tap slightly raised, the horn leaning back, the eyes protruding, the nose protruding slightly and the mouth exposed. The dragon body bends to the right, the tail tip rolls in, and the two short feet bend forward, each with four toes. The middle ridge is decorated with the door edge, the tail is decorated with double-line female hook diamond pattern and scale pattern, and the outside of the left foot is decorated with moire.

Dragon is the most important theme in Shang plastic arts, which often appears in the decoration of bronzes, jade articles and bone horns. In the description of dragons, the eyes are mostly "minister"-shaped, the body and tail are decorated with scales and diamonds, and the middle ridge is represented by the door. These stylized patterns not only reflected the maturity of Shang art, but also were people's interpretations of dragons at that time.

Shang feng niao xing Shuang yuan Yu ge

Sapphire, flat body. There is an arc bow carved on the crests of phoenix birds, with a ridge in the middle and a triangular cusp with blades on both sides. The lower part of the bow has a leaf edge and a perforation, which can be attached. There is a phoenix bird inside.

Phoenix bird has horns behind its head, prismatic eyes, sharp beak, wings close together, tail rolled up, claw hooks and carved holes in its tail foot. The wings are engraved with negative lines, feathery lines and the same patterns on both sides.

Yu Fengpei in the Late Shang Dynasty

Yellow-brown, hollow carving. It is shaped like a cock with its head turned around, with a toothed crest at the top. Round eyes, a pointed beak, a protruding chest and an arc-shaped connection with the tail. The wings are short, the tail is long, and the tail feather is divided into two forks. The paw is located under the chest, and there is a protrusion in the middle of the back. There is a small round hole in the protrusion that can be worn. Carve four male lines on the wings to decorate the feathers. Beautiful shape, smooth lines and fine production.

The feather pattern carved on the jade phoenix wing is in the form of bas-relief. The treatment of the crown, wings and tail feathers reflects that the merchants have mastered the hollowing and drilling techniques.

Spring and Autumn Jade Dragon Awakens the Lion

Turquoise, flaky. It has a rectangular shape, a curled body, a side view of the head, small round eyes, a nose and mouth extending forward, feet at the lower part and a bent tail at the other side.

One side is decorated with moire, and the middle body is hollowed out into a vortex hole, and there are cutting marks on the surface of the object.

On the other hand, light elements have no particles. During the Spring and Autumn Period, jade carving made great progress and produced more exquisite jade articles. Decorative patterns range from flat to hidden, from simple to complex, and carving techniques combine relief, hollowing out and intaglio carving.

Dragon-shaped Pei in the Warring States Period

Unearthed in Zhaogu Village, Huixian County, Henan Province

The dragon looks back and bends, carved on both sides, and the whole body is covered with hidden gouyun patterns, which has a strong three-dimensional sense.

A through hole is drilled in the middle of the dragon body and two through holes are drilled in the neck, which can be worn. It should be one of the ornaments in the group.

The dragon body is decorated with single scroll or double scroll moire, and the organs such as kiss, jaw, ear and scale are also depicted according to the scroll cloud shape, which is simple and dynamic.

Yulong in the Western Zhou Dynasty

Unearthed in Pudu Village, Chang 'an County, Shaanxi Province.

The catheter is yellowish brown and shaped like a "C". The head is big, the eyebrows are long, the eyes are oval, the mouth is slightly open, the nose is hooked up, the body is curved, from thick to thin, the tail tip is hooked up, and the body is engraved with moire, eye pattern and word pattern. And the mouth was hollowed out with a small hole.

The shape of this vessel is the continuation of Yulong in Shang Dynasty, but it tends to be flat, with few ridge teeth on the back and few loops and thunder lines in the decoration. Compared with Shang Dynasty, Jade Dragon in the early Zhou Dynasty changed in carving techniques and ornamentation.

Yulong's mouth and lips are upturned and angled. The dragon horn in the early Zhou Dynasty was also smaller than that in the Shang Dynasty, but the root was bigger, the body was longer and thinner than that in the Shang Dynasty, and the ornamentation was more complicated. In the middle and late Western Zhou Dynasty, the body was more slender and angular. Instead of the dragon horn, the flower-shaped ears appeared in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Most of the jade dragons in the Zhou Dynasty didn't carve their legs and feet.

Jade phoenix bird ornaments in the mid-Warring States period

Unearthed from Tomb No.2 in Guwei Village, Huixian County, Henan Province

The vessel is white with black spots at the top and slight defects at the end. The body is flat, and the two sides are carved in the shape of a phoenix, which looks like an "S". Bend over, open your mouth, have a long beak and curl inward. It has a circular step shape, a crown on its head, a long body, and a claw protruding from its chest, which is sharp and clenched. There are wings and feathers carved on the back, which are divided into two forks, one is long and the other is short, and they are all curled up. Tail drooping. The body is engraved with moire and curve.

During the Warring States period, a large number of exquisite dragon-shaped ornaments were carved. The shape of this vessel is similar to that of the dragon pattern, but it has a unique charm in beak, crown, wings, claws and patterns, which is more vivid.

Yu Pei in the Warring States Period

Unearthed in Xiaotun Village, the western suburb of Luoyang, Henan Province

Blue and white, with brown silt locally. Carved on both sides, the patterns are basically the same. The dragon is in the shape of "S", with feet under it, and it is moving. Head down, ears, round eyes, long kiss, upturned mouth. The dragon arched upward, with a long tail and a forked tail. One tail hooks up and the other tail hooks inward. There is a foot below, bending inward. The dragon's body and tail are engraved with negative lines, diagonal squares and gouyun lines.

This faucet has a vertical through hole from the top to the lower jaw, which is drilled on one side and can be worn. Although this device is small, it is exquisitely made and beautifully decorated.

Phoenix-bird jade articles in the Warring States period

Unearthed from Tomb No.6 in Guwei Village, Huixian County, Henan Province

This container is yellow and brown. Stand flat, carved on both sides, carved with phoenix patterns, hold your head high, and the crown on your head flutters backwards. Round eyes, pointed beak, closed mouth, hollowed out into a round hole. The abdomen stands upright forward, and the long fork tail curls backward and rises high, close to the head, neck and back. The phoenix body is carved with moire, the tail is carved with feather, the tip of the middle long tail is fan-shaped, and the upper part is obliquely carved with yinxian.

There is a hole in the center of the device and a tenon in the lower part of the device. Beautiful shape, fine ornamentation and smooth lines are the treasures of jade carving in the Warring States period.

Dragon-shaped jade ornaments in the Western Zhou Dynasty

TombNo. 1662 of Lingguo Cemetery in Shangcun, Sanmenxia City, Henan Province was unearthed.

Emerald is light green, translucent and shiny. The body is flat and shaped like a "C". The dragon's head is carved broadly, decorated with long horns, with a sharp ridge on the top, oval eyes, a wide mouth, an upper lip rolled up and a long tongue rolled down into a strip. The dragon body is rolled into a hook shape, and the tail end is flush.

The edge of the dragon is carved with a single yinxian outline, and the middle of the dragon is carved with a double-line hook moire. This device has a beautiful and unique shape, especially the longkou shape is special. Jade has luster and smooth patterns.

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