The Chinese civilization has long been renowned as the “Land of Jade.” In this epic history of jade culture, the Shang and Zhou dynasties undoubtedly represent a golden age, bridging the past and laying foundational stones. During this period, jade articles were no longer mere ornaments; they ascended to the status of ritual vessels and divine artifacts, serving to communicate with heaven and earth and maintain social order. Behind them lay a profound belief system and a stringent power structure of the ancients.
The story begins over three millennia ago, in the Yin-Shang Dynasty. Over 700 jade artifacts unearthed from the tomb of Fu Hao in Yinxu, Anyang, Henan, serve as time-traveling tokens, narrating that distant and mysterious era. Fu Hao, Queen of King Wu Ding of Shang, was not only an outstanding military commander but also a devout priestess. Her tomb contained jade ge (dagger-axes) and yue (battle-axes) symbolizing royal authority, jade cong (cylinders) and huang (arc-shaped pendants) for communicating with deities, and vivid jade dragons and phoenixes. These jade artifacts, exquisitely carved with fluid lines, not only showcase the superb jade carving techniques of the Shang Dynasty but also reflect the funeral concept of “serving the dead as if they were alive” and reverence for deities. Particularly, those jade pieces adorned with human-beast mask patterns, with their fierce yet mysterious forms, are undoubtedly concrete manifestations of Shang Dynasty shamanic culture and ancestor worship. They were mediums for shamans to commune with spirits, proofs of divine kingship, and bridges connecting the human world with the divine realm.
Entering the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Zhou people overthrew the Shang and established a more expansive dynasty. The Duke of Zhou formulated rituals and music, incorporating jade into the ritual system, making it an important carrier of the “rule by ritual” ideology. Zhou Dynasty jade ware, while inheriting the Shang style, gradually developed its unique characteristics. The most significant change was the perfection of the “rui yu” (auspicious jade) system. The “Rites of Zhou · Spring Officials · Grand Master” records: “Using jade to make six vessels, to ritualize heaven, earth, and the four directions.” This meant using bi (discs) for heaven, cong for earth, gui (tablets) for the east, hu (tiger-shaped pendants) for the west, zhang (half-gui tablets) for the south, and huang for the north. These regularly shaped and richly symbolic ritual jades were not only tools for sacrificing to heaven, earth, and the four directions but also symbols for distinguishing ranks and displaying status. The jade gui worn by the Son of Heaven, the jade huang worn by feudal lords, and the jade jue (ring with a gap) worn by high officials all strictly adhered to the regulations of Zhou rituals. This concept of “comparing jade to virtue” linked the warmth, toughness, and purity of jade with the character of a gentleman, elevating jade from a material level to a spiritual one, becoming a symbol of morality. The jade assemblage unearthed from the tomb of Lady Guo, consisting of dozens of jade huang, heng, and beads strung together, jingled as she walked, signifying “a gentleman does not part with jade without reason,” serving as both a symbol of status and a code of conduct.
The cultural significance of Shang and Zhou jade ware extends far beyond this. It is not only a microcosm of ancient society’s politics, religion, and rituals but also the origin of the aesthetic taste and philosophical thought of the Chinese nation. The mysterious solemnity of Shang jade reflects humanity’s reverence for nature and worship of deities; the regularity and order of Zhou jade, on the other hand, demonstrate the Zhou people’s pursuit of order, harmony, and morality. From “divine jade” to “ritual jade,” jade completed a magnificent transformation from a magical tool to a moral carrier, laying a solid foundation for the development of later jade culture.
Even today, Shang and Zhou jade ware continues to attract worldwide attention with its unique charm. They lie quietly in museum display cases, each carrying an ancient story, narrating the glory of an era. As modern critics of jade carving art, we must not only appreciate their exquisite craftsmanship but also delve into the cultural codes embedded within them. From Shang and Zhou jade, we see the early Chinese civilization’s understanding of heaven and earth, its construction of social order, and its pursuit of noble virtues. These ancient wisdoms, like jade, warm and resilient, shine with immortal brilliance through millennia, providing valuable clues for us to understand the cultural genes of the Chinese nation. Inheriting this jade cultural heritage is not merely about preserving material relics but also about perpetuating the national spirit, allowing the cultural essence of the “Land of Ritual Jade” to flourish anew in the contemporary era.