Cultural Characteristics and Origins of Chinese Jade Ware

I. Characteristics and Status of Chinese Jade Culture

The jade culture in China has a long history, and its characteristics and status can be seen from the following comparisons.

1. Comparison in terms of jade quality and color.

The colors of jade from various foreign jade-producing regions are relatively monotonous. For example, Japanese and Indigenous American jade artifacts are mainly composed of emeralds, with their nephrites also appearing in varying shades of green. European nephrite is blue-green in color, while the jade from near Lake Baikal carries ink spots. The white nephrite from the Kongdong primitive culture lacks diversity as well. In contrast, Hetian jade from China comes not only in green, blue, and black colors but also in yellow and white, among which lamb-fat white jade is considered the best. The hard jade and nephrite from Japan, the nephrite of the Maori people, and the Mayan hard jade from the Indigenous Americans all lack certain qualities found in Chinese jade.