'Mutton-fat' White Jade 羊脂白玉

'Mutton-fat' white jade 羊脂白玉

Forget green. 'Mutton-fat' white jade is the most prized. A normal bracelet of such is valued at more than US$2000. Jade prices have been increasing rapidly in recent years, with the best quality selling for many times more than gold. Image 4 and 5 show a book I bought from from last years' exhibition in Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney - "Translucent World: Chinese jade from Forbidden City". The book cover shows the highlight of the exhibition as you may have already guessed - the famous "桐荫侍女图 - Ladies in the shadow of wutong trees". Talking about Chinese jade, wait until I talk about what I saw in Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York city last year...

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-- from the simplest pebble to the most intricate large carving -- in a very large showroom at a jade-carving factory in Hotan. You can watch jade crafters at work, except in winter, though the showroom is open year-round.

China Xinjiang Hetian Arts & Crafts Jade Carving Factory
Tel: 0903 203 5281, Fax: 0903 203 8236.
Gu Jiang Bei Lu 1, near the main bazaar.
Web: www.kgyd.com Email: ndh5005@xjnet.cn
Tour is free, but no English spoken.

Hotan (info) (Khotan, Hetian, 和田) country level city in Xinjiang Province of China. It is the center where this highest quality Chinese jade coming from.

There are two types of Hetian Jade: Zi Jade (Seed Jade) and Shan Jade (Mountain Jade).

Shan Jade is exploited in mountains, and Zi Jade should be found in rivers. The price of a Zi Jade is about 4-5 times of a similar Shan Jade.

Though the color of a best Hetian Jades should be pure white, yellow or red walls could add the value.

羊脂白玉又分“仔玉”与“山料”。
所谓“仔玉”是从昆仑山下玉河中捞取的。这种“仔玉”细密、温润、光泽如脂肪。有的“仔玉”肌里内含“饭渗”，呈欲化未化的白饭状，这是水产白玉的肌理特征之一；还有的因长期浸泡在水沙中带有各色的皮子。此种“仔玉”优于山料，极为珍罕。山料，纯白如脂肪者少。据有关材料介绍，春秋战国以后和田玉，逐渐成为主要玉料，均为采集仔料。到清代始采取山料。羊脂白玉自古以来人们极为重视，但存世极罕，是玉中极品，价格非常珍贵。白玉不但象征纯洁、高尚、温润，而且象征吉祥、安谧。古人所谓：“温润，仁也！”在古代，帝后才有资格佩上等白玉。事实已经证实，西汉皇帝有的玉玺是专用汉代水产羊脂白仔玉料。如已被国家定为“国宝” 的西汉“皇后之玺”就是利用晶莹无瑕的羊脂白仔玉料雕琢而成的。羊脂白玉自古以来人们极为重视，是玉中极品，非常珍贵。它不但象征着“仁、义、智、勇、 洁”的君子品德，而且象征着“美好、高贵、吉祥、温柔、安谧”的世俗情感。在古代，帝王将相才有资格佩上等白玉。考古事实已经证实，很多古代皇帝使用的玉 玺是专用白玉玉料。很多各地博物馆的馆藏的珍品中，莫不把白玉玉料雕琢而成的历代文物奉为“国宝”，例如出土的西汉“皇后之玺”就是利用晶莹无瑕的羊脂白 子玉琢成。



Zi jade (seed jade) normal found in Yorungkash / White Jade River, Hotan, Xinjiang, China

The river dry season is autumn.