1-Boy with water buffalo

Title: Boy with water buffalo

Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Date: 18th century

Culture: China

Medium: Jade

Dimensions: H. 5 3/16 in. (13.2 cm); W. 4 3/16 in. (10.6 cm); L. 7 5/16 in. (18.5 cm)

Classification: Jade

Credit Line: Gift of Heber R. Bishop, 1902

This is a sculpture made of jade, we can see that there is a little boy holding rice ears next to a water buffalo lying on the ground. The boy is gently poking the buffalo with the ears of rice. It has long been a common practice in China to assign an auspicious meaning to a piece of jewelry when it is made. This is a simple example. Buffalos, which have been used in agriculture since ancient times, are docile and play an irreplaceable role in the cultivation of rice paddies in the south. The ears of rice represent a good harvest, so this sculpture symbolizes the hope that every year there will be more and more food.

2-Twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac

Title: Twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac

Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Date: 18th–19th century

Culture: China

Medium: Jade (nephrite)

Dimensions: Overall (each approx.): H. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm); W. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm)

Classification: Jade

Credit Line: Gift of Heber R. Bishop, 1902

There are 12 jade sculptures here. Each sculpture represents an animal. They are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. These are the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. The Chinese zodiac is a long-standing folk cultural symbol in China. Throughout the ages, a large number of poems, stories, paintings, and folk crafts depicting the images and symbolism of the Chinese zodiac have been left behind. Every person in China has an animal as his/her zodiac sign in the year of his/her birth. In modern times, more and more people use the Chinese Zodiac as a good-luck charm and a symbol for entertainment and cultural activities.

3-Archer’s Ring

Title: Archer’s Ring

Date: 17th–19th century

Culture: Chinese

Medium: Jade

Dimensions: H. 1 1/16 in. (2.7 cm); Diam. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm); Wt. 1 oz. (28.3 g)

Classification: Archery Equipment-Archer’s Ring

Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935

This is a ring made of jade. In archery, people use their hands to pull the bowstring. The thumb ring can protect the fingers from being hurt by the bowstring. Besides this function, the thumb ring can also be used as a decoration. In the Qing Dynasty, thumb rings became an indispensable piece of jewelry for the royal family!In particular, Emperor Qianlong, one of the emperors of the Qing Dynasty, favored the thumb ring. So the thumb ring was also used as a symbol of nobility.

4-Table screen with landscape scene

Title: Table screen with landscape scene

Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Date: 18th–19th century

Culture: China

Medium: Jade (nephrite)

Dimensions: H. 8 3/8 in. (21.2 cm); W. 5 1/16 in. (12.8 cm); D. 1 1/4 in. (3.1 cm)

Classification: Jade

Credit Line: Gift of Heber R. Bishop, 1902

In jade carving, people usually carve some figures and animals, while the scenery is relatively rare. Because the details of the carving and the workload is much more than the figures and animals. And this work is an example. This sculpture has many small people. Each little man is doing their own thing, some are chatting, some are moving things, some in the blessing. This sculpture also has some buildings, trees. The waves below may represent the sea ， the clouds above may represent heaven.

5-Burial Ensemble of Dou Wan

Title: Burial Ensemble of Dou Wan

Period: Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)

Culture: China

Medium: Suit: jade (nephrite) with gold wire; pillow: gilt bronze and jade (nephrite); orifice plugs: jade (nephrite)

Dimensions: H. 67 11/16 in. (171.9 cm); W. 30 7/8 in. (78.4 cm); D. 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm); Wt. 77.2 lb. (35 kg)

Classification: Jade

Credit Line: Lent by Hebei Provincial Museum and Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics

We can see that this is a humanoid object. This is actually a burial suit. This suit is made up of small pieces of jade, each of which is carefully carved and then connected together by a golden thread. In ancient times, people believed that jade could keep the bones of corpses immortal, and it was even used as a kind of noble ceremonial weapon and a symbol of status. Therefore, this set of burial clothes made of jade could only be used by people of honorable status.

6-Jade disk with a hole in the center

Title: Jade disk with a hole in the center

Period: Han dynasty

Culture: China

Medium: jade

This is a jade jewel and there are several features of this artwork which are the decoration on the top then the hole in the center and the rings on the outer and inner circumference. The decoration on the top has two single-horned dragons with two Chinese characters inscribed ‘Changle’ which means to be happy all the time without any worries. Then since the sky is considered round in ancient China, the two double rings are a symbol of the sky.

7-Kui Xing ， god of the imperial examinations

Title: Kui Xing ， god of the imperial examinations

Period: Qing dynasty

Culture: China

Medium: jade

Dimensions: H.13.3 CM ; W. 7.3CM

This is a jade sculpture with a figure holding a pen in his hand and a serious face, who in folklore is said to be the God of Wisdom or the God of Examination in China. In ancient times there was an exam that was held every three years and this exam was used to select officials in ancient China. So many ancient students prayed to this god before the exam. So this sculpture has the symbolism of successful examination.

8-RuYi

Title: RuYi

Period: Qing dynasty

Culture: China

Medium: jade

Dimensions: L.39.6 CM

This is a tool made of jade known as RuYi, which is usually used as a tickling tool. But by the Qing Dynasty, RuYiwas already a symbol of good luck and was often given as a gift to friends. RuYihas many meanings and symbols such as happiness, wearing RuYi is also a symbol of status and honor, and then RuYi own name represents the ability to do things as you wish.