Page 78 - 18 KARATI GF 227

A thousand years of jade
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were considered the maximum symbol of power. 9000 years ago in China, jade was called Yu, “the most precious thing”, and considered a sacred stone, seen as the union between living essences of the sky and earth. A prominent role of this stone has made jade and jade jewels the symbol of a civilisation in the history of Chinese culture. With the name of “sky stone” it has embodied beauty, justice and knowledge: the emperor Qin Shi Huang in 221 BC chose the famous jade Ha Shi Bi for his Imperial seal. Finally, the history of jewellery in China is periodically intertwined with that of the Western world, full of intercultural influences, at the centre of which is jade. Just like precious stones and gold became the core of the changing tastes of China, the deepest spiritual values of jade, essential for Chinese art, became a cornerstone of modern Western fashion.
In alto: tre uccelli in giada bianca e ruggine. Dinastia Ming - Qing. A fianco: placca reticolata in giada bianca. Dinastia Qing, XVIII secolo. Top: three white and russet jade birds. Ming-Qing Dynasty.
Side: reticulated white jade plaque. Qing Dynasty, 18th century.