Chinese jade is any of the carved-jade objects produced in China from the Neolithic Period onward, forming the main Chinese contribution to the wider category of hardstone carvings. The Chinese regarded carved-jade objects as intrinsically valuable. They metaphorically equated jade with human virtues because of its hardness, durability, and (moral) beauty. Jade was prized by the Chinese for its durability, its musical qualities, its subtle, translucent colors, and its alleged protective powers - it was thought to prevent fatigue and delay the decomposition of the body.
Read more about Chinese Jade: Names, History, Categories, Gallery of Chinese Jades
Famous quotes containing the word jade:
“Do not pray for gold and jade and precious things; pray that your children and grandchildren may all be good.”
—Chinese proverb.