Celadon Art

Jade is one of collectibles most loved. Its origins are ancient, medicinal and decorative. Although revered around the world, jade is most often associated with China, where he was known for 8,000 years. The early Chinese called it yu and sees a living stone, "the membrane with an inner glow.

Often, the soil, mixed with wine and fed to the emperors, jade was supposed to increase longevity Imperial. Symbolically, a gentleman Court, by 80, was cleared for a jade pigeon on a pole. Concubines received jade scepters from their emperors. Mandarin hats had carved small finials on their tops and a jade pen on the back. Chinese women decorated their hair with jade. Princes and princesses Han Dynasty were sometimes buried in suits of jade, a remarkable feat accomplished by stitching pieces of jade with son silver or gold.

At the turn of the 20th century, we begin to think big, fancy and

colorful sculptures made for Western consumption. table and decorative objects made between 1880 and 1900 were often adorned with silver or gold, even the enamel. In the second half of the 20th century, traditional styles began to give way to a standard of developing new ones.

There are two kinds of jade: hard and soft. Ancient jade and hard jade are often referred to as jadeite. Although a variety of colors, the most valuable is green. Green is the most valuable emerald green called Imperial Jade or near gem-jade. Other colors such as yellow jade, have their place in the pantheon of Chinese carvings too. Soft jade is called nephrite. Its color varies a little off-white to pale yellow or greenish white. The latter is often called celadon jade.

When you see the word jade has been modified by an adjective? Such as serpentine jade, mountain jade, jade new? Warning. These names are often given to pseudo jades. The quality of your collection depends on how to differentiate the real jades from the imposters. (You will find an entire chapter on fake jades in my book, a collection of Asian art.)

Since jade is an ancient stone, it is useless to try to quantify it by date. Other criteria should be used, and one way is to know the forms that were popular during different periods. New, the machine makes copies of old models differ from the original, subtly. The most important is that new carvings rarely have the same aesthetic relationship to the stone that the ancients.

To value a jade carving, you must first determine whether it is modern or pre-Second World War. If you see Jade has a high gloss, you'd better err on the side of caution.

The next step is to determine if the material is actually jade or a fake jade. Real jade tends to feel cold little pseudo jade, so give him the contact test. Then use a jeweler's magnifying glass to find inclusions. It should not be all. Today, sculptors around the black spots and trapped crystalline formations, using holes and other tricks to hide impurities.

Finally, determine if the stone has been dyed. Again, get out your magnifying glass. If you see that the color is only in the cracks, you can safely say the stone has been artificially colored. If you do this and are still not sure, there are tests you can do at home or in a laboratory.

To begin your comparison of jade carvings, consult the catalog of our next International and Fine Arts Auction, or any of our past sales. We regularly feature the VET and collections of fine jade carvings.