A JADE PLAQUE MING DYNASTY

The disintegration of the Han Empire has stagnated the ancient Chinese etiquette system. In the process of this major change, jade has gradually lost its mainstream value of ceremonial function, and turned into a living art and decoration. Until the Sui and Tang Dynasties, although the Hu style prevailed in the society at that time, the formal system of crown clothing and the ceremonial clothing formed by jade and clothing still maintained the essence of etiquette. And attached to the official uniform system. For example, the ceremonial function of jade on the court dress has been turned to the waist and appears in the form of "jade belt ornaments", playing the ceremonial function of traditional symbolic meaning. In terms of clothing for emperors and officials, the robes were designated as court clothes. The belts used in robes, especially "jade belts", have become the main ornaments in the symbolic meaning of specific rituals. In the Tang Dynasty, jade belts decorated with jade plates were only used by officials of the third grade or above. The number of jade plates had obvious class consciousness, and the "belt" became the focus of ceremonial jade ornaments. The formation of this concept of "belt" may be related to the long-term fusion of Hu and Han cultures. The clothing of the Hu people must take into account the function of being convenient for riding and shooting. Therefore, the focus of clothing decoration is to highlight the waist ornaments. Many waist ornaments in the Tang Dynasty were influenced by Hu Feng. The "jade belt ornament" is expressed in the crown clothing system in an institutionalized form, and the class level symbolized is very obvious. The highest grade of jade on the jade belt can only use "thirteen". The basic shape of the jade belt combination is the jade plate, which is divided into two types: square and round. It can only be worn by specific classes such as emperors and princes, or can be worn by the emperor's reward. This jade belt ornament collection is engraved with a picture of spring water. The theme of spring water jade originated from the spring bowls of the Qidan people in Liao, and was more common in the Jin, Yuan and Ming dynasties. Especially in the Yuan Dynasty, the flying activities of the sea holly were the most popular. In order to love the pipa, Yue Gao does not put the wine glass to stop. The new tune is translated into Liangzhou music, and the swans that pop out the swan avoid Haiqing and the geese are probably of the same kind. This shows that the flying activities in the Yuan Dynasty not only wrote poems, but also were compiled into well-known tunes by artists. The collection is transparent throughout, and the jade is dense and dense, which belongs to the category of Hetian jade. The color of the jade is close to that of suet white jade, the carving is delicate and full of work, the shape is full and the carving is expressive.