In the exhibition of the Shaanxi History Museum, a furnace of leopard-spotted jade lotus pattern aroused doubts, and the texture was like stone, but it belonged to the category of "leopard-spotted jade".
In an exhibition at the Shaanxi History Museum, a striking artifact came into focus: a leopard-spotted jade lotus-patterned smoker, unearthed in the Northern Song Dynasty Lu family cemetery in Lantian, Shaanxi Province, which has a history of more than 900 years. The exterior of the smoker is about 26 centimeters high, the base is about 10 centimeters in diameter, and the overall shape is elegant, and the outer side is decorated with six layers of lotus petals. However, the most perplexing thing for visitors is why this artifact is called "jade" because it appears to be stony in texture
Leopard spotted jade, the treasure of stones, is actually a stone with spots.
The staff explained that the leopard-spotted jade lotus-patterned smoker is indeed stone, but it also belongs to leopard-spotted jade. Perhaps for many readers, it is the first time they have heard of "leopard spotted jade", but it has been recorded in "Tang Materia Medica": "(Leopard spotted jade) out of Ye County, the coarse blue, white and black spots, also known as the porphyry, are soft at the beginning, and they make it in the hole, and they use very little force." Leopard spotted jade is a chlorite with a complex composition, often mixed with talc and magnesia, and is an accidental product of nature. Specifically, due to the special conditions, leopard spotted jade forms dense spots on the surface, resembling leopard prints, hence the name leopard spotted jade.
The ancient definition of jade, leopard spotted stone fully meets the standard of "beautiful stone".
In the history of our country, the use of jade can be traced back to primitive society, and the Shang and Zhou dynasties were the period when jade was greatly developed, which has continued to this day. The ancient interpretation of jade in the "Shuowen Jie Zi" is: "The beauty of the stone, the jade also", while the interpretation in the "Cihai" is: "the warm and shiny beautiful stone". The characteristics of leopard spotting, such as its tough texture, brilliant color, dense and translucent structure, and the ability to emit a clear and far-reaching sound, are consistent with the characteristics of jade. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with the ancients calling it "jade".
The archaeological discovery and rarity of leopard spotted jade cultural relics reflect its precious status.
Nationwide, there are not only leopard-spotted jade lotus-patterned smokers, but also other archaeological discoveries of leopard-spotted jade cultural relics, such as the Tang Dynasty leopard-spotted jade tea set unearthed in Luoyang, the leopard-spotted jade tube unearthed from the tower of Xianyang Baoben Temple, and the Tang carved leopard-spotted jade turtle and bird box unearthed in Yangzhou. Observing these artifacts, although the texture is stone, the surface is as lustrous as jade, especially under light conditions. The texture is also similar to jade to the touch, warm and amazing. Archaeological discoveries show that leopard spotted jade was mainly concentrated in the Tang Dynasty, distributed in Chang'an (present-day Xi'an) and Luoyang and other places where royal nobles and celebrities gathered. This also illustrates the rarity of leopard jade, whose value is more expensive than ordinary jade, and has become a symbol of status and status.
The rarity of leopard-spotted jade, the auction price of cultural relics in the Tang Dynasty is amazing, and there is a deep meaning behind it.
In a Christie's auction in 2018, a small white marble stone lion from the Tang Dynasty was sold for $590,000, causing a sensation. White marble, on the other hand, is a more common mineral stone, which is almost nothing compared to leopard spotting. If the leopard-spotted jade stone carvings of the Tang Dynasty are auctioned again, they will undoubtedly become more sought-after treasures. However, the value of cultural relics cannot be measured in monetary terms, but also represents the preciousness of history.
Rare is expensive, becoming a "leopard jade", standing out in the homogenization competition.
The preciousness of leopard spotted stone reminds us that rare stones are given the reputation of "jade", while common jade is sometimes nothing more than ordinary stones. This is also the truth that scarcity is precious, and it has profound enlightenment for personal growth, work and life. In order to stand out in the homogeneous competition, it is not only necessary to strive to become a common exquisite "jade", but also to become a unique "leopard jade" in order to win the ultimate success.
Through the revelation of leopard jade, we have a deep understanding of the complexity of ancient jade identification and the profound connotation of cultural relics. The uniqueness of leopard spotted jade lies not only in its appearance, but also in the long history of its preciousness and historical value.
This article on leopard spotted jade sheds light on the mysteries of this unique ore and provokes me to think deeply about the identification of ancient jade, the historical origin of leopard jade, and its place in artifacts.
First of all, the article vividly shows the uniqueness of the leopard spotted jade cultural relics through examples of archaeological discoveries. In particular, the leopard-spotted jade lotus-patterned smoker unearthed in Lantian in Shaanxi Province has a solemn and elegant appearance that is full of historical traces, giving people a feeling of traveling through time and space. Through the explanation of the staff, readers can better understand the formation process of leopard spotted jade, even if its texture seems to be stony, but due to special geological conditions, a unique texture with spots has been formed, which was given the reputation of "jade" by the ancients. This aesthetic and praise of natural products has given me a deeper understanding of the wisdom and aesthetic taste of ancient people.
Secondly, through a review of the definition and characteristics of ancient jade, this article enables us to better understand the ancient people's cognition and appreciation standards of jade. In the ancient "Shuowen Jie Zi", jade is defined as "the beauty of stone", while "Cihai" emphasizes its "warm and shiny beautiful stone". The texture and luster of leopard spotted jade meet this definition, which once again confirms the rationality of the ancients to list it as "jade". It also gave me a deeper understanding of ancient culture and aesthetics.
In addition, through the description of the distribution and use of leopard spotted jade in Tang Dynasty society, the article shows the rarity and precious status of leopard spotted jade in society. The auction of cultural relics in the Tang Dynasty shows us the market value of leopard jade. This made me realize that leopard spotted jade is not just a natural ore, but also a symbol of culture, a symbol of social status and identity. For us today, it is also an important revelation about scarcity and uniqueness, and how to stand out in a homogeneous society.
Finally, the article uses "scarcity is precious" as an introduction, which provokes deep thinking about how to realize the value and uniqueness of individuals in today's society. Through the metaphor of leopard jade, the author proposes that in a highly competitive society, in order to achieve "rare stones are jade, and rare jade is stones", it is necessary to become a unique piece of "leopard jade" in order to achieve ultimate success. This has far-reaching implications for workplace competition and personal growth in today's society, and has given me new thoughts on my own positioning and development direction.
Overall, this article reveals the charm of this unique mineral and provokes deep reflections on ancient culture, aesthetics, and the individual's position in society.
Disclaimer: The above content information is ** on the Internet, and the author of this article does not intend to target or insinuate any real country, political system, organization, race, or individual. The above content does not mean that the author of this article agrees with the laws, rules, opinions, behaviors in the article and is responsible for the authenticity of the relevant information. The author of this article is not responsible for any issues arising from the above or related issues, and does not assume any direct or indirect legal liability.
If the content of the article involves the content of the work, copyright**, infringement, rumors or other issues, please contact us to delete it. Finally, if you have any different thoughts about this event, please leave a message in the comment area to discuss!