Chinese Jewelry: the Goldsmith’s Art of the Celestial Empire
Speaking of Chinese jewelry immediately brings to mind the imperial splendor of ancient China, particularly during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). During this long period of artistic and cultural flourishing, the Great Wall and the Imperial Palace of Beijing came to life, the art of porcelain was perfected, and jewelry craftsmanship became more refined. The undisputed protagonist, from the very beginning, was jade, the symbol of Chinese goldsmith art.
The Tradition of Jade in Ancient Chinese Jewelry
“Gold is precious, but jade is priceless,” states an ancient Chinese proverb. Jade is a hard stone, green in color, used in China since prehistoric times: the first jade artifacts date back to 3400 BC. During this period, ritual objects were produced such as the cong, a vase with a square exterior and circular interior section, and the bi, disc-shaped. Both objects have been found in the tombs of high-ranking deceased.
Jade was worked to create traditional jewelry, such as pendants and amulets that reproduced animals, especially fish and birds. Thanks to its hardness, jade was also used to make cutting weapons. During the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), emperors and the most important officials were buried wearing garments composed of jade plates, joined by gold or silver thread.
For the Chinese, jade represented strength, wisdom, and courage and was therefore a symbol of immortality. The philosopher Confucius attributed 11 virtues to this stone: benevolence, justice, correctness, truth, credibility, music, loyalty, heaven, earth, morality, and intelligence. One of the main deities of the Taoist religion is the Jade Emperor, also considered sovereign of paradise. For this reason, jade was considered the stone of the gods and therefore of emperors.
During the Ming dynasty era, Chinese goldsmith art experienced a period of great splendor. Metal working techniques were perfected and traditional Chinese jewelry became more refined, thanks to the addition of precious stones and elaborate decorations.
Clasps, Pendants and Necklaces: the Rich Jewelry of the Ming Era
In creating jewelry, extensive use of gold and silver and other gems began, in addition to jade, including turquoise, coral, and freshwater pearls. The traditional Chinese jewelry of this period primarily demonstrates the skill of goldsmith artisans in using techniques such as granulation, filigree, and openwork. The most appreciated and recurring decorative themes were connected to the empire: the dragon, which represented strength and wisdom and was a symbol of the emperor, and the phoenix, a mythological bird symbolizing grace and femininity and therefore associated with the empress. Other decorations of ancient Chinese jewelry recalled the natural world, such as birds and other animals, clouds, flowers, and leaves.
The most important ancient Chinese jewelry for women were those that adorned the hair, which, being the highest part of the human body, according to Chinese tradition was the closest to the gods. Hairpins depicting the phoenix were very popular among court ladies for decorating hairstyles, but other clasps, diadems, and tiaras were also appreciated.
Nobles and courtiers, instead, wore pendants and necklaces, often very heavy and elaborate, enriched with large precious stones. Subsequently, necklaces, for both men and women, became lighter, composed of strands of pearls and other gems that crossed in a central medallion.
The traditional Chinese jewelry of the Ming era are the protagonists of the exhibition “The Gold of the Ming: Splendor and Beauty of Imperial China” currently running in Paris, at the Guimet Museum, until January 13, 2025. The exhibition aims to introduce the general public to the goldsmith art of that period, often little known, through a vast collection of jewelry and other precious objects.
