Fredericks-McIntire Collection – Two Western Han Lidded Vessels

Measurements of Right Vessel: 11″ Height X 11″ Width X 4-1/2″ Depth

Measurements of Left Vessel : 8″ Height X 8″ Overall Width X 5-1/2 ” Main Diameter

In the first part of  this three-part series, we will be showing two Western Han Dynasty white nephrite jade vessels that have been part of the Fredericks-McIntire collection for many years. Both of these vessels have been displayed  in an ‘invitation only’ not-for-sale special event presentation during the 2007 Tucson Gem And Mineral Show (along with exhibits from the Smithsonian & The Natural History Museum Of New York, among others). Both of these vessels have also been displayed at all four of the Jade Shows we have held in our gallery, including last year’s Jade Through The Ages Show, and have been viewed by some of the top geologists and jade and jadeite experts in the world; however, with most of them,  not under the microscopic conditions in which we will present them now. In this first part, we will be showing some amazing anomalies of Khotan-Hetian Nephrite Jade, and the start of our hypothesis on the development of what has been commonly called “Chook Bone” or “Chicken Bone Jade”, and has, to the best of our knowledge, never been explained. This will end up as a three-part series of articles, showing different items from our collection (and perhaps other collections we represent, all from a microscopic perspective). This study will be finalized with examples of ‘pure’ chook bone jade artifacts with phenomenal features. We hope you will all enjoy this three-part series and the sharing of knowledge, which has been years in the learning, replete with numerous discussions and microscopic viewings with some of the finest minds on nephrite jade in the world. As always, we would cordially invite any qualified professional to view, or test, any of the examples we will be showing in this series.

Both of the vessels above have been subjected to all our rigorous cleaning methods as will be further explained as we go deeper into the article. This includes one of my own largest, personal mistakes, which can be easily viewed in the last photograph above, and the second one below this paragraph. The white area running across the inside of the large vessel’s lid is evidence that it should not have been shot with such a high pressure water stream as it was subjected to, as it literally blew the degrading nephrite off the vessel around areas of minute cracks and developing chook bone. This discovery by mistake will be clearly examined under microscopic conditions as we get further into the article.

We are going to show the largest and oldest of the Western Han Dynasty vessels first, in this portion of the article. While stylistically, the vessel you see above has many older archaic jade and bronze symbols used in its varying, striking motifs, such as the differing Taotei designs, Chu style Fenghuangs [Red Bird of the South, or Phoenix] on the main sides of the vessel, earlier style dragon-handles and especially the flower design on the top of the lid (we believe this style was actually invented during the Warring States Period, as will be shown in another article of a complete, massive, vessel of the period), we believe this is an archaic continuation of the many diverse and linear developments of design, and will stay with the Western Han Dynastic period in our assessment. While we are talking about a very short time period between the end of the Warring States Period and start of the first Han Dynasties, it is our opinion that the  vessels created towards the end of the Warring States Period were more finely made than the earliest of the Han Dynasty Pieces, as we find the very early Han jades were thicker-walled than the late Eastern Zhou jades, and became thinner and more refined as the Han Dynasty jade carvers progressed in their mastery. We believe this particular vessel to have been created in approximately the 100-150 BCE era. While we were not there when it was made, nor first buried, we feel it is good approximation (unless corrected by the experts who know, and have access to, the larger vessels made in China from both periods).

What the close-up views in the three photographs above are meant to show is a nearly totally hand re-polished (except for the re-cutting of the fine details in the design by machine – to be shown later in the microscopic photographs), original white jade vessel, in which the degrading chook bone and crystalline structures of the Khotan jade nephrite vessel were literally blown away by our high pressure water gun, while I was cleaning the vessel years ago, and did not realize what was happening at the time. I believed at the time that it was removing waxes and soils that had been applied to the vessel to give it that “old look”. We have found these ‘treatments’ on thousands of real and replicated items in our years of cleaning and authenticating real period pieces, and on those reproductions that have been getting progressively more convincing as time goes on and the craft of replicating grows and improves. Both fortunately and unfortunately, neither of the two vessels in this article were heavily waxed – unfortunately because it led to some damage to the vessel – fortunately because it led us (after years of microscopic study) to a couple of never-before discovered (to the best of our knowledge) anomalies that occured both during the formation of jade from this region specifically, and during the differing stages of degradation, and how nephrite jade can heal itself naturally under certain conditions. While we would love to show these marvelous Han Dynasty jades in photographs in their true glory, this is a study of structures and conditions, and must now depart to microscopic photography (remembering the items are open to viewing by qualified professionals and aficionados, by appointment).

We are going keep the various nephrite jades for this three-part series exclusively of Chinese artifacts of archaic Khotan-Hetian Nephrite Jade, and are not trying to slight any of the other magnificent specimens from around the world. But, it is quite obvious to anyone who knows us that we do have a particular passion for the Chinese jades and their 10,000-year uninterrupted fascination and attention to detail like no other culture. We have more articles planned for the future on exquisite specimens and artifacts from around the globe, of both nephrite and jadeite. However, due to the long-term burial characteristics of this particular nephrite, the effects we wish to examine for this article are best shown with archaic jades from the BCE period. All microscopic photographs for this article will follow the same series as the last article, in 10X, 20X and 30X powers, as these are the most common loupe magnifications, and while we will get a wider viewing area because of the microscope and the photographic equipment, similar views can be found by others who are interested in cleaning and observing artifacts of their own. In the above photos, we are simply showing the tightest and most fibrous portions of the large vessel shown above. These photographs were taken in a very lightly polished area on one of the most translucent portions of the vessel. On some areas (as the photos above), the polish goes all the way through to what is mostly the original stone. As some portions degraded more deeply, the hand re-polishing of the vessel only goes into the chook bone effect, and in a few areas, we have complete, through-degradation, in which no amount of re-polishing would show the original, true nature of the jade as it was, over 2,000 years ago. The re-polishing of this vessel, as shown in the photographs above, left very few tooling or sanding marks on the jade surface itself, and was most likely (as will be shown in other microscopic photos) performed in the late Qing Dynasty period, as the surface has been worn smooth, through cleaning and touching of the vessel over years. It was only shortly before we first purchased the vessel that it had been ‘re-mudded’ to give it that ‘special look’ and to bring out the fine details of mostly the Leiwen patterns in the design.

In the three microscopic photographs above, we begin to see the crystalline structures that we so often find associated with the fine nephrite jade of the Khotan region. As was explained in an earlier article, we do believe nephrite jade is formed originally in a more igneous manner than has been thought for years. One of the most knowledgeable people we know on nephrite jade from all regions is Peter Schilling of Taking Form Jade, and falling just short (for now) of agreement to nephrite being of igneous nature (at least in its original state), it is Peter I speak to the most about the multitude of differing structures and anomalies we find in nephrite jades. Such a wealth of information is stored in Peter’s brain, on nephrite jades especially, and other geological matters generally, that it is he I trust the most in sharing what we find from year to year, and he has been under the microscope with us on many occasions (through the newest pseudomorph investigations and jadeite and nephrite crystalline  growths). He is the single most encouraging critic and has always spurred me to go further. As most general (and published) information on the formation of nephrite jade has been “parroted” for over 100 years, most of we ‘jade aficionados’, miners, geologists, and jade artisans who gather during the Big Sur Jade Festival and at our artists’ show every year, keep finding new specimens and anomalies that just do not fit the ‘accepted’ brief description of jades and jadeites. Mr. Kirk Makepeace of JadeMine.com (supplier of two-thirds of the world’s current jade market) has also always been an inspiration, as he has continued to provide us with phenomenal specimens (as have too many others to be mentioned here, but will be, as their specimens get published), which will end up in coming articles, which will be showing under microscopic photography some absolutely stunning new information that has just never before been published. Therefore, when we gather, we discuss and examine some of these anomalies, and the ‘birth’ of new information takes seed (much like the crystalline healing in the Clear Creek Jade article found here, in the archives); more time has to be given to the microscopic study, and seeds of knowledge have to sprout and become explained scientifically. These are new discoveries in both of the jade types, and we will continue to expand upon what we find for as long as we can keep going, but one thing is certain: no one will ever be able to explain it all in one lifetime, as there are just too many anomalies to be found.

As we have many more photographs to come, we will just note here that the area of crystalline growth in the white Han Dynasty nephrite vessel shown above lies just next to the area of the much more typical, nephritic fibered area shown in the three preceding photographs.

In the above three microscopic photographs, we are concentrating on two different aspects of this Han Dynasty white nephrite jade vessel. One is a continuation of the crystalline effect of a portion of the original jade, and the other is the newer re-cutting marks to the fine Leiwen patterns in the design. As many of the finer design elements of true archaic design are ravaged by degradation, they are re-worked so the beauty of the original jade can shine though again, as the long-term burial conditions are so damaging to fine details. In the first photograph above at 10X power, we can see the newer re-cuts of the original design to the viewer’s left. The dark red mud is left over from the cleaning process when I realized I was shooting off ‘chunks’ of the nephrite itself (and backed down on the water pressure). This dirt was mentioned earlier as one of the Chinese ways of making the finer aspects of the designs stand out, and should be attributed more to an ‘artistic license’ than to a deliberate attempt to fool. As mentioned before, this vessel and the other one we will examine had very little wax applied to them, and then only in certain areas where the jade was re-polished down to its original beautiful surface. The dirt we see in the photos above here is only adhering to the original degraded surface of the jade vessel. The other major aspect of these photographs (and the three to follow) is the fact that on almost every authentic artifact we have ever verified, the finest artisans who re-cut and re-polish them always leave areas that are original. Whether larger areas, or smaller ones, they are what tell the true age of a jade artifact and will always be found as the deepest of the tooling marks (while finding newer cuts, one must look further to find the older, original marks, beneath them). To the viewer’s right, in photograph one, you will see one of these untouched areas in the center of the ’rounding’ design. In the following two photographs at 20X and 30X power, we are zooming in on this portion of the vessel which was not re-cut. The difference in the white tooling marks of the re-cut areas, and the portion which was not re-cut, is easily discernible. Some original tooling marks from the Han Period can be seen in the photos above, but others which are more easily discerned will be coming.

In the three photographs above, are again showing a portion of the re-cut Leiwen patterns on the Han Dynasty large vessel, and an area in the center of each photograph which was left untouched by more modern tools. The reason for the later Qing Dynasty re-tooling and re-polishing can best be explained in these areas. First, the whitened tooling marks show no signs of degradation from further burial of the vessel, and are fresh and very white in nature.  Second, the dirt on the vessel has adhered to the old, lightly hand re-polished surface in a way it will not, if it has been freshly applied. Freshly applied mud will wash right off of a re-polished jade artifact (unless any waxes have been impregnated with colorings, or mud, in which case the lengthy soaking in acetone will loosen them up so they can be easily removed). Other coatings used to color artifact jades (and replicas) can be removed in minutes with a soaking in a weak oxalic acid solution, and recent iron-based coatings can be removed with an overnight soaking in bleach (which will also not harm an original artifact). With some coatings that have been baked-on at higher temperatures, it may take a ten-minute soaking in heated oxalic acid (to start to break the bonds), with an overnight soaking in bleach. However, old, truly degraded jade artifacts (and not just fire-burned, or acid-etched, or high-alkaline degraded serpentines and bowenites) will take the dirt into their porous structure over time.

For the next portion of that which we wish to discuss, we must digress a bit to the photographs of the crystalline nephrite structures we find in Khotan Region jades. This unique structural anomaly does not just occur in white jades from the Khotan region, but can be found in many of the varying colors of jade from China (this will be shown in subsequent artifacts in the three-part series). In future articles, we will be showing healed fractures in nephrite jade and the layering that accompanies cooling, but for now in this article, we will concentrate on why we believe these areas of crystalline jade occur, and will be showing areas where they actually mix with the more nephritic structures. What we find in almost all true nephrites from the known sources around the globe is by far the more normal, extremely fibrous, nature of nephrite. As true nephrite occurs in small areas (which is why it is so rarely found), it is formed under fairly exacting conditions, about which there are some marvelous published works that are easily found. What has been considered by only a few people are the causes for the differing structures found in nearly same areas of nephrite deposits. We have heard from some of the top nephrite carvers in New Zealand of some magnificent work which has been done mapping the nephrite fields of New Zealand by Russell J. Beck, and his explanations of why certain specimens in the smaller offshoots of dikes and lens have cooled more quickly and became more tightly fibered. In our opinion, this wonderful work is right on target. It is the same with other minerals showing that the quicker they cool, the smaller the crystalline formation. Our hypothesis on the crystalline structures found in Khotan jades, in direct conjunction with the more typical, tightly fibered nephrite, follows along these same lines and might be able to be definitively proved if the same type of mapping of the nephrite fields were to be undertaken in the Khotan Region. We believe the jade in original Khotan nephrite fields may have been, in some areas, extremely large, and perhaps the largest yet found. A field of nephrite filling a massive lens would, in our opinion, take an much longer time to cool than a smaller plug, or lens area, and could well account for the formations of these crystalline nephrite structures interspersed with the more typical fibrous regions. In many other mineral specimens, it is well known that the longer the cooling period the larger the crystalline structures will grow. [As to the theory of nephrite being more igneous in nature, we have never heard a satisfactory explanation to our question of how extremely rigid actinolite and tremolite fibers (some actinolite we have seen running in straight, glass-like rods a foot long) could have twisted into such tightly seen fibrous structures, as found in Edwards Black jade from Wyoming, USA or the original Cowell, Australian black found in 1972, without being subjected to molten, or near-molten conditions]. The fact that the jades of the Khotan area are still being found in the White and Black Jade Rivers, and the original deposits are still to be found in-situ in the surrounding mountainous regions, should allow someone with the technology and access to be able to map these fields, and perhaps someday this will be accomplished. Also, the fact that these crystalline areas are be found all over the interior and exterior of these and other vessels and artifacts of Chinese jade, leads us believe that they are not just a part of a healing process (as explained in the Clear Creek Jadeite of California, USA article here), but is rather a condition of the entire boulders we see here, from which the vessels were made.

In the three above photographs, we are looking at a portion of the bottom of this exquisite Han Dynasty vessel, which shows wear and original, over 2,000 year-old drilling marks that were never polished out when the vessel was first made, nor when it was lightly re-polished. The degradation to the original drilling marks and the subsequent ‘damage zones’ (explained in previous artifact articles here, in the archives) from the heavier grits used during initial drilling between the Taotei legs, show a portion of the jade which was more fibrous, solid, and has already started the ‘chook bone’ process, which we will begin to explain.

With these three photographs above, we are looking at an area of lightly hand re-polished chook, or chicken-bone jade on the flower-top/finial portion of the lid of this Han Dynasty white jade vessel. It is an area of the jade vessel which is a mixture of nephritic fibering and crystalline structures. The heaviest chook bone effects on the vessel appear on the inside of the vessel (where the water gun shot out portions of the surface, as seen in some of the first photos of this article), and the inside and outside of the flower finial top. While there are other portions (especially around an almost totally broken-in-half section of the lid to be shown, in part, later) of the vessel showing light chook bone effects, it is in the areas which would have held the most moisture, and subjected to this higher moisture concentration on a more constant basis, which appear to have developed the deepest chook bone effects. It appears to have more deeply effected the natural fissures in the jade, the damaged areas, and the more crystalline portions of the vessel. The tighter fibered areas of the nephrite (which also took the finest re-polishing) were not effected by the high pressure water spray gun. So again, as a whole, we find the deepest original degradation to the vessel in the areas where there were either natural fissures or damage from burial tectonics, and the crystalline areas which were not as tightly bonded as the highly nephritic areas. As a consequence of this being a three-part series article, we are just going to start to introduce what we believe causes this chook bone effect (a thick, whitened slime coating) which has never been explained on burial jades (though some have gone so far as to bury jades in dead animals thinking it could have been related to decomposing bodily fluids). As we progress through to the third part of the series, we will have to go to higher magnifications to be able to show what we are about to describe.

In the three photographs above, we are showing an area of deep chook bone effect which was shot away with our high pressure water gun. By being able to split the view above (from the deepest chook bone effect down inside the tight remaining, and unaffected, original nephrite of the vessel, we can see the differences between the surfaces under very low powers. When chook bone jade forms, it is the shiny, whitened, ‘slick,’ surface it creates which truly defines what chook bone jade is. We have, over time, seen all kinds of degradation being called chook bone, and have examined hundreds of these items under microscopic conditions. Sadly, most of them have turned out to be acid-eaten or fire burned jades, serpentines and bowenites. We have read in some of the most respected jade books known that chook bone occurs on differing burial jades from the Neolithic Period clear through to Qing Dynasty burial jades (hence, we suppose, the attempt to bury jade in dead animals), but of the thousand-plus authentic burial jades we have first stripped of their coatings of waxes and brown shoe polishes etc., and examined under microscopic conditions, we have never found a Qing Dynasty piece of jade with true chook bone on it. We have seen it, possibly, starting to develop on old Song and Liao Dynastic burial jades, but under high magnification, it could just as easily be partially degraded mutton fat jade that was used more as a contrast in the final creation (much like the last article  here on the three Late Han Dynasty vessels). The white degradation found on old Ming Dynasty vessels (where it is original and not a fire burnt portion used to quickly degrade an old crack in a restoration effort, and then colored to ‘look old’) we would consider to be the start of the degradation process which could eventually lead to a true chook bone effect, given another thousand-plus years of undisturbed burial, in the right conditions. But, to us, true chook bone is an effect of long-term burial, the finest of it found on archaic burial jades over 2,000 years old.

What we believe we are seeing in the three photographs above is chook bone jade that takes three different conditions to create:  First, we must have the long-term burial of a nephrite jade artifact.  Second, we must have natural degradation from soil conditions starting to eat away at the nephrite jade.  Third, we must have a fairly constant supply of moisture. As we never find this type of effect on items coming from what we would consider drier regions, we believe it is the nearly constant contact with moisture that actually creates the chook bone effect. Remembering that this is going to be a long, three-part series article, we have much further to go and many more examples to show, but the main premise is that as the jade starts to degrade, it also starts to ‘heal’ itself with the constant flow of water over its surface. The moisture entering the degraded jade eventually begins to prompt the original nephrite beneath to begin growing new, minute crystalline formations that start the healing process. New bonds are being created between the components of the nephrite.  This causes the effect of minute particles of the original stone being carried by the water to heal the degrading jade, much the same as a hollow geode will fill with crystals, over time, by the same type of mineral transportation of silicates of quartz intrusion into the pocket of air with which all geodes start. Being a porous stone, nephrite is actually (while still being so tightly fibered it is considered the ‘toughest stone’) a quite reasonable subject material for this type of ‘healing’.  As we have seen jadeite forming pure crystals to heal fractures in a jadeite stone (and we have even more fantastic specimens than were shown in our article here), so will nephrite heal itself under the right conditions. So, the degradation to the nephrite begins first, at its weakest parts, and then the constant flow of moisture over the degrading stone allows the moisture to carry minerals from the original burial object back outward to heal the damage which is occurring. This is what creates that beautiful whitened slime effect (similar to a glassy surface) on the finest of chook bone specimens. In the last article of this series (we always save to best for last), we will be showing such a phenomenal specimen that we don’t believe anyone could explain this effect in a different way, satisfactorily. In the vessel we are showing now, the chook bone is only partially healed, and in some areas more than others – the damaged areas and those with the most degradation seem to be the ones that are taking the longest time to heal, which would make sense because they are being ‘attacked’ and degraded more constantly. These areas were the most ‘blown away’ by our high pressure water gun, as shown in the photos above. Also, almost every burial condition varies from one to the next, in not exactly the same conditions, and we should naturally see differences in the effect depending upon the particular conditions of burial, the amount of moisture present, and the quality of the original nephritic jade.

In the three microscopic photographs above, we are looking at an area of damage on the lid of the large Han Dynasty vessel, which comes within approximately 1/4″ of completely separating to top into two pieces. The fact that it did not break entirely into two separate sections is a great testimony to the resilience of nephrite jade in general, and will be shown in the next section of this three-part article in a much more dramatic fashion (with our Warring States Grey & Blood Jade Vessels [shown on our Antiquities, Plus... web site] which are now totally stripped of all coatings and in their original broken conditions, showing original tooling marks, old repairs and newer repairs). The section you are seeing above is one of the areas described earlier where our high pressure water gun literally blew out the healing jade around this massive old fracture to the lid. The repair we see in the photos above is only in a portion of the original fracture line, and is another reason we believe the re-cutting, re-polishing, and repair to be of late Qing Dynasty time-frame. The break was mended with a clear lacquer repair, and not the later-seen colored rubber cement repairs that were most likely performed in the 1920′s-1930′s era. This will also be highly examined in the next part of this series as the vessels, to be shown have been fixed over different periods. Of note here is the remaining dirt to a high-pressure-shot area, showing that the old dirt put on after the re-polishing did indeed penetrate the degraded nephrite surfaces, and some areas held tighter than others under the same high pressure blasting. These areas that remained would have been some of the more ‘healed’ areas, as the overlying chook bone jade inside the lid (where the invading moisture from burial would be trapped more) had more of a chance to heal itself (even though the fractured jade in this area allowed more degradation damage to occur).

In these last three photographs of the large Han Dynasty white jade vessel, we are showing another area inside the lid which was a portion that still retained its original Han Dynasty tooling marks. The whitened areas are again where our high pressure water sprayer blew the jade out of the lightly chook-bone, degrading and healing area. Above you will see two different types of original Han Period tooling in the more horizontal drilling mark areas, and best seen in the last photo, the more vertical marks (more to the viewer’s left) that cross the drilling marks. These marks would have been left after the initial drilling marks, made with coarser grits, to start to remove the more obvious (at time of manufacture) drill tool swirling marks. It is these coarser grits which end up damaging the microstructure of the jades, resulting in what are called ‘damage zones’ by modern carvers. If not totally removed with each successive use of finer grits, they will leave these micro-damaged areas which will degrade first, and continue to degrade throughout time in a deeper fashion. With the following photographs, we will be showing many of the above-explained effects on another exquisite Han Dynasty creation, and one of our most favorite vessels.

In the above three photographs, we are looking at one of the finest Imperial White Han Dynasty jade vessels we own, and one with some extremely unique characteristics of its own. As we get to the microscopic photographs of this delightful vessel, you will be able to see more of what has been described above, simply because most of these effects show up best on degraded jade of the archaic period. The majesty of this smaller vessel far outweighs its smaller size, and the workmanship, in our opinion, is as fine as any Han Dynasty Period piece could be. The delicacy of design and thinness of the walls is almost beyond belief, and for it to have remained as it has, with no major breaks and only one tiny lacquer-repaired crack to one of the bottom figures which act as its legs, is nothing short of astonishing. To view it in all its glory is a sight many have called amazing (with the truth being, some experts from China that have viewed our collection will not touch a piece if it is older than 2,000 years old but will handle any archaistic jade under that period – as the archaic jades truly were the jades of the old Shamanic Kings and the jades of the Imperial Family). Having been re-cut in some of the Leiwen patterns (as with the first vessel shown) and hand re-polished hundreds of years ago, we do not believe this exquisite vessel has ever seen re-burial, and if it did, it would only have been for a very short period of time, such as during the unfortunate occupation period by Japan. This vessel came to us years ago, and has been displayed at seven different shows, with no professional ever questioning its authenticity. The fact that all the re-cutting and re-polishing were accomplished much earlier than the first vessel, will be apparent through the microscopic photographs, as will its genuine age of being, what we believe, one of the finest later Imperial White Western Han Dynasty vessels ever produced in any size. Approximate age would be 100 BCE.

In the two photographs above, we are looking inside of the vessel itself with backlighting from a flood light, at different distances. There are places on the sides of this vessel that are only approximately 1/8th of an inch in depth. A few fine hairline cracks show up under such viewing, but have held together for over 2,000 years. Most of these cracks have probably developed from minute weaknesses and fissures after its removal from its original burial site, as they have no real degradation, or side-to-side penetration of deposits. After this article is completed, we intend to oil both of these vessels well with a mixture of coconut and camellia oils, as it is so dry here in the desert, and these oils will help to both seal the vessels and penetrate the jade slightly to protect it from further splitting. We prefer this method over waxing as it can be removed with acetone in seconds, leaving no residue, and permits re-verification by any prospective scientist or interested party (the larger vessel shown first in this article can easily be re-polished in the blown out areas and look like nothing had ever happened to it, if left to a professional to do the work – we will leave it as it is, other than the oiling, for verification purposes). In both of the photographs above, we can see through- degradation, original tooling marks (with the naked eye), original burial soils penetrating the chook bone area, and the iron oxides of the red portion, which is an intrusion into pure white nephrite jade from an external source of either iron-rich soils and surrounding high-iron-content boulders from when the jade lay in the White or Black Jade River area, or iron-rich soils from the burial area, or both. We would say, after examining this item for years under microscopic conditions, that it would more likely be both.

In the first three microscopic photographs at 10X, 20X and 30X powers, we are looking at the back of the Chi Dragon on the vessel lid. What we wish to show in these photos is a section which encompasses most of what we have shown with the first Han Dynasty vessel. The photos above show a portion where an old, approximately Ming Dynasty period re-tooling meets an area where there has never been any re-cutting. We can see again the crystalline structures in this section of the jade vessel which start to appear in Khotan jades after long-term burial. The natural degradation and soil inclusions also become very clear (and get much more defined in later microscopic photographs). The crystalline structures we are seeing in these jades (and the other colored Khotan jades which will be in the following articles) are not the same as the extremely defined high acid- and strong alkali-degraded serpentines the replicators use when reproducing old Neolithic pieces. The linear platelets that show up on these types of replications with serpentines would fill the entire photo area at the 10X level. The ones you are seeing in these photographs are extremely minuscule and completely associated (bonded) within the true white nephrite itself. They become more defined over long term burial conditions as minute particles degrade away and tiny pieces are lost from the original carved jade. These structures can be discerned in ‘pure’ specimens of white nephrite as tightly-woven, interlocking crystals and fibers that take the abrasion of cutting and polishing almost exactly the same as the more fibrous areas. They are extremely dense and are an integral part of the nephritic jades of the area. They are also the portion of the jade that is easiest to penetrate by iron oxides, and after time and degradation, soil intrusions. It is in the iron-oxidized shallow grooves at the top and bottom of photo one, and at the bottom of photos two and three above, that we find the old re-tooling marks so reminiscent of an original Ming period re-cut. They are always extremely smoothed out, showing none of the fresh, white re-cut marks of the later periods. This is from repeated touching, reverent handling, and cleaning of the vessel over years of time; had it been re-buried, these marks would start to show degradation on their own (which they do not now, over the entire re-cut and re-polished surfaces of this vessel).

This exquisite vessel above is a mixture of the finest translucent white nephrite, mutton fat white nephrite and the iron-oxidized, intruded red into white in both types. In the three microscopic photographs above, we are looking at an area in the most translucent portion of the nephrite and seeing the typical nephritic fibering which occurs in this unique jade. As we are both proving age and structures in this three-part series, it is of particular note, in the three photographs above, that this jade vessel shows absolutely no new, fresh tooling marks or polishing attempts. While the approximate Ming Dynasty re-cuts are extremely visible, we only see worn re-tooling marks, and the masterfully re-polished original Han Dynasty tooling marks in the tightest areas of the jade, which will be shown in subsequent photographs. The ‘undercut’ areas of the nephritic fibering, shown in these photos, are one of the most telling indicators of an old jade that has been touched and cleaned, as the salts and acids from human touch, along with the rubbing from years of cleaning, is what wears away the softer portions of the re-polished nephritic surface, leaving it with this more ‘pitted’ look.

With the above three microscopic photographs, we are showing of area of the re-cut Leiwen patterns on the Han Dynasty white jade vessel. In the first photo above, we can easily see the re-cut areas and the smoothed grooving which comes from the touching and cleaning of such marks over time. In the middle of the first photograph, there is also an original Han Period tooling mark that was left untouched, as can be seen best in the following two photos at high magnification. In the last photo above, we can also see the end of an original Han Period tooling mark which was left when the master who re-cut and re-polished this vessel was doing his work. This is an area that is both a nephritic and crystalline combination, and as such, it shows the degradation well to the original surface of the vessel. It was extremely lightly touched during the re-polishing efforts, and leaves us with conditions to view which could be considered almost in-situ. There are other areas to be shown in the remainder of this article that are even more ‘in-situ’, and show what we love to see the most – a beautifully restored jade vessel with original tooling marks, degradation and burial deposits.

In the three photographs above, we are looking at an area of the wing on one of the beautifully accomplished Fenghuang (or Red bird of the South) handles of the main part of the vessel. This particular area of the reddened, iron-oxidized Fenghuang handle is best shown in the second photograph of this article, on the viewer’s left (but the bird’s right) wing. What appears to be a tree root track filled with manganese is actually a deeper original Han Dynasty polishing mark that was never fully polished out originally. At the time the vessel was made, this mark most likely did not show up in its finished glory, but rather is due to the ‘damage zone’ effect described earlier here, and in other previous articles. This old tooling mark is indeed impregnated with manganese deposits, and lies in a non-re-polished area of the vessel. It is an area which, being both nephritic and crystalline, received the most iron oxidation penetration and degradation, which may have led the master re-polisher of this vessel to consider it too fragile to touch. It is an area where ‘chook bone’ has developed over the original polished surface, and shows both degradation and the healing process we have mentioned earlier. When we get to the final article of this three-part series, we will be going to higher powers under the microscope to show both the degradation and the healing process that has been occurring, and will continue to occur, over time.

The three microscopic photographs above are in a well polished area of the Han Dynasty vessel, free of any waxes or coatings of any kind, and are intended to show a transitional area where the unique crystalline formations found in Khotan-Hetian nephrite jade meet and mix with the more commonly-considered fibrous nephritic structures. We have not seen this type of unique structure in any other of the thousands of nephrite jade specimens (not even the sometimes ‘flaky’ Siberian white nephrite) we have looked at from around the globe, and consider this to be one of the key identifiers of  some of the types of jades from this region. Granted, not all artifacts of jade from this region show this unique structure, as it can not be found on many small, toggle-sized artifacts, and certainly not all of the Khotan jade fields produced this exact type of material. Some of the plugs and lenses would surely have been smaller, and some areas would have originally cooled differently, and had a mixture of different minerals involved, but as promised before, we are going to show other large and different colored nephrite jades, from this same area, with the exact structural formations in the follow-up articles. We also believe that this is one of the main reasons Khotan jade always shows a higher thermal conductivity than any other jade we have ever tested (and we have performed literally millions of these tests on different specimens). This concept will be elaborated upon further as the articles progress.

In the three photographs above, we are looking at a portion of the hollowed-out bottom of the vessel, which was left in almost total in-situ condition when the master who restored the vessel, hundreds of years ago, worked his craft to perfection. The original Han Dynasty tooling marks are extremely hard to see in these photographs above because of the angle needed to photograph the in-situ manganese deposits, but they are there, nonetheless. These original marks arc across the entire area and are very shallow-appearing (which they are not on the rest of the bottom) because the original degradation and burial deposits almost entirely cover them up. We can again see the crystalline structures which allowed more penetration of the iron oxides and the burial detritus which still adheres to the thin chook bone in this area. To see this area under the actual microscope is indeed a pleasure (as are both of the entire vessels in this article) as one can move the vessel around under any power desired and zoom in on literally thousands of areas on the bottom alone. It is not an overstatement  to explain that to view either of the vessels in this article under high magnification will leave a person almost speechless.

In the last three photographs of this Part One of the three-part series, we are showing a different area on the left (bird’s right) wing of the Fenghuang than what was shown earlier. This area is the tight, small curl of the feathering at the uppermost portion of the wing. It was, most likely, another area considered to be too delicate to re-cut and re-polish by the master who re-worked this vessel so long ago. In the curl of the wing, in the first photo above, we see an area of dark matter that was completely unaffected when the vessel was soaking in acetone. This is original Ming dynasty wax (which was most likely a bees-wax with a smaller molecule than modern petroleum waxes) which was used to protect the area that was so highly degraded that the master re-worker of the vessel decided to leave it alone. This old wax is similar to the same Ming Dynasty wax as shown on our Ming Dynasty Rhinoceros Horn Libation cup on our Timeless Artifact web site. It is so old and adhered after hundreds of years that it has essentially become a part of the vessel itself. This old style wax does not whiten and shoot of with our water gun, as it has solidified to such a point, and adhered itself to the original degraded and chook bone jade, that is has become one with the jade and can only be scraped off with a sharp instrument, along with the degraded jade itself. We have decided to leave it in place, as we believe it is an important part of the entire vessel. Also seen above is another old tooling mark from the Han Dynastic Period which has been left alone and is filled with original deposits. Inside the original red, iron-oxidized curve can also be observed original Han Dynasty period tooling marks and developing chook bone jade. As promised, there is much more to come in the following two parts of this series, to which we hope you all look forward to viewing in ever more detail.

In closing, while we consider all of our articles and photographs to to be copyrighted, we have no problem with qualified professionals carrying on further research with the concepts and theories we present. If there are those with better resources and equipment who wish to further the spread of knowledge concerning artifacts and nephrite jades, we believe this is better for the entire understanding across the world. Also, as this web site has been, from its inception, open to the public, with no advertising or mailing addresses sold, please feel free to sign up in the subscription section for notifications of further articles published.

All full photos taken with Canon EOS XSI using Canon Ef 24-70mm f/2.8L Lens

All Microscopic photos taken with Canon EOS XSi under microscopic power

[ Note: Any qualified person interested in sales or research on any items in our personal collection, or those we represent, should contact        Dr. Timothy William Jones, PhD, at timothywilliamjones@gmail.com ]

David Fredericks — Yulongwei

Antiquities, Plus…

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Archaic Mastery Of Nephrite Jade

Carving

This Zhao Dynastic Nephrite Jade anthrozoomorphic small figurine-pendant, at first glance looks like what a famous New York auction house termed ‘imaginary figure’, upon initial viewing. However, given the fact that they only touched the figure and turned it around in their hands, inspecting it without even the use of a loupe before rejecting the figure, seems a bit on the hasty side. Granted, it is quite a fantastic figure and certainly not a common motif, with a mixture of Neolithic, Shang period and Zhou period designs, but such items have been created for millennium, and do show up in the oddest of places. In the old days, we also had been told that a certain piece couldn’t be real because the person viewing had never seen that particular design before. Thinking rationally on this, one will certainly realize that literally millions of hectares of land have never been archeologically examined, and it is but a small leap to think that more items are buried under at least some of that land, and not every piece or design created has been seen by every ‘professional’. When we first examined the piece, the weight was right and the ‘feel’ of the stone seemed correct. It was really then a matter of determining whether the “Owl Man’ was a modern replication or just an unusually rare artifact, based more on science than on guess-work. Coming from the Chernysh Estate Collection of Naples, Florida, and originally having been purchased along with an unrestored, exquisite white jade belt buckle of definitive 18Th Century vintage from an older Naples Estate collection, gave us further reason to investigate this ‘strange’ jade figure.

Despite this figure being subjected to two weeks of acetone soaking, a light oxalic acid bath (to loosen any baked-on dyes), and an additional overnight soaking in bleach (to remove any recent dyes), the figure remained in its original condition with no loose modern polishing compound detected even in the bi-conically drilled suspension hole. It had also been ‘shot’ with our high pressure spray gun and still retained all of its integrity, except minor loss at the very top of the figure where the black portion of the nephrite, containing more iron than the the rest of the originally green stone, was starting to oxidize, as can be seen in the top photograph as the reddened area mixed in with the blacker parts. This is a definite sign of natural deterioration of the stone, and not a condition we would associate with intentional acidic aging, as strong acid baths tend to effect the entire nephrite stone, and when used on more modern simulant stones, exposes flaking plates over the entire stone and is easily identified on most modern fakes today. This acidic treatment, after thorough cleaning, also causes a very whitened surface devoid of natural soil penetration and extreme loss of natural coloration, which was not the case in the original ‘cut marks’ of the ‘Owl Man’.

Above Photos Taken With Canon EOS XSi Using Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

Above Photos Taken With Canon EOS XSI Using MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Macro Lens

In the top photo above we can see just how finely the original artist depicted the ‘feathering’ and the epaulet-like shoulder feather in his creation. Similar to all the structural features of this magnificent work of period art, from the beaked face to the amazing musculature, right down to the rare anatomically correct genitalia, this unknown master shows traces of artistic Chinese design that truly extend from the Late Neolithic Period, with aspects of finer Shang Period pieces and those of both the Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou periods. In the anthrozoomorphic motif we find the Neolithic. In the false relief and the bi-conically drilled, vertical suspension hole, we find the Periods of Shang and Western Zhou (indeed, the bi-conically drilled holes are found all periods). With the deeper true relief, we find the carving agreeing more with the Western and Eastern Zhou periods. Personally, I would put the piece closer to the Shang Period, but done by one of those masters that is found in every age, clear through today. However, that is conjecture as I was not there when it was made, nor when it was buried. The fact that it is at least of stated age I intend to prove in the remainder of the article.

Another possibility, seeing real degradation from burial, had occurred to me, that the ‘Owl Man’ could have been of Ming Dynastic origin because of the black on the top of the head portion, and darker areas as seen inside the crevices in the second photo above (traits well known from the Ming Period in dyeing newly-made pieces to replicate the originals with which the literati of the period were so fascinated – see previous article here on TimelessJade.com). However, after microscopic examination of the totally clean original stone (as will be shown in subsequent photographs), this was ruled out because of the depth and type of degradation found on what by then was obviously a lightly re-polished, much older piece. In the last photograph above we start to see the true remains of iron oxidation of the original green nephrite along with the remnants of old tooling marks and extensive wear from both degradation of the jade and the re-polishing efforts.

Above Photos taken With Canon EOS XSi Using MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Macro Lens

I have found over the years that it is only under microscopic analysis that both nephrite jades and jadeites truly start to reveal their inherent qualities, first with the structures of the stones and then second, with the ravages of time. Once again, not all nephrites are created equal, as the old books would have us believe, and there are truly so many variations as to be uncountable. Some parts of the stone are tighter and some are less fibrous, and as a result some parts are less resistant to wear and weathering, no matter what the conditions of extended burial might have been. In the three photos above we can see the same area under three differing microscopic powers, and in each one we go deeper into the mystery of the stone, the creation of an old archaic jade artifact, and the degradation, wear, and light re-working after unearthing of the item. We know now that this is not a Ming or Qing Dynasty reproduction, evidenced by the depth of the natural degradation in places of the original tooling marks, along with areas where the piece was tooled (and chipped during the tooling; this will even be found on in-situ 18th century cut-marks), showing the exact same amount of degradation and smoothed natural wear, and the natural oxidation of the iron following the weakest portions of the what is still considered by most knowledgeable geologists to be the ‘toughest stone’ on the planet. [Note: even being the toughest stone on the planet, nephrite still is not the homogenous mass the old books speak of, as we have had a 78-lb boulder of White Khotan-Hetian Nephrite shipped here to the Tucson, AZ desert, which then lost 10 lbs in water weight in just two weeks]. It is these more porous, ‘weaker’ portions of the stone, and the natural breaking-up of the microstructure from abrasives, along with moisture penetration, that leads to the freezes and thaws, which starts to degrade what appears to be a perfectly polished, totally homogenous creation made from the “Stone Of Heaven”. We also find on a mineral-colored stone (such as the iron which causes the pure white nephrite to be differing shades of  green to black, depending on how much iron is mixed with the pure white nephrite, or Ying Yu), that the iron oxidation will manifest differently under different conditions of burial over time. This degradation effect will also occur on pure white jade, as it still degrades in the weakest areas of the stone first, but the colors change more from exterior penetration than from interior degradation.

In all three of the microscopic photographs above, we can see what was shown in the three Macro photographs previous, but to a greater degree of detail. The ‘brownish’ areas in the naturally degraded tooling marks are deeper degradation with soil penetration. These are portions of the degraded nephrite that have never sloughed off, as has happened in the shinier areas.  The ‘reddish’ areas are from lighter oxidation of the iron in the originally green nephritic stone, and the ‘blacker’ areas are sections of heavier oxidation of the iron, and are to be expected on true archaic jades where iron is present in the original nephrite. Again, some parts of the original stone are more ‘contaminated’ with the iron, and some parts more porous, causing these differing effects, another contradiction of the theory of homogeneity in this type of stone. In the case of a vessel which has stood upright through its burial in a relatively moist environment, where the full surface was not in contact with the soil,  we will find more degradation to the bottom (similar to an archaic bronze which has held water inside); if shifted during burial by tectonic forces, we might find a greater degree of degradation to one of the sides. However, in a small, pendant-sized piece, as the one here from the Chernysh Collection, we would expect a more total coverage of differing magnitudes, which is exactly what is found over this entire amazing creation. Portions of the original tooling marks can still be identified in the grooves of the above six photographs, even with the heavy degradation which has occurred. These show up as more vertical ridges in some of the degraded cut marks and can be seen even under the degradation. In the last photograph above, the nephritic fibers really start to show up in fine detail, flowing much more like the Ogden Mountain nephrite from Kirk Makepeace’s newest mining operation, illustrated in our last article. Older, more tightly-grained, and more homogenous, Black Edwards from Wyoming would appear much differently at the same magnification, as we will show in an upcoming article. This is what makes these studies so much fun and never-ending, as new artifacts and specimen jades are examined.

In both of the above photographs, we find strong evidence for a ‘tighter’ portion of the original nephrite in a cross-section of two of the tooling grooves along the back of the ‘Owl Man’. This same structural quality occurs all the way up the tail, showing less oxidation of the iron and tighter fibering, along with much more visible original tooling marks. Also, the overall total degradation on this portion of the artifact seems to  be less than that of the whole in general, due to the ‘tighter’ structure of this nephritic area. It appears to not have occurred from less corrosive soils or less water penetration, as the original jade was still iron-impregnated green, as is seen in the lighter oxidation.  It was also not a matter of a better re-polishing effort, as will be shown and explained in subsequent photographs. In a nut-shell, the above tooling grooves show no evidence of re-polishing, and this effect of tighter and lesser fibering can be demonstrated (and will be, in subsequent articles) on many other examples of authentic archaic jade artifacts dating easily to the Middle Neolithic Period.

In the above two photographs are the only true remnants for verification of the re-polishing received by this creative masterpiece that I have been able to find, after over two years of on-and-off investigation. It occurs in a slight depression on the top of the head, just to the left of the groove that defines the left ear (this is on the viewer’s right). In the upper left corner of each photograph, we can see the very slight re-polishing marks from a very fine grit. The rest of the piece, not having these marks, tells us that the piece was most likely re-polished many years ago and was subsequently fondled or worn over the years, which removed these fine re-polishing marks from the remainder of the ‘Owl Man’. The fact that even the re-polishing marks are a bit pitted would lead us to believe that the re-working to highlight the carving would have taken place approximately 150-300 years ago. As there is no sign of re-burial degradation, I would personally suggest the lesser dating for the re-polishing.

With these four photographs above, we can again compare the physical structure of the differing parts of the Khotan-Hetian Nephrite used to create this figure. Comparing the four photos above with the two photos just above them – taken on the top of the head where the iron is most prolific – we can easily discern the difference in degradation and structural integrity of the two different areas. In the ‘top of the head’ photos, the degradation is markedly more advanced and easily seen in the lack of original tooling marks there. In the four above photos, the jade is clearly not as iron-rich, and the fibering appears to be slightly tighter, thus leaving markedly more visible original tooling marks with much less degradation. It is important to note this accelerated degradation is not entirely due to the higher iron content in the nephrite, as there are definite darker, oxidized areas showing a higher degree of original tooling marks. As such, we would suggest it is a combination of higher iron and looser fibering which cause the most highly degraded areas. This effect is often extremely easy to identify when viewing specimen slabs under magnification.

All Microscopic Photos Taken With Canon EOS XSi

In the two photos above, we can see one of the effects common to bi-conical drilling in that the two holes often do not meet up. While it is a rather common assumption, one that passes for fact, that these types of drilling holes post-date the Neolithic Period, this is simply not the case. We have identified rounded as well as the aforementioned tapered drilling holes in easily identifiable Neolithic Period items. In the advent of the recent verifiable archeological finds pushing the Pottery Age in China back to almost 20,000 BCE, Bronze Age back to the Holocene period, and the Iron Age back to approximately 8,000 BCE, we find no reason to disbelieve that bronze rod drilling technology started in some areas much earlier than was previously thought.

‘Owl Man’ Measurements – 4-1/2cm Height X 4-1/2cm Width X 1-1/2cm Depth

David Fredericks — Yulongwei

Antiquities, Plus…

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An Incredible Nephrite

From The Great North-West

And Jade Mine

While the world has heard about the famous (and now mostly depleted) “Polar Jade”, a close ‘cousin’ has existed, not far away, since the first finding in 1974 of a massive lens of this exquisite material. Lying on the north face of Ogden Mountain, approximately five kilometers north of the original famed Mount Ogden, British Columbian nephrite found by California school teacher Larry Owen in 1969, was a lens of approximately one thousand tons of high grade nephrite. The lens material consisted of pure nephrite ranging from the once more desirable light, translucent green to the darker green nephrite we will examine in this article. Now, for years, most people were led to believe that the lighter translucent green jade and jadeites were ‘the jades to own’, while other, more unique nephrite jades and jadeites languished, as the buyers abroad and even the carvers themselves set about standardizing the market for nephrite and jadeite, and instead, pigeonholed the market even more. Now, through the efforts of people like Kirk Makepeace of Jade Mine, and the modern carvers of jade who have expanded out of the ‘old school’, they now include in their inventory unique nephrite specimens that are starting to take the world by storm. Indeed, when people come to our “Jade Through The Ages” show, one of the most frequent comments many express is that they can’t believe jades come in so many different colors. Seeing the surprise and then the joy on their faces when they find a rare and unique carving made by one of these fantastic artists, which has turned an uncommonly colored jade or jadeite into a one-of-a-kind masterpiece with a unique rind and varying colors, whether opaque or translucent, shows that the world is starting to wake up again, as it once was in ancient China, to the many possibilities of these fantastic combinations. The incredible nephrite in this article is just such a stone, in a market that for years only demanded green, green, and green, and ignored the fabulous possibilities of other jades and the unique characteristics they each hold.

This wonderful jade from the British Colombian fields proves very difficult to photograph when in its polished state, as it truly takes on a mirror-like shine. The color of the jade also changes with differing light, from black to dark green to an incredible blue-green with astounding translucence, depending on the lighting and the thickness viewed. The flowing rivers of chromium are more like the nephrite indigenous to the Mount Ogden region, and less like the chromium garnet specimens from the Cassiar region. This flowing effect stands out beautifully throughout the stone, and should cause the master carvers much less problems than that with the garnets, as it would seem less prone to the pitting associated with the garnets. The turquoise rind on these specimens is thin and hard, and could well be incorporated into master designs such as the Chinese have mastered for well over 6,000 years, which the great new carvers are incorporating into their designs. The fact that this is such a translucent stone instead of the more opaque green-blues from other regions, should eventually carry this unique stone to heights similar to the famous “Polar Jade”. It has all the wonderful features of ‘Polar’ in its translucence and beautiful flowing grain — all the hardness and beauty but without as many inclusions as is found (and revered) in ‘Polar’. As will be seen in the microscopic photos to follow, the dense and flowing nephritic characteristics are extremely close to that of the most unusual Khotan-Hetian jades from China, and would easily render them an immediate hit with those master carvers in their sculptures of scholar’s rocks, where the true uniqueness of the stone would come alive. Imagine a beautiful scholar’s stone taking in the effect of the dark green and flowing chromium veins in the mountains and streams, while the fine detailed work of faces, trees, and heavenly cranes so finely carved takes advantage of the great translucence and lighter blues and greens form the more thinly carved areas. This jade, being so finely fibered and homogenous, would be a dream for those carvers, as it would be for the great artists the world over who mix their creations from thicker to finer, as the jade would constantly be changing colors according to the changing light. It literally changes in color from room to room, and bright sunlight to dark, so the stone never truly appears the same. An example of this characteristic is seen in the top photograph above, which appears in darker tones as the lens goes out of focus from the rind down toward the leading edge. The iron oxidation also appears on the rind, where the iron which makes the nephrite green has met with surface moisture to lightly oxidize the skin. Florescent lighting, tungsten, daylight fluorescents and natural sunlight all play marvelous ‘tricks’ on this exquisite nephrite, making it truly a carver’s ‘dream stone’.

Above Photos Taken With Canon EOS XSi Using EF  24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

While these specimens were first mined in 1986 by Kirk Makepeace and Jade West, it was not until last summer’s season that mining of the deposit started in earnest. As discussed earlier, the world has been a bit ‘green-crazy’ for years, and only exceptions like the famous Black nephrites of Wyoming and white Siberian nephrites, along with a few others, have made any significant inroads into the world of white and green jade carvings. But it is this author’s opinion that the world is now becoming ripe for the other outstanding nephrite and jadeite discoveries, and indeed, the wonderful blues and other unusual jades that are finally gaining acceptance with both the world’s carvers, and among the aficionados of “The Stone of Heaven”. In this forum you will find a previous article on the unique qualities of Jade Mine’s “Polar Jade”, as it is indeed unique and has proven itself by the test of time to forever be a jade to which all other jades are compared. This ‘newest’ jade, although discovered some time ago, and just now coming onto the market with a splash, will be, in our opinion, another jade that will similarly stand the test of time as it gets out further into the master carvers’ hands. With its hardness, translucency, purity and unique color, it could very well be the next “Polar”, and as a ‘pet name’ of my own I have given it the moniker “Northern Light”, because after seeing it transform under so many conditions, it reminds me of the famous Aurora Borealis I watched as a child, marveling at how the flowing colors danced across the sky. I have asked Kirk to name this wonderful jade, as I believe it deserves its own unique title, as much as does “Polar”. We hope he finds one suitable for his own feelings for this superb nephrite, which we anticipate will soon be in the hands of the master carvers, which surely will produce wonders from this magnificent stone.

Due the amazing shine this exquisite nephrite from Mount Ogden takes on, I found it necessary to use the shadows created under the microscope lighting to best show the fibrous nature of this jade. In the three photos above, we can see at differing powers the fibrous nature of the nephrite. Not only are the fibers densely packed, but they also have a tendency to ‘flow’ much like the fabulous jades of the Khotan-Hetian region of China. While not as densely packed as the famous Black Edwards of Wyoming (the tightest I have ever personally seen), they are still incredibly tight, which allows for very little under-cutting of the jade while being highly polished. We have also found this type of jade to be harder, while not as ‘tough’ as the Edwards. What it does do is transform a mottled and opaque nephrite jade into one with more natural translucence, while retaining all the strength necessary to perform the most intricate of tasks, which only quality nephrite can tolerate and still hold together, to even a greater degree than a fine jadeite. Also, with nephrite, as opposed to jadeite, one never sees the fine ‘dry-lake-bed-like cracks’ after the carving ‘matures’, loses its moisture and gets to the 100 year-old mark (this effect also occurs on sapphires and rubies, but we have never seen it on a old diamond). It is the fibrousness in such fine true nephrites that distinguishes them from all other carving stones on this planet. In the hands of  master polishers the likes of Peter Shilling of Taking Form Jade and Georg Schmerholz of Jade Fine Art, among many others, this stone will see its true potential unleashed in intricate shapes and amazing attention to fine details.

Do to the fact that the rind is so uneven, the microscope photos will be seem to be clear in some places and fuzzy in others. It is partially the unusual color of the rind that intrigues us so much about this particular nephrite specimen. We have seen such color produced in ‘skin’, and it makes this a very peculiar and extremely desirable characteristic in this jade. When incorporated into a fine carving, this rind should enhance the uniqueness of the pendant or sculpture. Not being soft, flakey or powdery, we believe this rind, along with the exquisite coloring, texture and translucence, to be among the most endearing characteristics which make this particular nephrite stand out from the crowd. The entire feel of the stone is one of high quality and uniqueness, and with its shine, strength, translucency and weight, we believe it will reach its place in the fine jades of history, along with many other wonderful jades from the British Colombian area.

All Above Microscopic Photographs Taken Through Canon EOS XSi

Due to the extremely high polish this fabulous translucent nephrite jade achieves, it is very easy to penetrate the jade with the microscopic photographs to see the underlying inclusions. As mentioned before, this jade has far fewer inclusions than its ‘Polar ‘cousin exhibits on the whole, and the ones that are present are of much smaller size. It is the translucency, chromium and deep emerald color of the ‘Polar’ which give it its charm, along with the unusual inclusions for which it is noted. This gorgeous nephrite seems to have the exact characteristics of the ‘Polar’ jade, but with its darker color and unusual blue tinge, we believe it will stand out on its own in the jade world,  unique in its own right, as all the finest jades have always graduated to top of the specimens remembered throughout history. Now, we encourage the great carvers to embrace this previously little-known but extremely promising new star, and realize what a true treasure this nephrite is. When that happens, we will start to see  future carvings that will do justice to this tremendous jade.

David Fredericks

Antiquities, Plus…

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Exquisite Two Dragon Cup With Pseudomorphs

Liao to Ming Dynasty Period

6 Cm Height X 13 Cm Width X 7 Cm Depth

Above Photo Taken With Canon EOS XSi Using Canon EF 24-70mm f/2,8L USM Lens

Above Photo Taken With Canon EOS XSI Using Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Lens

In the above photograph we find a rather large (for this cup) pseudomorph just above the left dragon’s bi-furcated tail. While at one time this pseudomorph would have been beautiful quartz crystal inside the mottled grey nephrite stone from which this cup was made, it has now pseudomorphed into the jade with what is most likely an exchange of ions with the mother stone. If the reader goes back to previous articles here, it is easier to determine an old pseudomorph from one that is just beginning its transformation. With the above pseudomorph shown in the second photograph at 1X, as taken with the Macro lens, it starts to become very clear that this is not a newer quartz crystal in its beginning stages, but rather an old crystal that has morphed a great deal with the surrounding material. When pseudomorphs reach this stage of development, carving or abrading the stone becomes much easier, as the original quartz crystal has ‘melded’ with the once-surrounding nephrite, making the crystal much more durable, while the adjoining area becomes only a bit more brittle from absorbing some of the harder quartz. In the pseudomorph above, we can see how it has taken on the same mottled and veining effect as the surrounding stone, but still somewhat retains its crystalline shape. The iron oxidation in the spotting and veining is more likely caused not so much from natural oxidation of the stone as from  intrusion of iron oxides from associated burial objects due to the slightly fractured characteristic of the stone, as will be shown in following photographs in this article.

Above Photo Taken With Canon EOS XSi Using EF 24-70mm f/2,8L Lens USM

Above Photo Taken With Canon EOS XSi Using MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Macro Lens

Above Photo Taken With Canon EOS XSi Under 30X Microscopic Power

The above three photographs show a progression of regular, Macro and microscopic views of  pseudomorphs showing on the internal surfaces of the Two dragon jade cup. It is quite evident from observing many different specimens of nephrite with pseudomorphs from a variety of sources that not all crystals in the same stone morph at the same rates. Some will be further advanced than others in the morphing process. What causes this discrepancy we do not know, but it is obvious under magnification that the entire process still holds a myriad of mysteries. The fact that the Chinese have revered this type of nephrite for thousands of years (as explained in Part One of this series) for special artifacts with religious significance shows us just how savvy  ancient man was of both the uniqueness of the stone and its ‘carving’ possibilities. Using modern high-speed Micro-motors and hard diamond tools, one runs the risk of shattering these crystals if they are too ‘young’, and not fully pseudomorphed. The old style slurry method, using slower-turning bronze and wooden tools, would most definitely yield finer results in the end product with far less chance of damage or destruction of the material.

In the top photograph above we can clearly see the veining in the original stone, which is sometimes referred to as ‘mottling’. This mottling effect occurs in most nephrites from differing sources as trace minerals combine with the more pure nephrite, most likely after some cataclysmic event has shattered the original pure nephrite, or it may result from an intrusion due to heat and pressure. This is often seen in the wonderful nephrites, hemi- and semi-jades of the Wyoming, USA region in their beautiful ‘flower’ and ‘snowflake’ jades, which are mixtures of green nephrite and pink Thulite, among other types. However, pseudomorphs often occur in the purest of specimens such as those shown in our earlier articles.

Above Photo Taken With Canon EOS Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

Above Photo Taken With Canon EOS XSI Using MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X At 1X

As mentioned in Part One of this Two-Part Series, this wonderful Jade cup has been stripped of all the accompanying wax applied after its re-polishing due to long-term burial. This cup was soaked in acetone for over three weeks, and then ‘shot’ with our high power water jet gun that will put a hole in a finger if misused. What you see in the all the photographs is what remains after wax has been removed – almost all original deposits from long-term burial remain, as they have become fused with the nephrite, as we often see in pieces even from the Neolithic period – if they are original deposits. Pieces from this period that have been re-worked, repaired and re-polished, with replacement deposits added back on again, will not hold up to a vigorous cleaning, while authentic items always do. Please note the original deposits inside the nephritic ‘botryoidal’ area in the Macro photo above. We can also tell from this picture (and other microscopic photos following) that it was not during modern times when this beautiful cup was re-polished after burial. No place on the cup is showing the typical new, white tooling marks and minute polishing marks of a recent re-polish, and all surfaces have been worn by touch and cleaning to the point where the fibrousness of the jade shows through. It would be our best estimate of at least during the 19Th Century when this cup was last polished. The old ‘botryoidal’ chip on the rim was certainly never polished out when the re-cutting of the vessel was undertaken, and still retains the smoothed look of old chipped nephrite.

Above Two Photos Taken With Canon EOS XSI Under Microscopic Power

With both photos above we see the consistency of the intrusion of quartz crystals that are undergoing the pseudomorphing process throughout the original stone. While almost all the pseudomorphs are found in just one half of the cup, they still are imbedded over 4 Cm deep from the side of the cup in which they are found. It is a fairly easy assumption that the side with the most pseudomorphs would have been closest to the rind of the original uncut stone. This is what we see most often with newer pseudomorphs from differing regions, along with the older and far more matured pseudomorphs in the deeper parts of the specimen stones. This deeper, more mature effect is more readily found in Wyoming jade, as it is considered the oldest nephrite found thus far on the planet, and is said to date to approximately Pre-Cambrian time. The pseudomorphs observed so far by us in Khotan-Hetian Nephrites seem to be of a lesser age, while some are fully matured but have not yet undergone the deep transmission of being almost fully incorporated into the surrounding nephrite, as can be seen in our previous article “Wyoming Nephrite Pseudomorphs – Interesting Jade Anomalies”. If an ion exchange is truly going on, then it should be fair to assume that the older the nephrite, the more complete the morphing process becomes. From here we will study photographs exhibiting age and showing distinctive features of true, old burial jades.

Above Two Photos Taken With Canon EOS XSI Using Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Lens

In the above two photographs we can get a better glimpse  at an old technique of re-polishing which holds true over the entire vessel. While mentioning before that it was our opinion that this cup was re-worked no later than the 19Th Century, it may well have been earlier, based on the techniques that were used. In the top photo above, certain parts are clear and others are fuzzy, due to the depth of field. We like these types of photos instead of the ones with more precise focusing using Canon’s lighting equipment for the camera, because it gives the viewer the chance to focus on more than just one area, and as the eye trains itself to discern the shifts in focus, it allows far more to be seen. In the top photograph, we can see the camera was set to take the clearest picture inside the mouth of the dragon. At the same time this technique also pulls into focus the deeper area on the head of the dragon, while leaving the side of the head (where the re-polishing was easiest) to be more out-of-focus. The degradation to nephrite seen inside the mouth is in-situ, as are the deposits that remained inside. If one looks closely at the less-focused holes that were drilled to originally make the opening for the mouth, we can best discern, in the the hole to the viewer’s right, the place where the larger drill was stopped, by the hole where it flares inwards. Tool marks can still be defined at the ending of this drill hole, along with a piece that had chipped off from the original drilling and was never smoothed out during its original polishing. Original deposits can seen in the pitted areas that were never re-polished along the edge of the nose. The degradation in the middle of the face of the dragon, as can be seen in the grooves, is also original, and the re-polishing of this area was lightly done, and only on the most raised parts of its surface.

In the second photograph, we could only use the Macro Lens as the angle was too steep for a clear microscopic photograph. This photo was taken on the inside of the arm of one of the dragons where it reaches out to grab the cup. We can clearly see the original drilling tool marks in their in-situ condition, with no re-polishing having been attempted in this area. This is not usually found on later re-cut and re-polished pieces, but is more indicative of older style, ‘hand polishing’ instead of modern tools having being used. The iron deposits inside the tooling marks are original to burial, and would have come from associated burial items of iron, which degraded and bonded with the nephrite over time. The entire cup shows true re-polishing of an authentic artifact with much more than 19Th Century degradation, which leads us to a much older dating of the cup, based not only on stylistic concerns, but on actual original in-situ tooling. There is absolutely no evidence of acid etching after the re-polishing, nor of burning or torching.

Above Photos Taken With Canon EOS XSi Under Microscopic Power

In the above photographs we can see the light re-polishing that had taken place years ago, with the original degradation and subsequent wear upon even the re-worked surfaces. In the lower groove of the top photo, just to the left of the eyes of the dragon, original drill tool marks show up under 10X power magnification on the upper edges, along with original dirt deposits. The obvious pitting shown at both magnifications leaves little room for doubt as to the authenticity of the Ronald Edwin Prosser Estate Collection’s Two Dragon Jade Cup. This type of pitting over the surface of the original nephrite jade has no direct correlation with either acidic or alkaline baths, or fire burning, but is unique to authentic artifacts. The other treatments effect the jade or simulents over the the entire surface, and while they can leave higher (and usually crystalline) areas after the treatments (which are often then re-polished and waxed, or dyed, or both), the photos above show far less white, burnt or acid-eaten surfaces than what we have seen in literally thousands of reproductions. However, not all burnt or treated pieces are fakes, but rather some of them have been re-worked, with natural breaks repaired, and then burnt to accept the dyes that are the final coating to re-make the pieces look old. When stripped of their dyes, these pieces usually show deep oxidation where the repairs were made and then covered over. One has to have the courage to examine them beyond first impressions, as restorations often appear to be newer reproductions on initial examination. What we see in all the above photographs definitely lead us to suspect a much older date for the cup’s original creation.

Above Photos Taken With Canon EOS XSi Under Microscopic Power

These last two photos of this two-part series show one of the main reasons why we truly believe this marvelous jade cup should be dated closer to the Liao Dynasty than to the Ming Dynasty. Both photographs, at differing magnifications, show more of the ravages of longer-term burial, by the depth to which the tree roots have eaten into the nephrite surface. The depth to which the tree roots had originally penetrated shows a bit less because of the re-polishing of the jade, but it is still to such a depth as we have never before seen on a true Ming Dynasty jade, and approaches depths not even seen on neolithic jades. The roots did not ravage an included portion of the jade but rather ‘ate’ their way through some of the most homogenous portions in the stone. Slight residual and pitted secondary polishing marks can still be identified in the lower photograph above.  In the upper photograph, we see advanced degradation over this area (see left dragon – first photo of this article) behind one of the dragon’s manes, where a rather large area was left with very little re-polishing. On the entire cup, there are literally thousands of areas like what we see above, with some being larger and some smaller. But, the fact they are all over the cup again leads us to a re-polish date which, most likely, was performed at a minimum of over 150 years and probably closer to 300 years ago. Almost all true jade artifacts that we have examined which show true old style re-polishing, which we would associate with the later part of the Qing Dynasty, have been more ‘detailed’ in their approach and finish. While this exquisite dragon cup does have a beautiful shine and appearance, it still appears after all the coatings have been removed, to have been re-finished with care by a master who obviously did not wish to ‘over-do’ his work, and intended to allow the original degradation and wear to ‘stand tall’. This wonderful jade cup shows, to us, the work of two masters from different ages, appreciating the same wondrous stone and the same creation in Jade.

David Fredericks — Yulongwei

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Clear Creek Jadeite From California

An Explanation Why

Many samples have been seen of California’s Clear Creak Jadeite at the various shows in California, one of which is the Big Sur Jade Festival. The Jadeite has been tested geologically and is mentioned in older, obscure  periodicals, but to walk the area and pick up a piece of pretty colored stone does not necessarily mean one has found a genuine piece of California Jadeite. The stones we will be examining here were sent to us by Mr. Kirk Brock, of Rock Solid Jade, from an old claim he had been working prior to the California State shut-down of the area in which the Jadeite is found. While almost everyone of us Jade and Jadeite aficionados know the Jadeite from Burma-Myanmar and the Jadeite from Guatemala when we run across a good sample, this far less known but equally pure Jadeite from California has some properties shared with both aforementioned Jadeites, but is still unique and stands on its own in purity and  complexity. This article will give us a brief synopsis of what Kirk asked me to provide from examination, and will also be the beginning of a topic on Jadeite and Nephrite that we have never seen written or discussed before – how fractured stones heal themselves. As can be easily discerned in the photographs above, this Jadeite shows it has not only been fractured but was practically decimated one or more times in what had to have been major catastrophic events which literally shattered this amazing deposit of one of the rarest stone in America.

With such a shattered stone, it was a bit amazing when the stone tested out so pure. Kirk had sent a definitive sample to John Attard from Attard XRD Services for an X-Ray diffraction test, with the results seen above. Seeing such a once-fractured stone, I would have expected it to include many differing minerals, and the healed portions to be less Jadeite than the surrounding Jadeite. However, very much was different from my original assumptions upon first viewing the stone and later seeing the test above. With my own observations under microscopic conditions and a simple Presidium Gem Tester, new discoveries have been made and probably more will follow as it is examined more seriously by others. Now, much has been said about the Presidium from various different camps, and each and everyone who has either used the machine or just assumed an opinion based on cost, should know that I personally have a fair amount of respect for the machine, as we have worn out four of them and are working on our fifth. Having performed well in excess of two million ‘stabs’ on different Nephrites and Jadeites, among many other simulants, hemi- and semi-jades, we have found many consistencies and some anomalies in the machine, but even the anomalies are consistent (Steatite and ShouShan stone for some reason always test in the jadeite range, but knowing this, a simple viewing of the stone and a scratch test will verify these stones). While it is a single tool and only shows a piece of the puzzle, it does have its usefulness and is much more portable than hauling million-dollar equipment into the field, and with fairly pure Jadeite I have never seen it fail. All of our final analyses, especially with the differing nephrites, are done under microscopic examination.  It is only when Jadeite falls below the approximate 65% pureness and is thick with other minerals, that the tester falls below the Jadeite mark. With the Clear Creek Jadeite, all areas fall exactly where I would expect, within the Jadeite parameters. With that said, what we found on the specimens of Clear Creek Jadeite under magnification and with the tester both bore each other out, and were perfectly in ‘sync’ with the testing results above.

In both of the pictures above we can easily see just how shattered these original pieces of Jadeite were, after whatever violent events took place. The amount of fracturing of the original dark blue Jadeite was extensive as can be seen by the many healed and healing fractures criss-crossing throughout. This effect is in all the pieces of Clear Creek Jadeite we have ever seen from differing sources. Some pieces we have handled are bluer, some are blacker and some are lighter, but the fractured qualities are always in every piece we have tested. What was not expected is what the X-Ray Diffraction tests prove out – the white and light blue veining are not only Jadeite but are of a purer nature than the surrounding original stone. As can be seen in the first photo above as the darkest of lines, and in the lower photo above in the more translucent white vertical vein, both contain pure crystals of Jadeite growing from the sides of the fractures in the ‘mother stone’ at varying rates, to in fact “heal the stone”. It is our opinion that these specimens of which we have taken photographs may have seen differing cataclysmic events in their history as some anomalies still remain, like some smaller veins being not totally healed, where other veins are not only healed but are starting to morph back into their original dark blue color from exchanging ions with the mother stone, after first growing to heal the damaged fractures. There are cases (as can be seen above) of older healed fractures running through newer fractures with clear, translucent crystalline growth (shown better in the microscopic photographs to follow) growing towards each other from both side of the fracture. [For those who might think we have gone too far here, please read on as we will also be showing 'witnessed' specimens by some of the finest jade collectors, gemologists, and artists, who work with the stone daily, of this same process in Guatemalan Jadeite, Burmese Jadeite and Wyoming Nephrite, with more promised specimens from other collections being sent for observation and photography, in a future article].

All Above Photos Taken With Canon EOS XSi Using EF 24-70mm F/2.8L USM Lens

In the above two pictures we can clearly see the healed fractures, but what we can not see is the purity of the Jadeite in the fractures. With the Presidium Gem Tester we can easily tell the difference in purity, and subsequent conductivity, in the areas that are white and not contaminated with impurities which color the mother stone. In every case, the lighter the area probed, the higher the reading on the tester. In the case of the whitest areas with the most translucency, this stone will test to the same position on the meter as fine translucent Burmese Jadeite, and the translucent crystalline areas even higher. In the graph from John Attard you will also notice spikes that may correspond to the higher readings from the tester, but to be definitive, separate samples would have to be tested, and would probably be a fun thing to do for those selling this marvelous raw material.

In the first photograph above, we can again see just how much damage the original Jadeite has endured over time, and the first clear picture of the pure Jadeite crystals growing from both sides of a fracture to ‘heal’ the stone. In the lower left you can see part of the ‘rind’ from the outside surface of the slab where it has been penetrated by surrounding minerals in a damaged area, most likely from tumbling down the river in which it was found. In the second photograph above at 25X microscopic power, we can easily identify the typical ‘graininess’ of the  Jadeite as opposed to the ‘felted’ fibers associated more with nephrite jade (although we have examples of Jadeite showing both the graininess typical to the stone with clear nephritic type fibers right next to each other – so, as with Nephrite, not all Jadeites are created exactly the same).

It from this part of the Clear Creek Jadeite (and other crystalline areas on other samples) where we got the highest Jadeite readings on the Presidium Gem Tester. Every time we probed these areas we found a much higher reading of conductivity than the surrounding bluer areas. The healed whiter and light blue areas also tested higher than the original darker blue matrix jadeite, exactly as the Burmese Jadeite tests with the pure white higher and translucent green emerald lower, because of the contaminants causing the darker colors. In all specimens observed where the crystalline structure could be noted (whether Jadeite or Nephrite), we have seen this exact pattern of growth from both sides towards each other. As we gather the other promised specimens, it should lead to a wonderful article devoted solely to this process of how Jadeites and Nephrites sometimes heal themselves.

Above Six Photos Taken With Canon EOS XSi Attached To Tri-Port Of Microscope

While the common current accepted theory is that there is no crystalline Jadeite, we do not accept this theory as ‘fact’. Through further and more intensive testing, we believe crystalline Jadeite will be acknowledged in the mainstream of geological knowledge. At the recent Jade Through the Ages Show at our Gallery in Tucson, Antiquities, Plus…, we were strongly encouraged to present this beginning article on this most fascinating of jade-related subjects, by some of the most respected jade people we know, who have seen for themselves what these specimens look like under microscopic conditions. It is only a matter of more definitive testing by those that are truly interested in the ‘final truth’ being known for the right reasons. Knowledge that can be shared freely will almost always lead to further knowledge being uncovered.

In closing, I would like to comment on the workability of this phenomenal Jadeite from the perspective of the carvers working the material. While I personally have limited experience in working this stone, I have found exactly what Kirk Brock of Rock Solid Jade and Peter Schilling of Taking Form Jade have told me of its properties. It is tight, hard, and works marvelously from the roughing stages clear through to the mirror-like polish it takes, even at six-hundred grit. My monolithic diamond tools find a sure surface to work on in the roughing stage, with the only caution needed being in the harder and whiter healed fracture zone, as I find it will skip a bit going over these fractures if not held steady. But overall, it is a wonderful stone to carve intricate shapes into, and with the amazing color variations, it makes a finished product that in the world of Jadeite is unique and beautiful to say the least, with very little undercutting experienced. Choosing the right portion of the Jadeite stone for the purpose intended will lead one to the desired results in a finished product. Also, I wish to thank Mr. Kirk Brock and all the other ‘interested’ parties who made this beginning article possible.

David Fredericks

Antiquities, Plus…

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Part Two; A Comparison Of Original Archaic Period Pieces And The Ming Dynasty Dyed Replications Of The Styles Being Unearthed, Studied And Copied, Out Of Reverence By The Literati Of The Day.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSI Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

This wonderful example of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE) jade dyer’s art shows us the extent to which the Ming Dynasty Masters went to reproduce the exquisite burial examples they were finding from the Archaic Period, and particularly the periods of the Western Han Dynasty up to the end of the Neolithic Period. This Bi is completely free of any enhancements, such as wax or oil, and is in its original hand re-polished state, as it was once a buried item, either funeral or cache, and some natural degradation had occurred. First, we must premise this second half of the article with the fact that in no way do we mean to denigrate the illustrious Smithsonian Institution, nor the pre-eminent Sackler Jade Collection. The Smithsonian Institution and the personnel who work there are held in only the highest of regards by us, and their taking the lead in the diffusionist vs. the separatist  movement, along with all their past, current and on-going research projects, is in our opinion, second to none.  As to the tremendous Sackler collection, housed both there and at Harvard University, as well as other places, we believe it to be one of the most startling collections of all times, their jade collections being held the dearest to our hearts and also of untold millions. However, even in the finest of collections there have been a few mistakes made (and this is not necessarily the case here, but only a possibility), and there are some pieces which are authentic but have been mis-dated, or not throughly understood when first dated. Some extremely famous replications have been acquired by the Louvre’, the great Avery Brundage Collection (see Late Chinese Jades: MingDynasty to Early Twentieth Century by Terese Tse Bartholomew, Michael Knight, He Li), and countless other public and private collections. It is the bane of collecting and happens to everyone who is a true collector. One last thing we must mention before going forward with the article is the fact that we have never, nor will we ever, 100% authenticate or de-authenticate an item from picture alone. We have found in some cases we can give an estimate or a percentage of likelihood of authenticity of an item in a picture, but no more. There are far too many variables which must be taken into consideration for authentication, and both the work of the best replicators and the quality of skills by some tremendous restorers, can not be detected by photograph alone. In our opinion, anyone presenting themselves as an authority on any art form must have the piece in-hand with proper equipment and knowledge to make a correct determination of authenticity. It is solely with this  in mind that we ‘question’  the Sackler Sardine Can-Opener Man, based on anomalies we have seen in the photographs of it over the years, and having been associated so closely with jades and jadeites (both authentic and fake, simulants and dyed items) and especially Chinese jades, Meso-American Jadeites and greenstones for so many years.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

The reverse side of the Bi above shows us again the extent of great Masters art of dyeing during the Ming Dynasty period. It was so crucial in fact, that during this period the Master dyer was considered on the exact same level in the jade art hierarchy as the Master Carver — below the top Master designer, with both the Master carver and Master dyer above the lower associates that ‘roughed out’ the design, and from the ‘cutters’ of the original stone, using the Master Designer’s plan, choice of stone, and dimensions. In the pictures above, we can see they had chosen a beautiful ‘creamy’ white nephrite with what is often called a mottled pattern. This mottled pattern is far and away a much cleaner stone than, for instance, most snowflake jades are, in that it is almost 100% pure nephrite with very few trace minerals in it. We know it is dyed black because of the ‘blotter’ look (similar in effect to Ming Dynasty cobalt blue painted onto the raw porcelain bodies of the famous blue & whites of the period), and the lack of dye penetration into the stone in some places, which we see under microscopic analysis. It is interesting to note that in our combined five to six-thousand volume research library, we have never come across any mention of the exact process used in dyeing the jades of the period, and have also never read anywhere exactly what was used to make up these black dyes (although we do expect some walnut pigments were used). It would be nice to see someone ‘take up the torch” on what could well be a fascinating study, and enlighten everyone more on the processes most likely used (though it is my guess many techniques were kept secret by particular families). We have also surmised that this process of dyeing did not just get ‘turned on like a tap’ in 1368 CE, as we have seen pieces that appear older than Ming Dynasty (and could date as early as the Song Dynasty, or before) with what could very well be dye on them, and the practice of using the sacred red iron oxides and cinnabars has been employed since Paleolithic times. The picture on page 94 of Jade – Consultant Editor Roger Keverne, shows the Sacker Sardine Can-Opener Man as a very clean and well-delineated figure with this same type of black ‘blotter effect’ as is seen in the Ming Dynasty Bi pictures above. This is a very peculiar style of appearance when it comes to true nephrite jade, that very rarely comes with the white touching black, but it does occur. The times we have seen this occurrence, the touching lines are mostly sharp and well defined where the high-iron-content black nephrite meets the pure white jade; we will attempt to refer to catalog pictures we know of, and an extremely rare white and black nephrite jade toggle from the Ronald Edwin Prosser collection we are currently in the process of authenticating and assessing (picture to be shown later in this article).

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi under 30X Microscopic Power

This photo shows us a great close-up of a portion of the black dyed Ming Dynasty plaque above. If one looks upon the edge of the dyed area, we can see the lack of penetration the dye truly has, while from above it can sometimes appear to travel all the way through the jade. One very easy way to tell if a piece has been dyed is simply to turn it over and see if the color shows through to the other side in almost the same area as it was from above (as jade can have a tendency for the colors to meander through the stone). Another is this sideways viewing, and very often it can be seen straight away in the ‘fading’, blotter’ effect that it assumes.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSI Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

This approximately 75% in-situ Shang Period white nephrite jade (Yingyu) pendant is also from the Ang Collection, and shows us a beautifully executed Fenghuang, or Red Bird of the South. Where the lighter areas appear around the false relief designs, and the toes of the bird, are the only places the pendant has been re-cut with more modern tools. When we first received this pendant for authentication purposes, none of the re-cut marks could be seen as the entire pendant was covered in what was most likely a brown shoe polish that had been baked on, and the piece had been buffed on a wheel. This pendant was soaked in acetone for approximately three weeks and then power-sprayed with our hand- held gun under high pressure. All the remaining intruded ‘yellowish’ discoloration in the pure white nephrite is natural to a degraded Shang Period funereal item, and is associated in part with iron, either as a component in the soil surrounding the funereal item, or accompanying burial accoutrements. The darker areas are almost entirely comprised of natural Manganese growth and original soil adhesion to the jade. It was because of this particular ‘look’ of the archaic pieces, that the Ming Dynasty connoisseurs of Jade ( and those who were replicating for profit alone during this period) desired their newly made pieces to resemble the treasured artifacts of their ancient ancestors.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using MPE 65mm f/2,8 1-5X Macro Lens at 1X

This photograph of the wing section of the Fenghuang was chosen for its perfect representation of the ‘Loess’ soil, iron-penetration look, as is seen in the brownish discoloration on the tip, along the edges of the wing of the pendant and on the edges of the false relief designs where the penetration is usually at its peak because of the entrance into the porous nephrite from multiple sides. All white portions in this photograph are natural degradation (calcification), as very little of the original nephrite jade surface has survived intact at this stage of burial, with the whitish area at the viewer’s upper right portion of the wing being a ‘chipped’, or ‘sloughed off’ portion of the once more-brownish surface surrounding it. We often see nephrite effected in this manner as we find all different types of structural anomalies occurring with the different types of nephrite jade, even from the same region. Some Khotan White Jades (Yingyu) are more ‘crystalline’, some are more ‘layered’, some are more chatoyant and others are more ‘flakey’, about which we will go into in more depth on our coming article concerning the differing structures and anomalies found in Khotan Nephrite alone. The darkened areas shown here are comprised of Manganese deposits and in-situ burial soil that had adhered to the finished piece during its interrment for thousands of years in a burial environment. In the replications, these ‘deposits’ are now usually glued or waxed onto replicas made from a conglomerate of minerals, with burnt-on sugar or black paint ‘specks’, to represent the Manganese, and the obligatory mud slurry that seems to accompany almost all faked items. When one is viewing a true artifact, these deposits are permanently adhered to the surface, as they literally become ‘one’ with the burial object and resist all attempts to remove them, short of re-grinding the jade or stone object.

Above Two Photos Taken with Canon EOS XSi Under 35X Microscopic Power

In the above two photographs, the 100% in-situ Manganese deposits show up quite clearly at 35X power under the microscope. The tight nephritic fibers of the white Khotan Jade (Yingyu) can also be easily detected, as can some of the now degraded-away tooling marks, to the trained eye. This particular type of Khotan Jade has a very crystalline, fibrous structure and is quite translucent when it is first made and polished, but over the millennia of burial conditions it has now taken on the the intruding iron from the surrounding soils, along with other minerals and organic residues associated with the accompanying soil. It is very easy to detect the lack of modern tool grinding and re-polishing in this same wing area of the Fenghuang, as shown above.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

A marvelous example of the coloration most admired by the great Ming Dynasty artists (which closely resembles the Sardine Can-Opener Man on the cover of Volume 5, The Complete Collection Of Jade Unearthed In China, Gu Fang), is this amazing standing figure of a Royal with his feathered headdress and Taotie-fashioned robe with flowing designs common to the Late Shang- Early Western Zhao Period style. We still see false relief common to the Early Shang, but the degree of mastery with the jade medium is starting to burst forth with the beginnings of true relief, caused by the longer process of removal of surrounding material, which in turn, bring out the design even further. We see during this Period (as we do through-out most of the periods of jade carving encompassing the past 10,000 years) that some workmanship was just far superior to others, and can be easily attributed to differing mastery of the subject material, and not just on specific timelines alone. Through the course of history there have always been, during the exact same time frames, those artists which not only stand above the rest in quality of workmanship, but also in innovation of design, and carrying this design through to the finish product. It is surely the reason we see some much later Warring States Period items (unearthed under exacting archeological standards) resembling much earlier Shang Period works, and some Shang Period Pieces that excel in both design and finish, to the point of taking on a much later period’s look and feel. It is through the more constant clues, such as Period Dress and other stylistic attributes, that we can begin to undertake the arduous task of dating an artifact from viewing alone, assisted by having those tremendous research publications that are of true and exacting archeological nature. This fine figure in the above photograph, we would consider to be approximately in 50% in-situ condition, because of the fact that it has been re-polished by hand in the old manner and not just ‘ground away’ as some of the modern re-cuttings and re-polishings we find in our research. Also the Master that first made the piece was truly that – a Master – one who both knew his medium, and with exacting methodology, worked and polished the piece originally in a true work of genius for the Period.

Both Above Photos Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using EF 24-70mm f2.8L USM Lens

The photos above show two lively Ming Dynasty  (1368 – 1644 CE) Dragons carved and pierced in deep relief and made of a beautiful ‘mutton fat’ white jade nephrite from the Khotan area. They rest on a smooth platform, the backside of which is a lightly carved archaistic dragon and symbols. Both dragons are carved using archaistic competing designs so as to show their similarity and yet still be a unique sculptural design of their own. We can easily see the blackened areas on both dragons, and even at this lower power, it is quite apparent that the two were dyed to achieve the total archaistic look and feel of a true funereal object of the Han Dynasty Period. While this exquisite example does not have the almost obligatory wax of most ‘displayed’ jades (all wax has been removed for authentication purposes), we see in the coloration much similarity with the Sackler, Sardine Can-Opener Man. The workmanship of the this plaque and the Sackler pieces is almost identical in the sharpness of the lines. Also, with the deeply pierced underarms on the Sacker Sardine Can-Opener Man we find a similarity to the above Ming Dynasty plaque in the deep piercing. Both the Ang Estate’s Sardine Can-Opener Man and the one represented on the cover of Volume 5, The Complete Collection  Of Jade Unearthed In China, Gu Fang, are not pierced and are merely abraded away to give the appearance and illusion of an arm. While the plaque above does not have any wax or other coatings on its surface, we can tell under microscopic condition that is was lightly polished after some period of burial. Minute bits of abrasive powder can still be seen in some of the deeper areas, lying right next to in-situ degradation that had not been re-polished away. The light re-polishing which has occurred mostly on the surface shows itself to be of age, as no modern tooling can be detected on the surface, which itself is a tremendous example of Mid-Ming Dynasty craftsmanship, in that the original tooling marks can barely be detected and the maker was most assuredly following the tradition of this period with the extreme attention to fine polishing even the smallest of areas, like the tight spirals of the dragon with the bifurcated tail.

Above Photos Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using Ef 24-70mm f/2.8L Lens

These two photos show a wonderful example of a Ming Dynasty black-dyed sword slide that has seen extensive use, as can be seen in the lower picture with the evident wear from the sword contacting the slide to the viewer’s right (and part of an old re-polished chip on the bottom of the jade slide). On the reverse of this slide we see exact wear to the opposite end of the slide, which would be the case with a true worn item. Please notice the original degradation, still unpolished, on the surface of the inside of the slide itself. The inside of this slide is in 100% in-situ condition, has seen no re-polishing and all the original tool marks from its making are still extremely visible even through the degraded and pitted current condition. All of the outer portion of this sword slide has been hand-re-polished many years ago, as no polishing marks can be seen under microscopic power up to 30X, as will be be shown in the picture to follow. As with the other dyed nephrite photos, we find the same ‘blotter’ effect the dye invariably leaves as its ‘hallmark’, along with the tiny ‘hairlines’ the dye tends to take as it is penetrating the jade. The effect is truly a marvelous one and it is easy to see why the Ming Literati would desire its effect so greatly, considering their well-documented passion for not only collecting the old ancestral items, but in wanting their new ‘treasure’ to resemble those with such an illustrious past.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Under 30X Microscopic Power

A tremendous photograph allowing us to see the thinness of penetration of the dye used as one can see in the upper left corner and on the top portion, representing the eye which has a photographic anomaly of appearing to go inside, or outside, depending of the perspective. In the upper left of the tooling groove and along the bottom of this same groove at the extreme bottom of the picture, we can see the remnants of the original black lacquer that was used by the Master who finished the slide, to help delineate the eye when the sword slide was first presented to its owner. This black lacquer is an addition applied after the jade had been dyed, and survived all the ravages of time, including use, burial, re-polishing, repeated touching and wearing, waxing again, removal of old wax by soaking in acetone for two weeks, and the pressure of our hand held high pressure sprayer (which will put a hole through skin if left for just a couple of seconds). Some truly defiant little pieces of lacquer, to be sure.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSI Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L Lens

A true White Nephrite with Black Nephrite Ming Dynasty toggle  most likely from the early portion of the Dynastic period and possibly from the Yuan Dynasty (1279 – 1368 CE), belonging to the Ronald Edwin Prosser Estate. While I could not get the bottom of this extremely pure mutton fat white toggle to darken sufficiently, the peach form that the black nephritic ‘lion’ is posing upon shows us the stark contrast the true black nephrite takes on while adjoining to the white jade (as can be further seen in the two following macro photographs). While this is a very rare example due to the black nephrite jade being so high in iron content and the white nephrite jade lacking all mineral intrusions which color nephrite, it does still occur in nature. (For other fine examples of this phenomena and its use in the Chinese jade workers art, see Sotheby’s, Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works Of Art, Hong Kong, October 8, 2006, page 277, for a marvelous view of an extremely rare white and black jade snuff bottle, exquisitely carved and inscribed). On the top of the lion in this photo, we see how the black runs through the stone and meets at a sharper ‘edge’ on the white jade. Also on the lion, we can see where the white nephrite is more translucent and absorbs the black coloring from the surrounding black nephrite.

These two incredible photographs above show us in great detail the nephritic fibers of the white jade (top picture) in the bottom right of the photograph, and the iron-rich, brown degradation to the black nephrite in the lower picture. Both on the peach form mentioned above and on the foot of the lion in the top picture, the nephrite fibers can be seen, as can the slight re-cutting and re-polishing the toggle has undergone after burial. Re-polishing marks can also be seen in the lower photograph on the band of white running through the black, and just to the right on the top of the black, on the left side of the picture. The depth to which the black runs can be clearly seen, as can the more linear effect of true black meeting with the white jade.

In closing we would like to repeat that while we do believe the famous Sackler, Sardine Can-Opener Man is rather a dyed Ming Dynasty replication of a true Shang Period Piece, this conjecture is only from observation of authentic pieces we have been privileged to handle and view under exacting conditions, and we have not had the pleasure of examining the Sackler piece in the same manner. While it would be a honor to view it in person and under microscopic conditions, it is our hope someone will re-examine the piece again and let the world know their findings, as all such great collections, from time to time, need to be re-examined in light of new archeological discoveries and new knowledge in the field. We also wish to thank all the estates involved in the writing of this two-part series, for the opportunity to allow us to authenticate, scrutinize and represent their respective items for the advancement of jade knowledge in general, for the benefit of all.

David Fredericks  –  Yulongwei

Antiquities, Plus…

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An Authentic Shang Dynasty “Sardine Can-Opener Man” Early Shang Period (1,700-1,000 BCE) – Height: 5 cm

The First Of A Two Part Series Article

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using EF 24-70  f/2.8L USM Lens

Provenance: Ang Ngo Gan Collection. We are extremely proud to be named the official Authenticators and Curators for the Ang Family of California, and their wondrous grouping of jade artifacts.  All the pieces we are representing were brought into the United States in 1950 by the Grandfather of Marilou Ang; Mr. Ang Ngo Gan, originally from Ching Kang, China, near Amoy, during the ‘Period of Confusion’.  He was a restaurateur and business man in California, and his collection is now represented by Antiquities, Plus… through his granddaughter Marilou Ang and her husband Richard Evangelista.

One of the most phenomenal discoveries we have made in our years of working with jade artifacts is this one small but mighty piece of green nephrite jade, carved in an archaic style that is known world-wide to be one of the strongest indicators of Shang Period vintage, with its plainly visible false-relief design. Any true aficionado of archaic jades will immediately recognize the style of this Shang Period artifact, as it is an almost identical form to one of most famous and published jades of all time, the renowned Shang Dynasty Nephrite Jade ‘Sardine Can-Opener Man’ in the well-known Sackler Collection ( see the book Jade, Consultant Editor Roger Keverne page 94, fig. 8, Height: 7 cm). While this fantastic piece of the jade-worker’s art has been published on numerous occasions, it might not be all that it seems, and in this article we will discuss the possibility of how it could be a later Ming Dynasty replication of the famous piece that is finely represented on the cover of book #5 of The Complete Collection Of Jades Unearthed In China, Gu Fang. This marvelous example of Shang Period workmanship can be found on page 24 of the aforementioned book, and was excavated from the tomb of Fuhao, Anyang, Henan Province (Height: 7 cm) . For those not possessing this great research material, it can be noted here that both it and the Sackler Piece look almost identical;  the exception being that the one on page 24 of The Complete Collection Of Jades Unearthed In China is made from a beautiful green nephrite (as is the Ang piece) and the Sackler item is supposedly made of a white and black nephrite. While we are certain the item is truly made of white nephrite jade, we believe it could also have been black-dyed, an effect much used in the Ming Dynasty to replicate the colors of the burial objects being unearthed, studied and copied by the literati of the period. Both the Sackler item and the piece found in Henan Province are described as late Shang Period, and it is our belief that this stylistically fits the period to perfection, while the Ang example, as we will see, is in a less advanced style and most likely from an earlier period, and not just the creation of a different artist.

Photo Taken with Canon EOX XSi Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

From the above two pictures of the Ang Estate nephrite jade Sardine Can-Opener Man, we can see the same quality green stone that was used in the making of the one from Henan Province, with the major exceptions being between the darkened areas of the two differing stones, and the extreme, natural wear that appears on the Ang piece above. In both the Sackler Sardine Can-Opener Man, and the one from Henan, the false relief lines are much more delineated, as are the fingers and the entire design overall. The hair styles and clothing designs are much more pronounced – the execution of the carver’s art around the eyes, nose, mouth and ears has been refined to a greater degree, and is indicative of later Shang Period pieces, while older Shang Period items seem to be just beginning this transformation towards the realistic, from the exquisite but more stylistic approaches of the Neolithic pieces of the Hongshan and the Liangzhu Cultures in particular. (Please note that our analysis of the other two carved figures is by photograph only). Also, the black that is seen on the Henan piece appears to be more a condition of the nephrite itself, while the blackened areas on the Ang Estate piece, as will be shown in the macro and microscopic picture to follow, are caused by the conditions of environment, and degradation. The darkened areas of the Sackler piece, under photographic analysis alone, appear to differ from both above-mentioned examples, and we will make our best effort to show this reasoning in both regular and close-up photography as we proceed with this back-to-back, two-article series (as we believe that for most folks, this is too much information to be properly absorbed in one long article).

Right Profile View

Left Profile View

Above Photos Taken with Canon EOS XSI Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

The above two photographs offer us a wonderful view of the ensuing degradation from long-term burial. This fine example of early Shang Period jade art is a 100% in-situ piece, having only the most minimal of cleanings; meaning it has only been washed of its accompanying tomb dirt, and never re-polished in any manner. The little shine that does occur on the piece comes only from the fondling of a favorite item, where skin oils penetrated the piece. This effect became very apparent early on in our investigation of the item, after it was removed from a three-week soaking in pure acetone. The piece came out of the acetone exactly as it went in, without the presence of new waxes, which turn the surface to a cloudy, whitened appearance.  (By ‘newer’, it should be noted that this would mean ‘during the last decade or so’). [It has been the custom  for hundreds, if not thousands of years, to use various coatings to protect, delineate or accentuate the fine details that have been rubbed with sacred red iron oxides, cinnabar, and/or black and red lacquers, and sometimes, various paints. We find that on older waxed pieces, the tendency is for the wax to remain if  it is at least approximately fifty to one hundred years old; then, repeated soaking and cleaning with our power sprayer may be necessary, if there are indications of even older tool markings or coatings beneath what is visible after the initial soaking and cleaning. Even after three weeks of soaking, the coating is sound and secure.  (It should be noted here that the Chinese replicators, having always possessed the ability to read and discern, have recently returned to a prior practice of darkening a stone with a colorant that defies its removal with acetone).  We have had to revert back to an old learned method of removal by using heated oxalic acid on the particular item for approximately 15 minutes, followed by an hour-long soaking in regular household bleach. It it sometimes necessary to repeat the oxalic acid bath for the approximate amount of time referred to, followed by a second (overnight) soaking in bleach, which will remove the remainder of the colorant. In some instances, the coloring will be removed by the warm oxalic acid bath alone, in a matter of seconds.]

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi using MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Macro Lens

A marvelous close up photograph using only 1X power of the macro lens starts to reveal the natural deposits that are associated with long term burial objects. The original degradation to the green nephrite begins to show us the extent of time in burial, and some of the conditions that were present during this burial. The drilling tool marks, which  begin to show up under this magnification, can be more easily discerned in the hole to the viewer’s right, but even with the fuzziness (due to the field of view of the macro lens), the drill marks (which occur due to the addition of fresh, coarser grit during the drilling, causing the deeper marks as the grit breaks down from the drilling; the higher ridges form until the addition of more coarse grit causes the next deeper groove), can still be discerned in the left side of the conically-drilled suspension hole. The natural manganese left from decomposed vegetative matter can still be seen in the darkened areas, both in the holes and over the surface of the hairdo, or decorated head piece.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using MPE 65mm f/2.8 1X5 Macro Lens

More of the natural mineral and organic deposits can be seen in this photo, using the macro lens at only 1X of its power range. We can easily see the false relief technique so definitive of the Shang Period, but more importantly, inside the grooves left by the artist, we can now easily identify the fact that the piece is 100% in-situ, with no re-cutting or re-polishing, as the inside of the design carries the exact same original organic and mineral deposits, along with the identical natural degradation, as the outside. The determination that no artificial aging of the stone has occurred, had already been ascertained by the methods mentioned above, and hours under the microscope had revealed other anomalies that are impossible to fake, and will be well-described during the remainder of this article. The following is a short series of photographs taken at the 3x power setting of the macro lens, which the reader may peruse and study at their leisure.

Above Photos Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Macro Lens

As can be seen in the above five photographs, we have deeper close-up views of the degradation to the nephrite jade artifact, and the remaining natural organics, oxidation of the iron in the jade, manganese deposits starting to define themselves, and the introduction to most of our readers of the concept of petrification of organic material on antiquities stemming from specific burial conditions. First found in the early 1990′s under a loupe, while doing investigation on old polishes vs. modern techniques of a quick roughing-out of replications, and the ensuing ways they were polishing, burning, dying, using strong acids and alkalies, re-polishing and waxing the pieces coming out Hong Kong and being sold for 99 cents plus four dollars shipping, we found a most stunning example of an old Fenghuang, or Red Bird of the south (Phoenix), which at the time was suspicious due the fact that it had been lightly dyed, with the accompanying applied obligatory mud. After throughly cleaning the item, and during inspection under a 20 power loupe of every square centimeter (as is always accomplished with every piece we authenticate), I found my first example of full petrification in a perfect portion of a leaf that had, under ideal conditions, totally petrified. Only the veins of the leaf portion had remained, but the most curious part to me at the time was that the cross-hatched veins of the leaf had actually turned into the stone, and were exactly the same color as the stone.  In addition to this, the petrified portions of the leaf were raised above the surface of the stone. Hence, my first encounter with a perfect example of total petrification of organic detritus. This piece was taken to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and verified by Terese Tse Bartholomew, Michael Knight and He Li, when I asked Terese, “How could they (the Chinese) fake this?”, Terese answered, “They can’t.”  At that time, in approximately 2004, both myself and Ms. McIntire were  contributing members to the Asian Art Museum, and I was doing a great deal of research at this wonderful facility, and the entire proceedings were witnessed and taped from their amazing security room in the basement. It was at this point that we started to go into such depths of authentication on our entire collection, and those of others who asked us to verify their pieces. Since this initial encounter, I have found a new world that exists under microscopic conditions, and have identified many more examples of petrified detritus, and today we possess many fine examples, along with other pieces we represent. Also around this time, we started to find the curious tracks that roots make on jade; when other burial conditions exist, the  roots do not just die and adhere to petrify, but rather live so long on the stone that they actually ‘eat’ into the stone in their lifetime, leaving a most defining tree-root track, indicating that it has been eaten away by the roots, and if never re-polished off, leave their indisputable marks of authenticity on both stone objects and pottery. While Archeologists rightfully call any mineralization of organic material ‘petrification’, there are, without a doubt, varying degrees, from early mineralization to full petrification (like agatization), but this fully petrified state, whether in mineralization or a full petrification where the detritus actually becomes the stone, has never been found by us in ground burials younger than the approximate two thousand-year-old age mark. We have many fine example of shipwreck pottery showing mineralized organic roots from the 13Th to 15Th Century, but due to the higher moisture and mineral content of the sea, I have never personally considered them  the same, even though the effect has occurred (with the exception of a piece going all the way into what I would term ‘full petrification’; becoming the stone, and showing the degree of ion transfer such as found in pseudomorphs). Note: Sometimes specimens of  petrified detritus are very hard to photograph, due to the field of vision with the lens used, lighting conditions, and the fact that they become the exact same color, as will be seen when we get to the microscopic photographs. Another word of caution to other authenticators and students of nephrite artifacts: When looking for various, impossible-to-fake aspects under microscopic conditions, one must not let the fibrous nature of true nephrite that shows up on burial items (especially when re-polished, with the softer portions worn away, leaving the toughest fibers to remain above the surface, similar to erosion of earth structures) to be misinterpreted as petrified tree roots. We use extreme caution in verifying by this method, and while we know we have passed over literally thousands of minute portions of true petrified detritus, it is only when the structure shows that the roots are extremely well-defined and much larger and longer than the accompanying nephritic fibers, that we use this tool as proof of authenticity (as in the two pictures above, which take on the unmistakable ‘river delta’ look as the root branches off naturally). It is a very easy trap to fall into, wishing things to be what we want them to be, simply because one has purchased an item, and naturally wants it to be real. We have found it much safer to steer on the side of caution, and to consider all items to be replications; only when we have exhausted every effort to make the item fake does it truly become authentic.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi at 30X Microscopic Power

This strong photograph shows the inside surface of the left side (viewing straight-on) of the suspension hole in the Ang Estate Sardine Can-Opener Man. It clearly shows the undisturbed, in-situ condition of a true Shang Period drilled hole, with its accompanying varying depths of drilling marks due to the addition of the coarser grits, as mentioned earlier. Also, the iron in the original, all green nephrite jade is extremely oxidized, as evidenced by the reddish portions of the photograph. Please note the natural pitting that occurs inside the grooves of a genuine  artifact. This suspension hole would have been quick to fill up with silt from the burial, and thus it is protected more from the tectonic movements that abrade the outside of a burial object to a greater extent. When we see the acid-etched replications, the suspension holes have that very familiar look of being the same as the outside, and since most common replicators today use a hemi-jade or serpentine, one gets those ‘plates’ of rugged-looking tremolite or actinolite ‘bunches’ that puzzle so many people, and appear so old in the photographs. Another note of caution: On other types of replications, under the view of even a 10X power loupe, the drill hole will appear to be smoother, whiter (from recent tooling), and the grooves not as deep. But, this can also occur on a genuine artifact if it has been re-cut and re-polished in the more modern way, using newer diamond tooling methods; then, extra special care must be taken to find the areas that could not be faked, and sometimes it will be in just one  line or groove, missed when the re-cutting was performed. Even my own carvings show this effect while using mostly monolithic diamond tools that are made entirely of diamonds suspended in a hard medium. Now take into account that the Chinese have learned to mimic the old tooling methods, and started several years ago to use modern diamond tools to ‘rough’ out a piece, and then go back over it with old-style tools to give it that old-tooling look before polishing the piece, in just one manner in which they make them. These can usually be discerned by removing all waxes, which may take up to four separate cleanings, and picking the wax out of the grooves with an acupuncture needle to finally get to the bottom of the groove, and then finding the modern diamond tooling marks there where the old-style tools cannot reach. This is just another of of the more than twenty different ways we have discovered how they replicate, and the techniques are constantly being refined. This is the reason we spend in excess of $20,000 each year just buying the newest, most modern fakes in ‘jade’, pottery and bronze. I will endeavor to keep ‘passing’ along these little secrets as the articles continue.

Above Two Photos Taken With Canon EOS XSi Using 30X Microscopic Power

The two above photographs show the original, natural and 100% in-situ Manganese deposits, which are in reality, very uncommon from areas of Northern China, and especially the more North and West of Beijing towards the more arid regions approaching Mongolia. On some of our items, we have to get to 45X microscopic power to locate any Manganese deposits. These might be ‘tucked away’ in so little a place as a small section of nephritic material which has been chipped off, and a pocket  with the minute trace of Manganese crystalline growth can be found. When a piece has been re-polished (as most true artifacts are),  there may only be one small spot on an entire artifact, and sometimes there is none at all to be found. As can be ascertained with this fantastic specimen, the tomb conditions were moist, and enough manganese was present in the surrounding soils (both in the organic material that was present in the soil at burial, and that which grew into it at a later date), that not only were the conditions right for the manganese crystal growth to occur, but those ‘special’ conditions were present to allow even the petrification of some of the organic material. One very important aspect of the above two pictures is the nephritic fibers which are showing up quite nicely at this magnification and can be easily compared to the two following 30X microscopic photographs, which shows roots in the later mineralization stage inside one of the suspension holes, and the totally petrified tree roots in in the last photograph, in much greater detail.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using 30X Microscopic Power

A wonderful photograph showing the edge of one of the suspension holes. This is such a marvelous photo because it shows us not only the later growth, mineralized (not totally turned to nephrite jade as yet) tree roots just inside the edge of the suspension hole, but it also clearly shows the through-transmission of the nephrite, and the depth to which the oxidation of the iron in the jade (the turning of the green nephrite to red, caused by the associated mineral iron, which initially turns pure white nephrite to green) has occurred naturally. Along with this, we also see the dark traces of Manganese still in the process of growing and adhering to the original surface material. The ‘calcification’ (degradation) of the nephrite is also clearly visible, as are the shadowy tooling marks inside the hole, due to the depth of field of the lens. The small ‘thread’ at the bottom of the picture is just a fine fiber caught by the ragged calcification as it was being positioned on a felt pad for the photograph.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using 30X Microscopic Power

This photograph was very difficult for me to take because the positioning had to be just right with the lighting, and hand-held in my current setting, to get the shadows to play off the raised section of totally petrified tree roots. As one can imagine, in the petrification process, much of the original mass of the root is lost due to dehydration, along with a myriad of other factors that occur over the millennia it takes for this fascinating transformation from plant fiber to nephrite. If one looks carefully, one can see the tiny nephritic fibers between the petrified roots as they they take on their very characteristic ‘river delta’ pattern. Also, while viewing in person under the scope, one can get a very clear view as we manipulate the piece up and down, and from side to side.

In the second half of this article (which should be finished by week’s-end), we will delve more into the differences of the three known “Sardine Can-Opener Men”, and why we believe the one in the Sackler Collection could possibly be of Ming Dynasty vintage.

David Fredericks  –  Yulongwei

Antiquities, Plus

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One of the Most Fabulous & Unique Nephrite Jades Ever Discovered

Photo Taken With Canon EOS XSi Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

I believe almost all true Nephrite Jade aficionados were effectively ‘hooked’ by the “Stone of Heaven” through a singular event;  a single encounter with a particular piece of stone. For me it was at a very early age (somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 years old) in a barn in the Mid-West where I saw my first ‘treasure’, a carving stuck between two bales of hay at a good old farm auction.  It sure was green, and it sure was beautiful, with all the intricate little people, trees, animals and tiny houses, and even though the auction house put it up on the block after my discovery, and asking if “this was going to be for sale”, it sure didn’t end up meeting my budget by the time the gavel hit. But hooked I was, or perhaps smitten would be a better word, as no matter where life would take me after that, I never forgot that beautiful piece of stone and the wonderful carving on it.  Whether it was really Jade or just a green stone, and whether it was truly masterfully carved or just a nice little WWII tourist item, all I really can say is that 50 years later, I am still fascinated by jade, and fascinated by carving and artistry of all types, but particularly Chinese, like that first ‘greenstone’ carving I lost the bid on so many years ago. (I did end up buying at that auction a little carved greenstone fish that I will always swear was my first piece of jade, even if it wasn’t .

This tremendous example of gem-quality “Polar” Nephrite Jade was donated to us by Mr. Kirk Makepeace of Jade West & Jade Mine, out of his personal, private collection of specimens, for a series of articles in which we can continue to discuss some of the different qualities and characteristics of one of the world’s most fascinating and truly glorious (and also misunderstood) stones. In this series of articles, we are going to examine one of the most beautiful nephrite jades ever discovered, and compare it to several other extremely unique types of nephrite. We will study it by way of structure, texture, durability and carvability; but in luster and sheer beauty it will be extremely hard to find any nephrite that stands so high. The series will end some months from now (as I do run a full-time business with interests in jade and art), with a finished, polished carving, in which I hope to come close to fulfilling the potential of this marvelous specimen.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

When the worlds finest Jade Carving Artists, Geologists, Mine Owners, Geophysicists, Artifact Specialists, Rare Specimen Traders, and just plain old aficionados of  Nephrite and Jadeite gather at the few venues dedicated to support this marvelous stone, certain common-use terms float about the conversations for hours, or days at a time. At shows like the Big Sur Jade Festival and the Jade Art Now Show, with each particular specimen or jade carving comes talk from all walks of life about each stone’s particular color and structure. Words like opacity, translucence, chatoyancy, ‘cream’, ’cheese’, jadeitite, texture, snowflake, flowing, ‘tight’, ‘flaky’, associated minerals, and hundreds more are just commonplace terms bandied about and not given much thought among those that have made the differing jades such an important part of their lives. In this one unique specimen called ‘Polar’, we find all that is written and talked about in the Stone of Heaven. It is perhaps the most representative sample of what nephrite truly is that I have ever run across, and to me it means “Jade in All Its Glory”. Preferences in the business vary, from certain types of nephrite because of their particular needs in carving, to the colors that fascinate them (like the purity and tightness of Edwards Black and certain Olive Wyoming stones), to the unique qualities of some of the famous New Zealand Jades and those from Australia, British Columbia, Siberia,  the different Jades from California, and indeed all over the world. All that is expressed and felt about the different types of Nephrite Jades is meaningful and true to those passionate individuals who hold their beliefs, but concerning everyone I have ever seen who prefers a certain stone like the beautiful blues of the California coast and other places, I have never seen anyone pass by a piece of Polar Jade, not stop and, half in awe,  make an exclamation of beauty, or simply mutter to themselves under their breath something like, ”simply stunning”. So now, just for the sake of this article, we will again put up the first picture to discuss the overall qualities.

Here we can see the awesome translucency that shows along the left edge of the picture, under just the regular photography lights. We can see the unique yellowish/green contrasts that come from the marriage of the Iron and the Chromium, but rather than the chromium garnets we find in say, Cassiar nephrite, the mix of the two metals is much more homogeneous in a fine piece of Polar, and tends to give an ‘ethereal’ glow to the stone. We still find areas (spots) of heavier Chromium concentrations that show up as the brilliant yellowish flakes we see in this picture, and later you will get to see under magnification the complexities that make up these unique portions. Also to be seen in this specimen, if looking closely,  are the associated metals in the tiny black spots of Magnetite. However, to me, the strangest formations that take place in Polar are the fairly total, translucent white areas that are so much like the finest Khotan translucent white nephrite that has been revered for millennia, mixed and swirled in with the unique cloudy actinolite fibrous areas we see, looking like cirrus clouds intermixing through a sky of green in an ‘otherworldly’ pattern found in no other nephrite I know of, to this degree. In my opinion, if this Polar Jade had been known to the great Qing Dynasty carvers from  China in the late 1850′s era, we would have seen the more popular Siberian Apple Green masterpieces replaced, and relegated to a secondary status by this, a  far superior stone with an inherently much more magnificent feel.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

This close up of the above stone shows in great detail the ‘swirling cloud’ effect that is so unique to Polar Jade, and while this close up ‘washes out’ a bit of the intense yellow/green color, it can still be seen where the light penetrates the stone on the left side of the photo. Also, to be seen are the little specks of Magnetite, showing up as small black dots over and inside the nephrite. While these Magnetite intrusions are similar to those found in Siberian Jades, they have a much different pattern on the whole, and show up more irregularly in the Polar, while they seem much more homogeneous in the Siberian samples we have examined. This is not to say one is better because of this placement, but it helps simplify identification for the less experienced  collector. Just as not all Polar jade is exactly the same, neither is the Siberian or other jades displaying these Magnetite specks, and by examining enough specimens from known sources, one starts to get a fairly good feel for the placement of a stone to the area from which it could have come from, by knowing some of the varying anomalies that occur in each area. Also, while sometimes we must speak in generalities concerning stone from differing areas, it should be noted here that some of the Siberian gem-quality stone is extremely fine and displays many of the characteristics we will be discussing in this article, but as of this date we have not seen a large piece of Siberian nephrite that even comes close to showing all the extremely unique characteristics found in this one piece of Polar jade. This is not to say that a piece of similar nephrite does not exist out there somewhere, or that a stone will not be found that has all of these extremely important characteristics of a “true stand-alone type”, but to date we know of no other nephrite that is quite like this exquisite stone, which came from a deposit that was so prolific and produced such quality.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

Another fine photo, again showing  from a different viewpoint, some of the unique structural properties of Polar Jade in just a small close-up section of the stone. The fine translucence is clearly visible toward the right edge of the slab,  proximal to the outside rind. In this area we can see how a small, clear, white, translucent section goes all the way through this particular area to the rind on the other side. More of the cloudy, fibrous, and chatoyant swirling shows up in great detail, melding with the greener portions at this level, but will disappear when we get past the Macro lens photos and into the microscopic photos. The Magnetite ‘specks’ are more concentrated on the outside edges of this specimen, but can be found deeper in the stone, as will be shown in some of the Macro lens and microscopic pictures. The highly unusual white “flakes” that one often sees in “snowflake” specimens will also reveal that they are not typical snowflake sections, but rather, are a formation unique to this particular stone, and as yet, are an unknown (to us) type of structure and mineralization. This will be very clear in the coming microscopic pictures.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5X at 1X

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Lens at 2X

The two photos above show approximately the same area, but with differences in the Macro lens being set at only 1X power and the second photo at only 2X. The clear translucent area, with its cloud-like formations in this wonderful piece of Polar Jade, runs its entire length of approximately five inches, and clear through the slab that ranges from a negative edge to approximately one and a half inches in width. In the first picture, the cirrus cloud-like nature appears to be more of a surface effect on the Nephrite, but we can clearly see in photograph 2 that with the penetration of the Macro lens, the ’clouds’ actually show thoughout the stone in differing levels. This gives the jade a strong sense of depth and ’feel’, as one rolls the piece over in one’s hands. In the sunlight, it bestows the piece with a subtle glow of deep, translucent water green and a presence of water-like, flowing motion. Under the light in ‘house’ conditions, the entire color of the stone changes to one of deep emerald green with literally waves of  motion in the translucent portions, and bright green specks where the ‘snowflake’ effect occurs. The difference in the sizes of the minuscule Magnetite particles, deeper in the ‘body of the jade, is accentuated greatly by the change from the 1x to the 2x Magnification of the Macro lens. This also accounts for difference in color seen in both photos. Both colors are true to the amount of light and magnification received.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using 20X Microscopic Power

The above photograph taken under only 20X Magnification starts to show the cirrus cloud-like formations in the translucent area starting to disappear, while the true color of the Chromium and Iron mix of yellow/green begins to show up more. The Magnetite crystalline formations begin to show up as more than mere ‘specks’, and we can begin the see the structural qualities of the snowflake anomalies that occur thoughout certain portions of the stone. One can start to see the snowflake patterns not as fractures in the stone (although there are a few small fractures that are natural or are due to the mining process), but almost as what one one could describe as ‘growths’ within the nephrite. While the whitened areas do start to take on a fibrous look at this power, and almost appear as a ‘mutton fat’ nephrite formed inside this stone, it is doubtful to us that this would be the case. In a nephritic stone such as this, there would seem to be just too high a mineral contamination for a solid, pure white nephrite to form. Not to say it can never occur, as one will sometimes see in Khotan Jade from Turkanistan just such a definite transition; but that is the point. The pieces we see coming from the White and Black Jade Rivers region, while oftentimes having such transitional colors (and many old nephrite artifacts of the archaic period were clearly chosen for this flowing transitional color effect), show their color ranges more on a linear, flowing development (much as with the flowing transitional zones in this piece), and not in the spotted manner we see here with this piece of Polar Jade. We think it would be a good study for someone like the GIA to examine these types of areas, and determine conclusively if it is nephritic in nature or something different. Perhaps a pseudomorph type of transition is occurring, or there truly are other types of crystalline growths occurring within the nephrites.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using 30X Microscopic Power

The above photo was chosen just to show the awesome beauty of color that is so typical of what one finds in the most ‘emerald’ portions of Polar Jade. Taken close to the cross fracture from mining (as can be seen in photograph 2) this photograph shows a minor fracture on the polished skin on one side of the stone. The slight fracture is just refracting the light from the microscope and allowing us to see clearly the transitional zones of color. Magnetite crystals and minor white growths mentioned in the above paragraph can also be seen under the surface layer.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using 35X Microscopic Power

This wonderful photograph shows certain aspects of Polar Jade at their finest. The translucence  and true depth of color become evident at the higher power used in this shot. The Magnetite crystals are even clearer, and the white growth spoken of previously can now be seen almost like coral under water. Another piece of Magnetite lies deeper inside the stone beneath the  white growth. The tightness of grain in the fibrous nature of this specific type of nephrite starts to become extremely obvious in the lack of fibers showing at 35X . It is an extremely tightly-fibered piece of nephrite, as will be seen in additional photographs at higher magnifications.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using 40X Microscopic Power

At 40X magnification, we can start to see the nephritic fibers in this particular stone. Usually it quite easy to detect these nephritic fibers at powers as low as 10X to 20X, but here we have a very translucent stone and very small and tight fibers. It should be noted that the more opaque the stone, the easier it is to see the nephritic fibers. Some opaque jades like Wyoming Edwards Black and some of the olives, along with the famous Cowell Black discovered in Australia in 1972, are obvious exceptions to this rule. It really boils down to us that some jades, even from the same general area, are not at all the same but rather are so obviously different that this still puzzles us; why we find so little useful information in this area ever having been published. Our planned article on the different structures found in jades of the Khotan area will be a fine article to illustrate just how diverse nephrite jade truly is, even in a fairly generalized area.

Above Photos Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using 90X Microscopic Power

The above two photographs precisely show the fibrous nephritic nature of Kirk Makepeace’s Jade West/Jade Mine’s Polar Jade at 90X microscopic power. It has always amazed me that the best-known, and extemely copied, high-resolution photographs of both nephrite and jadeite are false color images, when it has long been within the scope of photography and geology to render true life photographs of both types of stones and show their real nature. While there have been many articles written about Mr. Makepeace and all of his adventures in the World of Jade, we want this series of articles, from polished specimen to finished carving, to stand alone as a testimony to the unique beauty and fascinating characteristics of this phenomenal stone.  Currently, it is our understanding that no more of this particular material is available from the Polar Mine; however, other fascinating jades are still being mined and marketed by Jade Mine.  But who knows what lies around the next bend?  We are sure that Mr. Makepeace will indeed be peering around that bend.

David Fredericks

Antiquities, Plus…

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A Marvelous Example of an Authentic Hongshan Culture Wind Polished – Surface Find Pig Dragon Bi

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

This tremendous 100% In-Situ Hongshan Culture (approximately 5,500 – 2,500BCE) Nephrite Jade Pig Dragon Bi is being loaned for this article from a private East Coast Collection, and was originally traded from the Fredericks-McIntire Collection of Tucson, Arizona. On the side in the above view, we find the ‘slickened’ look of a typical wind-polished Paleolithic or Neolithic stone item, and the associated degradation of an article that has been polished by water, wind and particulates for an extended period of time. This is the side that would have been downward-facing the longest during the passage of time, as the design is better preserved than that in the following picture. Also, you may notice an in-situ piece of agate that has been lodged in the mouth of the pig dragon, a technique that is commonly used as a detail in forgery. However, this particular agate sliver has actually become one with the stone through the aging process, as will be shown in the accompanying macro- and microscopic images. Most of the time, these types of stone ‘impregnations’ are accompanied by aliphatic cements or other types of glue, and just ‘pop’ right out using a fine metal pick, leaving the glue residues clearly visible, and easily removed.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSI Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

In this photo we again see the characteristic wind-polished look that gives an artifact of antiquity such a beautiful sense of timeless durability, such as what we see in the old Acheulean hand axes from Africa and wonderful stone artifacts from other parts of the world where the dry windswept regions, with their occasional rain and slight organic material associations, create these lovely patinas. While these regional and climactic conditions do have more of a tendency to wear away tooling marks, they also leave us with other quite distinctive clues as to the time spent above ground, if one looks closely enough at the artifact to ascertain the approximate climactic environment to which it has been subjected. While this Pig Dragon Bi was most likely a funereal item, as most Hongshan artifacts of religious significance were, it was unearthed for an unknown reason at some point in its early history, and left to weather on the surface for millennia. Pig Dragon Bi’s were of extreme importance to the Hongshan Culture of ancient China, as attested to by the many examples of these burial objects to be found in the archaeological records of tombs of the old Shamanic lords and tribal leaders. But it does lead one to ask the following: how does a sacred nephrite stone that was reserved for the Shamanic elite ONLY, become so prevalent on the Internet today, with literally thousands being offered for sale daily. That question then leads one to doubt very seriously if there could possibly have been hundreds of thousands of Shamanic elite buried during neolithic times. In a lifetime of collecting, we have actually owned only eight authentic Pig Dragon Bi’s, but have seen literally thousands of replications, some with a starting bid as low as one US penny, plus shipping. Every year around the time of the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, I am subjected to people wanting to show me their ‘treasures’  by the hundreds, and telling me there is no way a person could make one that cheaply. My patent response is that a desperate man will do quite a bit of work for enough rice to keep his daughter fed throughout the winter, so that the family does not have to leave the little one beside the road.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

This wonderful side view shows us all the characteristics of a genuine surface-find, wind-blown Hongshan Nephrite Jade. This Pig Dragon Bi was subjected to all of our usual pre-microscopic viewing tests; an extended soaking in acetone (which degrades newer waxes and helps in the removal by power sprayer of the waxes and accompanying dirt deposits used to replicate age), one in bleach (which removes dyes and applied iron filings extremely well, when a piece has had a light acid bath and then dyes and rust applied to make it look old), and a short oxalic acid bath to remove the deeply baked-on ‘shoe polishes, dyes and mud’ that they have begun to use once again (as they did five years ago) because it is not effected by acetone, as non-baked-on newer waxes are. What you see here is a Pig Dragon Bi in its ‘as found’ condition, even after being scrubbed, cleaned and shot with our high-power water spray gun. What remains is what has legitimately adhered to the original nephrite after thousands of years. The dirt, oxidized iron, and manganese deposits you will see in the close up pictures are all now a part of the artifact, as is another anomaly that we have never seen in print before, but will explain as well as we possibly can, in photographs of the Pig Dragon Bi and some that we will use for comparison.

Photo Taken of Surface-Find Degradation on Pig Dragon Bi Using Canon EOS XSi and Canon MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Lens at 1X

Photo Taken of Surface-Find Degradation on Pig Dragon Bi Using Canon EOS XSi and Canon MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Lens at 2X

The two photographs above show at higher magnification the soil deposits still adhering to the darker green nephrite which the Hongshan carver chose for this Pig Dragon Bi. The photos also show the nephritic fibers, and how the windblown debris started to pit the softer fibers of the nephrite, leaving the tougher fibers to rise a bit above the surface, exposing them more to wind-polishing. Contemporary artists are well aware of this characteristic of nephrite; when they polish certain types of nephrite jade, the surface often shows these higher and lower areas. This can be used to great benefit when carving a new item. When one wishes to be free of this trait in the end product, however, wax can be used to mask it; alternatively, a type of nephrite like a Wyoming “Edwards Black” can be chosen instead. because the tightness of its grain is such that there is little or no chatoyancy in the stone, as the fibers are so tightly and uniformly compacted. The parts of the photos above that show the green jade starting to turn a whitish color are extremely important here, as they begin to illuminate a property of nephrite that has, to our knowledge, never been  discussed,  and which departs from the theories of degraded funereal nephrite artifacts (which are well-documented), and the ‘chicken bone’ effect that has never been adequately explained,  and which occurs in artifacts all the way from Neolithic jade funereal pieces to Qing Dynasty burial items. We are going to explain our theory on surface-find, degraded green nephrite jade with a whitish rind, by comparing it to the chemically very similar agate, from the quartz family, which occurs simultaneously in one amazing old artifact.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Lens at 1X

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5X at 2X

Both photographs above show a degraded sliver of agate that has become fused into the jade mouth of the Hongshan Pig Dragon Bi. The first photograph was taken at 1X with our Macro Lens, and the second at 2X. In both photos we can see the exact same deposits adhering to both the agate and the nephrite of the Pig Dragon Bi. Also, we can see the clearer portion of the agate and the more degraded whitish sections that match the white portions of the nephrite, in both photographs above and in the previous close-ups. In the next photograph, taken at 40x power through the microscope, you will be able to see even more clearly the depth to which the the agate has degraded, and the ‘new’ clearer parts where the degraded agate (being more fracture-prone than nephrite) has chipped off, leaving a newer, ‘fresher’ surface. We believe that this white degradation of both the agate and nephrite occur in arid, wind-blown regions without the necessary moisture to turn the iron deposits in both the agate and the nephrite  into the much more familiar red rind of oxidation; rather, we believe it is more a factor of slight water intrusion into the stone, coupled mainly with ultraviolet light, which catalyzes this whitening process we see occurring on both stones simultaneously. Having had the unique opportunity to study, over the course of two-and-a-half years, in excess of a hundred pieces of degraded agate tools from Paleolithic to Neolithic sites, from the collection of Mr. Robert Willingham of Tucson, Arizona, under microscopic conditions, it has afforded me the exceptional experience of seeing all types of exotic lithic agate material in varying stages of degradation. Most of the pieces studied came from the famous Utah Agate Basin Area in which Mr. Willingham grew up and collected, but there have also been outstanding examples from Northern Africa, some dating back as far as 75,000 years or more. Many pieces studied had parts of the original core material left on them, and others had been re-chipped and re-used. Many of them showed evidence of which side of the artifact faced the ground the longest and which side had been more exposed to the harsh elements by facing upwards. We still retain numerous fine ‘study’ examples in our collection, for on-going research.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using 40X Microscopic Power on Agate Inside Mouth of the Pig Dragon Bi

In this photograph at 40X power, we can clearly see the broken-off degraded piece of agate in the white piece in the center of the picture, and to the right side of the photo we see the surface of the nephrite starting to degrade into the same white coloration. The portion in-between the old degraded agate and degrading nephrite is naturally adhered soil deposits, which have also ‘fused’ the agate to the nephrite on both sides where it got stuck in the crevice which was the mouth of the Pig Dragon Bi, a very long time ago. The portion of the agate to the left of the degraded white section has again started the degradation process, and with time and exposure to ultraviolet light, if left alone and not re-polished, will become whiter, and the degradation will increase in thickness. In the next few pictures, we will show some more examples of this phenomenon on different agates before we resume our microscopic study of the Pig Dragon Bi.

Photo taken with Canon EOS XSi Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

The photograph above shows a fine example of an approximately 75,000 year old North African agate stemmed point. This type is considered among the earliest of the true chipped points, and was most likely a knife or projectile point. Note the heavy degradation to the fractured and crumbling white ‘crust’ on the far right side of the photograph, and the lesser degraded portions in the center and along the wind polished edges. When these heavily degraded areas are subjected to a violent act, such as a good river tumbling after a driving rain, portions are knocked off and the process renews itself. The areas most prone to wind polishing usually take the longest time to degrade, but differing circumstances (like a climactic change or partial burial) will produce differing results over time.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

The above photograph is of a 100% In-Situ Neolithic degraded agate ‘tool’. Some ‘re-chipping” can be seen along a few of the leading edges, and appear under microscopic observation to be places where the stone naturally fractured from impact, and were not caused by intentional re-sharpening efforts. In these areas we find remarkable opportunities to study the degrading patinas and re-patination over time. Also evident is which side lay upward, facing the sun for the longest period and which side was face down, as many pieces we studied were verified as to exactly how they were found, how much was covered up, and how much of the item was sticking out of the surrounding soils. This tool was also found in a ‘blow-out’ and has received quite a bit more natural tumbling and cleaning than the Pig Dragon Bi under discussion, or the African agate point above.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Under 40X Microscopic Power

This photo at 40X microscopic power is of one of the tiny broken-off pieces on the Neolithic Utah agate tool above, and shows the similarity to the breaks and the colors associated with the agate in the mouth of the Pig Dragon Bi, under identical microscopic conditions. Note: The colors are almost identical, the time frames match in that they are both from approximately the same period, and  they are both from approximately the same climactic conditions. Now we shall continue with more on the nephrite Pig Dragon Bi on its own.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Under 40X Microscopic Power

Above is a wonderful photograph showing all the above-mentioned attributes of an authentic surface-find, Neolithic nephrite jade, including the whitening effect from the ultraviolet catalyst on the jade surface, the soil that has totally penetrated the porous surface of the nephrite to the point of actually becoming one with the stone, and the effect of the wind polishing to bring out the shine of the nephritic fibers and even the areas of degradation and hardened soil adhesion. No other enhancements or treatments could be found on this artifact, nor any recent polishing marks, even using the microscope up to 90X magnification.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSI Under 40X power Magnification

This Manganese crystalline growth in the center of a depression of the Pig Dragon Bi again shows the 100% In-Situ nature of this artifact. Coupled with the dirt encrustation and the whitening of the dark green nephrite, this manganese crystal is just one more important bit of positive proof of extreme age in an incredible piece that has never seen another tool or polishing, other than the one it received from the Master Carver who made it over 5,500 years ago.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi under 40X Microscopic Power Of Dead Tree Root Embedded Inside the Degradation of The Pig Dragon Bi’s Suspension Hole

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi under 40X Microscopic Power Of Dead Tree Root Embedded Inside the Degradation of The Pig Dragon Bi’s Suspension Hole

The above two photographs offer conclusive proof to us of the above statement that no re-tooling or intentional re-polishing has ever occurred on this surface-find, wind-polished Hongshan Pig Dragon Bi, as the presence of emerging dead tree or grass roots, from such a deep depression in the surface degradation inside the suspension hole, speaks volumes by itself.

David Fredericks

Antiquities, Plus…

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A Wonderful 100 % In-Situ Warring States Period (475 – 221 BCE) Bi

Dimensions: 44mm Diameter X 8mm Depth

 

 

This masterfully carved Bi is one of the earliest Bis we have ever seen seen with a true Royal Dragon and Feng Huang (Phoenix)design, carved as its frontal motif, the Most Sacred Dragon of the East and the Feng Huang (Red Bird of the South).  It is our belief that while Dragons and the Feng Huang appeared much earlier in Neolithic period designs, and down through history, it was truly around the latter part of the Eastern Zhou Period that the dual design was used almost exclusively as the primary symbol designating Royalty, and has carried through until this very day. This Bi has been in our personal collection for years, and was shown at The “Jade Art Now Show” in Tucson, Arizona in 2007, 2008 and 2009. I personally wore this Bi for over two years; as the colors of the Bi, along with the original intent of the “Master” who designed it, and the Master Carver and polisher who created it, it was, to me, a bit of absolute perfection in a pendant-sized piece. With the worn, spiraling “s” patterns on the back, or what the Chinese often call the “tadpole” pattern, this Bi was almost certainly used in a Spring Ritual concerning the coming of rain, and therefore the beginning of the planting season.

The most incredible part of this magnificent Bi is the fact that originally, it was two distinct shades of green nephrite jade, with varying amounts of iron being the ‘contaminant’ that caused the differing shades of green at the time the stone was first formed, miles below the earth’s surface . The currently darker red half of the Bi would have previously been a deep green, with the higher iron content, while the lighter side would have originally been more of a “celadon” colored green, having less iron.  It would have been the “Master” who chose this particular stone, most likely to represent what we think of now as the Yin/Yang of life, but which has been known more universally as the duality of life symbol, embraced and used by cultures all over the globe. The small, but at one time perfectly-carved ‘tadpoles’ are difficult to discern on the back side of this Bi in the picture above, because of the erosion that has taken place during the course of its ‘life’. The peculiar effect of the dual oxidations and depths to which they degraded would most certainly be the result of an extreme amount of water and oxygen passing nearly continuously over the Bi from almost the time of its original burial.  The red, oxidized coloring is well known in Warring States Burial Jades where water has either seeped into the tomb gradually, or flooded in because of a catastrophic event such as the collapse of a beam structure in the old tombs (which could allow a sealed beam roof to cave in and water to enter and fill the tomb, as in the case of the Marquis Yi’s Tomb) . However, this oxidation always seems to leave a slighter depth of approximately 3-4mm, even when the jades are degraded through in their softer parts to a much deeper level; indeed even all through a piece as wide as 10mm. The difference in the case of this Bi , with a total depth of 8mm, is that it is totally permeated in the darker reddish areas and has no accompanying degradation by soil penetration to the Bi, as it certainly would in a regular funeral piece. This Bi has never been re-tooled or re-cut in any way, and the surface remains as it was originally found before we acquired it. Even the approximate 1mm rim on the back-side edge of this masterfully created Bi is still fully intact in places. All degradation to the exterior is natural, and was not acid or alkali-etched, nor was it burnt with a torch. The only cause for its current condition that we could ever find was due to the presumed fact that while it had been buried in antiquity along with other objects, it must have been alongside a river, which was not an uncommon practice of the era. Over the ages, the river most likely changed and followed another course which took it over the burial grounds, where this Bi lay. With a static submersion of water, as in the case of a submerged tomb, we would expect to find the water necessary to degrade the iron inside the green nephrite to a red oxidized state, but along with this water would also come silt, and silt always penetrates the tightly fibered, but porous nephrite as the surface degrades, leaving the degraded portions with a grey silt penetration. In the case with this Bi, it seems far more likely that it was this running water, which would carry the necessary oxygen for the oxidation process to occur, and still keep the silt from building up and penetrating deeply into the nephrite, that created the circumstances to bring about this effect, which we have examined for years under microscopic conditions.

 

All Pictures Above Taken with Canon EOS XSI Using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens

This photograph shows us a marvelous picture of how the darker red half looks from a side view. The depth of the darker red degraded and iron-oxidized section appears to be smooth, and while a bit worn and chipped on the edges, it still looks to be in fine condition for an artifact that has undergone some extreme conditions for millennia. This is also a great photograph to show the Dragon and Feng Huang were ‘air symbols’, and not ‘water symbols’, as we do not see the familiar undulating patterns through the water in this side view, but rather a steady continuity of raised design through masterful relief carving. Also, some portions of the original darker green nephrite are still barely visible in the lower right section seen in the photograph. While this Bi looks to the naked eye to be a wonderful solid nephrite structure, we will see in the following close-ups a type of “Khotan” nephrite that is rarely discussed, as it is commonly assumed that all nephrite from this area is of the same quality and structure. 

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Lens at 1X

In this photograph, we see a large portion of the Feng Huang (Red Bird’s head seen in center of photo) side of the Bi, which is the darker of the two sides. The Dragon side of the Bi was finished from the lighter celadon-colored nephrite. While this wonderful specimen still appears to be a rather solid piece of nephrite, with the usual degradation and losses associated with a long-term burial object,  the lack of deep ‘calcification’ (degradation) that should accompany a burial item of approximately 2,300 years can be easily discerned. The red oxidation of the portions of darker green nephrite shows up very clearly, and in the lower right corner of the photograph, one can start to see the minute actinolite fibers that are associated with this particular variation of Khotan jade. While there exist some “flowing river” structural sections of nephrite, much like what is seen in Kutcho and Polar Jades from British Columbia, and are found in many of the Khotan nephrites, this particular stone is mainly comprised of a very short crystalline structure, which gives it an almost ‘ice crystal’ effect when degraded, and viewed under magnification. This will become more evident in pictures to follow as the magnification increases. What is of particular note here is the fact that while the degradation has definitely taken place, there lacks the deep soil penetration that accompanies other true burial artifacts, and we firmly believe it is because the Bi was constantly being washed and abraded during most of its life by flowing water. This would account for the abundant supply of water, oxygen, and abrasive materials needed to produce this exact effect of oxidation and degradation we see on this particular artifact.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Lens at 1X

This photograph shows the reverse side of the Warring States Period Bi and the familiar “S”, “comma”, or ‘tadpole’ patterns, as known by the Chinese. Note the rounded edges on all the tadpole patterns, as would be expected in a 100%  in-situ Bi of this period. When one finds sharper edges on the tadpole patterns, it is usually from replication, as in the case of a modern reproduction, or often times this occurs if a true artifact has been re-cut and re- polished. The main challenge, then, is to find the place where the person who re-cut and re-polished the item missed a portion, and then also find the original tooling marks or degradation underneath the new markings. In this photo it is again extremely clear the lack of deep soil penetration, the consistent wear found on a true artifact, and the same crystalline structure to the Khotan nephrite as seen in the previous photograph.

 

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi using Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Lens at 3X

This photo taken at 3X through our Macro lens shows very well how consummate a nephrite carver this Master was over 2,000 years ago. Using only the most rudimentary treadle-wheel drilling technology and  hand-made tools, the lines and flow of this exquisite piece were so precisely executed as to rival the finest of modern day artists working with exacting technology and the finest of diamond tools. Just below the swirling portion of the lower section of the end of the Dragon’s bifurcated tail, we can see the crystalline degradation to the Dragon’s clawed toes, as well as in the surrounding areas. This  is right at the transition zone where the dark green nephrite met the more celadon-colored nephrite, and it contributes to the stunning overall effect. The lack of soil deposits and the fact that all discoloration is coming from the degradation and oxidation of the iron within,  is becoming more and more apparent.

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using 35X Microscopic Power

This photograph taken at 35X power with the microscope shows the face of Feng Huang (Phoenix) and the almost complete loss of detail experienced at high magnification. We can now see extremely clearly the actinolite fibers and their small structures on this type of nephrite jade from Khotan, or the Black or White Jade River region. Only in this type of Khotan nephrite jade do we see these miniature actinolite fibers over almost the entire surface. Soon we will be  doing an article on the four different basic types of Khotan nephritic structures, and the variations within them at the microscopic level. Again, the lack of soil penetration from long term burial is clearly seen, and demonstrates why we believe this artifact to be river worn to such a degree. The fuzzy area in the middle of the picture comes from the depth of field when using the microscope along with the camera. If we were to bring into clear focus the top (fuzzy) portion of the Feng Huang’s head, the remainder of the picture would then become fuzzy.

 

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using 35X Microscopic Power

This photograph takes us inside one of the design holes of the section that was created in the celadon-colored half of the nephrite jade Dragon and Feng Huang Bi. It shows the traces of one of the three remaining original drill marks on the right side of the bottom of the hole. With the extreme weathering from constant moving water and sediment, it is practically a miracle that any such traces remain after so long a period of time, and further attests to the toughness of nephrite jade and its association with being the true “Stone of Heaven”. This wonderful specimen was left entirely untouched and un-oiled as even my old body oils were removed prior to photographing, with a quick scrub with tub & tile cleaner and a toothbrush. Every picture shown has been under “honest” conditions, and the colors shown have been as true as could be humanly portrayed, without alteration or augmentation of any kind.

 

Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using 35X Microscopic Power

This final photograph shows the inside of the very small hole in this Bi. In proportion to what is usually expected in a Bi of this period, this Bi may have had a specific purpose of which we are unaware, or is currently lost in history. It might have been originally a piece of jewelry, or may have been used as a travel piece for worship while away from one’s home. Whatever its exact purpose was, it is clear that the Master who created this phenomenally well-proportioned Bi, and gave it the original polish with such intrinsic skill, intentionally drilled the hole entirely from one side only, as can be detected from the two remaining slight imperfections that are left to us to examine over 2,000 years later. One of these slight “dips” can be seen in the photo above at the midway section of the photograph. On the front side of the Bi, the hole contours in a slightly convex manner by intention. On the back of this Bi, the artist left himself a rounded little circle of a convex nature to complete his design. All in all, it is one very impressive piece of Warring States Genius, and has been an extreme pleasure to own and to wear.

David Fredericks

Antiquities, Plus…

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