TIMELESS JADE &#187; Jades Of Antiquity

Han Dynasty – Three Matching White to Celadon Jade Funeral Vessels

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:40:26 +0000

Steve & Kathleen Martinek Collection

Measurements Center Vessel: 12″ Height X 6″ Width X 2-1/2 ” Depth

Measurements Left Vessel: 10-1/2″ Height X 4-1/2″ Width X 2-1/4″ Depth

Measurements Right Vessel: 10-3/4″ Height X 4-1/2″ Width X 2-3/4″ Depth

These absolutely exquisite Later Han Dynasty Vessels (206 BCE – 220 CE) were most likely originally crafted for the Imperial family, and show all the traits known to the later Han Dynastic master carvers of nephrite jade. All three were crafted from the same large ‘mother stone’ as can easily be detected in their similar colors, translucency and patterning of the already degrading, purposefully chosen, white ‘mutton fat’ nephrite that flows throughout each of the vessels. We have never examined a set of archaic jade vessels so intricately and masterfully carved, with such attention paid to the exacting details and finish as the three featured above. While the common cut-off point for archaic jades lies unofficially at the 2,000 year-old mark, we believe these vessels were made in the later period of the Eastern Han Dynasty, as the workmanship, while still retaining some design aspects of the earlier Warring States Period and the Western Han Dynastic period, exhibit new design features not found in the older styles. In the largest vessel, we find the familiar ‘spiral patterns’ (also known in China as ‘tadpole’ patterns) as the main motif on the side panels, with a more archaic style Leiwen pattern around the top portion of the vessel and on the bottom edge of the lid. The motifs for the dragon handles are of a type of later Han style, while the dragon on the lid is also a type seen from the early Han Dynasty, and with its drilled, curling tail, even into the Warring States Period. In the left vessel we see a flower motif, on both the lid and the two handles, with exquisite piercing and attention to detail rarely seen in earlier time periods. The flowing flower patterns on the outside panels of this vessel are lightly incised and yet fluid in appearance. On the right vessel, we find the lid motif is of a very delicate Red Bird of the South, or Fenghuang (Phoenix), but we have Elephant style handles, similar to the Eastern Zhou Period, yet far more advanced stylistically, and more than rival the wonderful elephant and dragon handles of the Ming and Qing Dynasty periods. We consider these exquisite tooling efforts a furthering of the aforementioned design features and a most definite sign of continued advancement in the unbroken line of innovation, which started in China and continued unabated for at least five to six thousand years prior to when these vessels were made. For this reason, even though they may fall slightly into the CE range, we still strongly consider these magnificent vessels to be archaic, and not archaistic in nature. These vessels could well be some of last phenomenal, final advancements, stylistically, that were ever produced during the original period of uninterrupted Chinese genius which truly defines the archaic period of jade carving mastery.

Having an extreme, in-depth knowledge of these vessels, as they were originally in the the Fredericks-McIntire Collection for years prior to their sale, these were one of the first sets of archaic jade vessels we had ever acquired, and were subsequently among the first large archaic jade items we had cleaned throughly so we could better understand the damaged areas that were visible under the last repairs and coatings. Unfortunately, we did not take photographs of the vessels years ago, before we cleaned them, but as this will be another specific, in-depth article showing the ancient degradation, tooling marks, and repairs to these magnificent vessels, we will be able to show with the accompanying Macro and microscopic photography, the sequential ages for different burial periods and repairs. These three vessels have been shown at all four of our previous jade exhibits, before thousands of viewers, including our last Jade Through The Ages Show, and have been viewed by many of the world’s finest jade and jadeite geologists, aficionados, miners and some of today’s finest modern jade sculptors. As with all true masterpieces of archaic jade, these vessels have taught us much over the years, and indeed continue to teach me even more every time I view them under microscopic conditions (just as they did again while preparing this article). Even though we will do our best to portray some of these fabulous nuances in this article, they can only be truly studied, admired, and appreciated to satisfaction in person.

With these three different photographs above, we will be explaining more of the marvelous nephrite specimen components, unique design elements and structural degradation, damage and repairs that occur to authentic ancient jade items which have been burial artifacts on more than one occasion. These are just some of the areas we will be exploring in depth with the Macro and microscopic photos to come, and even though this will be the longest single article we have ever produced here on Timeless Jade, and with the most photographs, we well could have made it much, much longer, as there are literally thousands of unique areas on each and every one of the vessels. In the first close-up photograph above, we can see the same type of flowing flower motif as on the vessel with the flower lid, but the most impressive portion of this vessel is, to us, the incredible mastery of the design elements of the elephant handles. The treatment of these handles, an almost ‘gargoyl-ish’ style, and the profuse detail created by this master carver of ancient jade, is in our opinion nothing less than astounding. Some of the world’s finest modern carvers have also commented on this aspect, and the exquisite beauty of the flower handles, with their deep piercing and wonderful curling petals, calling them masterpieces of the ancient art. In both of the shorter vessels, we start to see particular aspects of Buddhistic influence beginning to appear as well, in both the flowers and the lotus blossom panels on the bottom of the vessel with the Fenghuang top, and the lotus petals on the top and bottom of the vessel with the flower top. As we will start to see with much more clarity in all the Macro and microscopic photographs to follow, the depth of degradation and types of original tooling marks still to be found in some places on the vessels will help to lead us securely to the archaic dating. In the second photograph above, we find an area on the flower-lidded vessel that shows an old repair (which would not come off with acetone and high pressure cleaning), but not the oldest repair, by far. This area was probably repaired with a lacquer glue, and in a rather quick fashion, to hide a further cracking of the vessel from a different period of extended burial than the earliest ones we will be showing later in the article. In the third photo above, we find an area of one of the flower handles which has the look of a mutton fat jade to the petal itself. This is part of the nephrite component which was purposely chosen by the master who picked this particular specimen from which to create all three vessels. It should be of no surprise to anyone with a basic knowledge of the history of jade carving from the Neolithic Period clear through to modern days in China, that the original “Stone Of Heaven” has always been used to show off its many different characteristics, and to highlight these wonderful differing structural qualities in the masterpieces of old. Yes, the White ‘Imperial’ Jade (whether mutton fat or translucent) has been desirable through different parts of China’s history, including the Han Dynasty, but throughout time, the Chinese seemed to prefer other aspects of the stone, and especially the striated and rarer characteristics that jade presents, and which, through every age, have been admired and revered. This particular nephrite stone must have been chosen for the flowing, translucent, light celadon colors running through the already-degrading white nephrite. Because of the uniqueness of its character and the power such vessels would convey (this incorporation of naturally degrading white nephrite into important figures and vessels has been well established during the Han Dynasty), these vessels must have been extremely cherished items when they were first made. We will be doing an article this Fall showing an exquisite Han Dynasty Horse in our collection made just this way, with green and degrading white jade.In the three Macro photographs above, we see at 1X, 2X and 3X respectively, an extremely old, dark, red-lacquer-repaired area on the bottom of the flower-lidded vessel. This area shows all the true, original degradation which has occurred to the jade since the early Han Dynastic period. While the earliest re-cutting marks can best be seen in the first photograph above (as the upper two lines to the left of the lacquer-repaired crack, and the lowest line to either side, below the chipped-out area lying to right of the old lacquer repair), the original (middle) line crossing the repair is much more degraded, as this area (as in all successive re-cutting and re-polishing attempts) must have been considered too fragile to re-work. Because of the natural degradation to these re-cut areas of the design, we know the item had to have seen long-term re-burial, as we will show in many successive photos. As this is one of the group of oldest original repairs (of the several different time-eras during which these vessels have undergone repairs), we would consider them to have been performed sometime between the Song Dynasty to very early Ming Dynasty period, with the earliest dating more likely, in our opinion. This deep degradation has occurred in one of the original lightly- degraded white jade areas, as described above, and subsequently endured the greatest degree of natural breakdown of the nephrite components.

With these three Macro photographs above, taken at 1X, 2X and 3X respectively, we are looking at the latest black-lacquer repair, estimated to be in the late Qing Dynasty or early Republic Period (please note the silica, or quartz temper added to the lacquer in all three photos). It is in an area at the bottom of the flower-top vessel, as seen in the first photo, and shown in the close-up photograph in the fifth photo. At the bottom of the vessel, this crack meets up with the older repaired crack (shown in the first set of Macro photos), and this side most assuredly runs cross-grain to the natural flowing structure of the jade, best seen in the first photo above. The three photos here are of a place where the naturally occurring degraded white jade meets with a much harder mutton fat white jade, and adjoins to the translucent celadon (also, seen best in photo one). This area could be a re-cracking of the original that just needed additional repair, but much more likely was part of spreading crack that had continued, following the initial trauma shock which caused the vessel to break in the first place. All three vessels will be shown to have had the same massive trauma breakage and original repairs at an early date. Subsequent repairs were needed at differing times because the first damage must have precipitated additional hairline fractures which continued to grow after later burial, further shocks, and the expansion and contraction effects of freezing and thawing. All modern jade artists know of these natural fracture zones in almost all nephrite, and have to assure they cut and work the stone so as to not cause too much vibration to these natural areas of chatoyancy, or risk cracking the nephrite while working it. All three of these vessels are extremely thin-walled and deeply hollowed, which upon burial, put them immediately at extreme risk of damage over long periods of time. The fact that most of the major fractures in all three vessels cross these naturally-occurring fracture zones in the jade, tells us much about the type of sideways force they had to have endured to break the way they did. Whether by earthquake, falling beams of wood in the tomb, or some other violent event, something caused all three vessels to fracture at a point in time long ago (and most assuredly they would have been originally placed in close proximity in the first tomb). Under microscopic conditions, the fracture, as shown in the area above, came from the same shock inflicted on the other side of the vessel, but probably developed fully at a later date than the one shown in the first Macro photos. The degradation following the fracture lines is less on the side above, and is not all accounted for by the solidity of the stone (even in the more naturally degraded white portions of this crack, there is not the degree of degradation as seen on the other side).

In the two photographs above, we are looking at the ancient dark red lacquer repairs on the vessel with the fenghuang lid and the elephant handles (the lighter red coloring will be explained later in the microscopic photographs). When we first received these three vessels, they were covered in the obligatory mud that seems to be a mandatory treatment on anything restored in China. We suppose it is a cultural thing, and has to do with artistic license on the restoration of truly authentic items, much as it does in the final preparations of total replications. Under this mud, we found new red coloring which came off quickly in acetone. What remained after spraying with our high pressure water gun was all original. However, in this article, you will see bits of remaining newer wax (and what it looks like after being in acetone) and a tiny piece of the last fake red that was put on the vessels (as a sort of ‘dressing’ under the mud) in some of the microscopic photos to follow. In the first photograph above, we see the original red, cinnabar-stained lacquer-repair to the top rim area of the elephant-handled vessel. These were extremely beautifully-repaired cracks when they were originally done some approximately 500-1,000 years ago. In the second photo above, we are looking down into the same vessel and seeing the cross-grained cracking which had to have occurred from a violent shock, as nephrite just does not break this way naturally, and because of its very fibrous nature will not crack at all (even moving up to the surface from 30 miles below, where it forms) unless it is subjected to massive tectonic pressures. All of these vessels were originally masterfully designed and prepared so that all the natural fissures ran vertically – this would make the core drilling and the snapping-off of the cores (to prepare the insides for the finishing process) much easier, and would not have damaged the vessel under the low vibrational turning-and-snapping-off of the cores in the original-style drilling. If the stone had been worked with the grain going ‘sideways’, the pieces could not have withstood the process; ancient Chinese masters knew of this for millennia before these vessels were made. To manifest the type of cross-grain cracking we see in these and other photos to come required a massive amount of pressure (even on these thinly walled vessels), and the fact that they held together attests to the marvelous ability of nephrite jade to hold up under such enormous stress. Any other type of stone, such as quartz or even jadeite, would most likely have shattered to pieces under such pressure, but the nephrite jade vessels held together so repairs could be made and the exquisite examples still be shown almost 2,000 years after their creation.

In the three Macro photographs above (taken at 1X, 2X and 3X), we are looking at a portion of the largest vessel, with the dragon motifs, taken near the bottom of the vessel as seen in the first two photographs of this article. The entire side of this magnificent vessel was originally almost totally translucent, light celadon in color with a beautiful, partially-degraded white mutton-fat, elongated area to the viewer’s left. It must have originally made a stunning finished piece with this mutton-fat counterpart and the larger mutton-fat area on the opposite side, contrasting with the translucent light celadon. Some of the tooling marks seen in all three photos above are re-cuts, and some of the tips of these re-cut designs are original. What we find most fascinating about this area is the way the massive shock broke this section of the vessel horizontally, while the rest of this vessel broke vertically. In fact, it is the only one of the three vessels that broke completely, and was restored originally from two pieces. The vertical break on this vessel is so ‘clean’ and was repaired originally so tightly with the old dark red lacquer glue, that it was impossible to tell it was there until the vessel was cleaned. The original impact point seems to be just to the right of the pictures above and was what caused the clean, full, vertical break and the horizontal fracture running off from it. The point-of-impact breakage will be shown in the following three Macro lens photos. As can be seen in the first photo above, this area was where the white mutton-fat jade met the celadon (as seen in the top right corner of the photo). Also of note is the spreading, brown degradation to the original break, best seen in photos one and two above. This means that the vessel lay broken, and the degradation to the crack had been picking up soil intrusions in the shattered area of the less-tightly-fibered, partially-degraded mutton fat portion of the original stone, for a long time before the vessel was first uncovered. This is only produced by extended time in burial conditions, as is all the through-degradation seen on all three of the vessels. We have never seen this type of deep, through-degradation on any item from the Liao or Song Dynasty, and certainly never from the Ming to Qing Dynasty. Degradation occurs in true burial objects from those periods and will vary with soil conditions and moisture content from the burial area, but after viewing thousands of specimens under microscopic conditions, we have never seen deep, through-penetration except on true archaic pieces. This authentic through-degradation can not be achieved by the modern replicators using even the most caustic of acids or alkalis, and certainly not by fire burning. The black spots in the old dark red lacquer repair are the start of manganese growth, building up on top of the old lacquer glue repair, and are another indication of an extremely old repair (as will be explained with further microscopic photographs).

In the three Macro photos above (taken at 1X, 2X and 3X), we are looking at what we believe is the main impact spot that caused this vessel to break in half and send the side-fracture off horizontally. My personal belief, after studying these vessels over the years, is that some sort of earth tremor had occurred in the vicinity of the original burial. This earth tremor caused the vessels to fall over on their sides, and whatever struck them caused all three vessels to break at that time, or after another not-too-much-later earth tremor. All three vessels show the major impact was to only one side of each vessel, and the extremely delicate lids were not damaged during the impact. If all three vessel had indeed fallen over prior to the impact, the lids would have fallen off, as all such vessels have extremely shallow grooving into which the lids fit. This would explain the damage to the vessels, and not the lids, because they were no longer standing upright. If they were standing upright, the major damage would have occurred to the tops of the vessels, as we have seen on other archaic vessels we own (some having their entire lids replaced, most likely during the Ming Dynasty period). (Some of these other types of vessels and the natural damage they incurred will be brought to light in future articles here on Timeless Jade). In the three photographs above, the main impact point occurred in the center of the large vessel in a place where the jade was all tightly-fibered, translucent, light celadon, progressing to a darker celadon. The piece we see in the middle is actually a chip out of the vessel from the impact break, which was recovered and lacquered back into place during the original restoration. The re-polished portion seen in the first photograph above is part of the last re-cutting and re-polishing efforts from approximately the late Qing Dynasty era, as some remnants of white re-cutting marks still show in some of the re-tooling of the spiral, or tadpole, motifs on the side of the vessel. Some later tooling marks (most likely modern era) can be found in a few places, most notably of the ‘feathers’ on the dragon handles, but these are minor touch-ups and very few exist on any of the vessels. The great majority of re-polishing marks over all the vessels have the smoothed, aged look of hand re-polished late Qing Dynasty jade, with natural wear evident since the vessels were last re-polished. In all three photos above, we can see the obvious re-tooling marks, yet in the center piece, which was repaired, we find original degradation to the stone and original tooling marks in the curl of its spiral. The thinness of the original vessel is shown beautifully in the final photo above, where the lighting caught it just right, and the through-degradation can also be seen just to the left of the chip in the whitened, degraded jade. Also of note are the small areas around the cracking that have long ago begun the iron oxidation process of turning the light iron-impregnated celadon jade to a more red iron oxide color (as not all the red is from the old red lacquer glue – best seen in the last photo). These vessels most likely came originally from a fairly dry area such as North-Central China, due to the lack of extensive iron oxidation on the vessels (which would have been more the case in a wetter burial area). Without actually being there, one can never know for certain, but sometimes it is fun to speculate.In these last three photographs taken with the Macro lens at 1X, 2X and 3X respectively, we are looking at old cinnabar wax that was applied to the vessels when they were first repaired with the original red lacquer glue hundreds of years ago. Initially, I believed these darker cinnabar coatings to be part of the original construction of the vessel, as it has been well-documented in the old Neolithic Periods that mercury sulfides (mostly unique to China) and iron oxides have been put into tombs on old burial jades, and indeed rubbed into and still remain on the jades and other stone items carved during those periods (the iron oxide coatings have been documented all over the world on differing artifacts, and from a suffusionist vs. diffusionist standpoint, during exactly the same time periods). (Additionally, we have another set of white Han Dynasty vessels which also show bits of original red cinnabar on one of the vessels). However, I now believe these old cinnabar coatings were added during the time of the first repair, the original vessels having been devoid of any coatings, showing only their original decorations. What we are seeing in the above three photographs will be explained better when we go to the microscopic photos to follow, but we now believe these were added to off-set the red lacquer repairs and draw the eyes away from the repaired cracks. Much of this original application of red cinnabar has since been subsequently worn off and never replaced after the vessels were recovered from their secondary burial, after initial repair. In the photographs above, we are also looking at a very tight section of the mutton fat portion of the jade, and what true, exquisite, “old polish” looks like, devoid of any artificial waxes or other unnatural coatings.

In the first three of the microscopic photographs above, we see the area on the large dragon vessel, which was broken in half, at the upper part of the vessel itself, where the crack runs through the Leiwen pattern. All you see in these photographs is original tooling marks and original degradation to the once-perfect, tightly fibered light celadon nephrite jade. The old, dark red lacquer repair can be seen in the first photograph at 10X power – the second photo at 20X power and the third at 30X power (we will be using these three different powers throughout the rest of this article, except where noted). This portion of the vessel shows the old mastery of how lacquer repairs were so exquisitely performed and re-joined back together. It also shows why we have never seen a glue that is so versatile and long-lasting, that even extended soakings in acetone or years under additional burial do not break down the bonds of this phenomenal substance. We have pieces we have soaked in acetone for two months or more, and they come out of the acetone looking just as they did when they went in. On this portion of the break, it was such a ‘clean break’ that they only had to apply the lacquer-glue to the surface of the crack, and then apply pressure. In other areas, like the top of the flower- lidded vessel, they had to spread it over the growing cracks, and the old red lacquer penetrated the already slightly re-polished, degraded jade (which is what we saw at the top of the aforementioned photograph above); this is why the entire area of repair remains, to this day, stained with the red coloring. More on this effect will come in following microscopic photographs.In the above four photographs, taken at 10X, 20X, 30X and 45X microscopic power, we find one of the only fully matured manganese crystalline growths on any of the vessels. This portion is on the large, dragon-lidded vessel, just to the left of the horizontal crack that developed along with the vertical crack through the entire vessel. This minute manganese growth lies inside one of the spirals, just to the far left edge of the vessel, and is another reason we believe the burial area to have been somewhere in the North-Central part of China, as it is a drier area and we rarely find any manganese on pieces associated with this region. While looking at many items from the Hongshan area, we rarely find manganese growths, and when we do, they are almost always extremely small like the one above. The area above is in almost ‘in-situ’ condition, and has barely been touched by any of the restorers that have worked on these vessels. Under microscopic examination, the entire area around the one photographed above shows no signs of re-polishing or additional coating of the red cinnabar waxes. It lies in the area of the originally lightly-degraded mutton fat jade, and is extremely pitted from long-term burial. The tooling marks are original to the period when the vessel was made (estimated at between 100-200 CE). The red areas we do see in the photographs are a condition of the white mutton fat jade being penetrated by iron oxides, either before the stone was first cut or during its long internment in burial (but most likely the earlier). The dirt seen inside some of the tooling marks in the spiral could be of an age from the subsequent burials, but due to the cleanings these vessels have endured, we believe this adhered dirt is at least from the secondary burial, somewhere between 500 and 1,000 years ago. Only in the left of the first photograph above can we see some of the remnants of the old red-lacquer repair glue, as this vessel never received the red cinnabar treatment the other two vessels have undergone (particularly the one with the elephant handles). The most likely reason for this is that this larger vessel was never cracked as much as the smaller vessels were, and mainly had only the full fissure running all the way through it, and the small horizontal crack which flows into the already white portions with red-oxidized areas, which can be found on all four sides, and the inverted foot on this vessel.

In the above three microscopic photographs (shown at 10X, 20X and 30X power), we are looking at one of the top curls, coming off of one of the dragon handles on the large vessel. This is the only other small original repair to this vessel, as this portion broke off most likely during the initial trauma many years ago. The bottom tip of the degrading mutton fat jade dragon handle had broken off sometime in the past and was never repaired, but only smoothed by re-polishing. The small piece that had broken off must never have been found, as one of the restorers just shortened the tail of the dragon on the other side to match the length of the broken one. The degradation to this area is most likely secondary, as it is not as deep as is found in other portions of the celadon jade, and adds to our conclusion of a lengthy secondary burial. Natural Ming Dynasty degradation of burial jades can easily reach the degree we see above, but usually we would find it coming from a wetter area than where we believe these vessels derived. However, we do believe this surface was re-polished originally, and left alone during the third re-polishing of the vessel (most likely during the late Qing Dynasty). An original ‘starting’ drill mark can be discerned just on the inside of the lip in this curl above. These occur as the initial drilling is usually a bit more unstable and the drill ‘walks’ a bit as the hole is started, only to stabilize more as the hole gets deeper and there is more jade mass around the drill bit. The drilling techniques used to originally make these vessels was very refined and masterfully accomplished, for their age.In these last three microscopic photographs of the large dragon motif vessel, we are looking at the tail portion of the dragon which adorns the top of the lid. The spiral tooling which made this tail was accomplished by very careful drilling, and has been noted on pieces dating from at least the Eastern Zhou Period, but the technique probably goes further back to at least the Shang Dynasty (as will be shown in a future article soon). What we are seeing in the above three photographs has been explained here in other articles, and in our last article on old beads at our Timeless Artifact web site. These spirals are first being formed with coarse grit, used to create the deep grooves into an already ‘roughed out’ design. If these coarse tooling marks are not completely abraded away in the polishing process, they will leave unseen marks at the time of first construction because the coarser grits damage the micro-structure under the surface of the nephrite jade. As the jade degrades, it is these damaged areas which receive the most penetration by water, and are therefore more susceptible to the ravages of expansion and contraction, due to freezing and thawing conditions. Thus, they will continue to degrade in a manner that often allows them to still be detected even after original polishing and subsequent re-polishings, at a later date with finer grit material. In all three photographs above, these original drilling marks can be seen at 10X, 20X and 30X power respectively.

In the four photographs above, we have a full close-up view in the first photo of the area in which the three microscopic photographs were taken. These photos were all taken on the flower-lidded vessel of one of the exquisitely pierced flower handles. This is the side in which the white, partially degraded, mutton fat jade was first incorporated into the design. The red staining on this flower is due to the cinnabar waxes being added hundreds of years ago and penetrating the degrading mutton fat jade. Its full coating having been long lost, what we see here is the remnants that have penetrated the more porous sections of the white jade. On the other side of this vessel we do not see this type of penetration on the tighter grained celadon jade flower. Even while being worn off naturally and by at least one subsequent re-polishing in the late Qing Dynastic period, the penetration went deep and still remains today. Also, some portions of the mutton fat colored jade are tighter-fibered than other parts and do not retain the coloring, as it never could penetrate as deeply as it did in the already slightly degraded portions. In the microscopic photographs above, we are looking inside the center hole of the flower at the original drill tooling marks, and the way they have degraded over extended burial periods. Some minuscule manganese crystalline growths can also be observed in the microscopic photos, and are best seen in the third photograph above. Again, this hole is one that most likely was re-polished during the initial repairing of the vessel, but not all the old tooling marks were completely removed during this process, which led to the penetration of the cinnabar-based waxes into the more porous parts of the jade.In the four photographs above, we are showing the full, close-up photo of the flower-lid, and three microscopic photographs of the hole drilled inside the flower, on the lid of the vessel. The top, full photo shows just how fine the light celadon portion of these amazing vessels was. The translucency and flowing aspects of this phenomenal creation illuminate the delicacy and mastery of the finest work in the later Han Dynasty period, and explains why these types of vessels have been copied, to one degree or another, ever since the original Chinese masters effectively set the standards for almost all jade carving achieved by the later Dynasties. In the three microscopic photographs above, we can again see the original drill-tooling marks, only this time defined by dirt residues that have adhered to the inside drilling marks from its earliest burial. While other portions of the lid and vessel had been re-polished and coated from the damage that had occurred during the initial burial, and the secondary repair and re-polishing, along with the last modern ‘touch-up’, the hole in this amazing flower lid was left untouched during all three of the restorations of which we have evidence. The lid on this vessel alone reminds us of the finest delicate works of the Liao, Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is truly a sensational piece to view all on its own, and when coupled with all the other magnificent works on all three of the vessels, they truly become a ‘tour de’ force’ of the late archaic period. As mentioned earlier in this article, they can only be fully appreciated when viewing in person and under controlled microscopic conditions.In the three microscopic photographs above, we are looking at one of the extremely damaged areas on the lip of the inside rim on the Fenghuang-lidded and elephant-handled vessel. This vessel sustained the most damage of the three in the initial trauma event which was explained above. The small area above shows where five to six minuscule cracks all come together at the top of the lid, and were originally red- lacquer-glued together in the first restoration. The bright red spot (best seen in the last photo to the left) is all that is left of the modern re-coloring agent which was under the mud when we first acquired the vessels. The whitish, cloudy areas around the cracked portion are the remnants of the modern wax that covered everything except the exterior mud , which had been recently applied and came off immediately with soap, water and a toothbrush. The wax had turned white (as all newer waxes do in the acetone) and along with some minor recutting of some of the spirals and some of the Leiwen patterns on the large dragon vessel, show the only attempts to work on these vessels during modern times. In the cracked area above, we again see the original red lacquer repair used hundreds of years ago, and the old tooling marks left from smoothing this area, once it had been glued back together. It is easy to notice in the last photographs especially, the wear these old tooling marks have undergone, and while not original to the making of the vessel, still attest to the old age of the repair. The pitting of the original jade (under the red lacquer repair) at the top of the first photo above, exactly matches the pitting and wear we see inside the Fenghuang lid and the flower top lid.

In the last four photographs above, we have the lid in the first close up photo, of the Fenghuang, elephant-handled vessel, and three microscopic photographs (at 10X, 20X and 30X) of the different tooling marks found on the ‘feathers’ of the Fenghuang , in just one area. While the entire lid of this exquisite vessel is as wonderfully worked as the last flower topped vessel we were looking at, in these closing photos we will be concentrating on the feathers of the Phoenix as they are where the most crucial aspects for dating and authentication can be found. The lid itself is a fine mixture of tightly-fibered mutton fat white fade and extremely translucent celadon jade. All three of the microscopic photos above come from the exact same area of design on this bird. In the first photograph, we can see the white mutton fat jade more clearly, and the areas where the feathers are worn all the way through over time and re-polishing. In the second photograph, we can see (with the light dimming) a more light-celadon coloring, but our main focus is on the tooling marks that made the feathering. In the upper portion of the photo, look for the minute remnants of an original tooling mark; others can also be seen in the first microscopic photograph as faint lines just above the bottom one in the more whitened area. In the second microscopic photo above, most of the lower feather tooling marks were re-cut when the vessel was first repaired, and have semi-polished over time. However, the top two cuts to the right in this second microscopic photo at 20X power were not re-cut, and must have been deemed deep enough to leave alone by the master restorers of the period. In the third microscopic photograph above, taken at 30X power, we can see the extreme difference in the four ancient re-cut feather marks, and the one they missed; the second cut mark from the viewer’s right. This tooling mark is original to the lid, and shows much more natural wear and pitting along its edges. Also, right under the two feathers, just to the left of the original one, when looking down inside the edge you will see original tooling marks left from the piercing and smoothing of this area of the tail on the Fenghuang.

In closing, this most amazing, matching set of Eastern Han Dynasty vessels is truly a marvel of the master designers’ and carvers’ art of the late archaic period. To have been able to work with these pieces over such a long period of time has been a joy and an honor, and a learning experience that never ceases. So many more fine photographs had to be edited out to make this article of readable and enjoyable length that it is a bit of a shame, but then, there were thousands more that could have been taken. We hope you enjoyed this article.

Full photographs taken with Canon EOS XSI using Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L Lens

Macro photographs were taken with Canon EOS XSi using Canon MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Lens

Microscopic photographs were taken with Canon EOS XSI under microscopic powers indicated

David Fredericks — Yulongwei

Beautiful Ming Dynasty Nephrite Jade Courtesan Figure

admin — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 22:45:03 +0000

Sam Gitchel Family Collection Ming Dynasty Courtesan

Measurements: 10″ Height X 4-1/2″ Width X 1-1/2″ Depth

With the above two photographs of this exquisitely modeled Chinese, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE) Courtesan Fine Lady, we have the final two photographs taken for this article, after all cleaning and examinations were completed. Having been verified over two two years ago and displayed during our 2009 Jade Art Now Show and last year’s Jade Through The Ages Show, we have decided to explain to the public just what most real old jade figures go through in the course of their long histories. These first two photos show this masterpiece of Ming-era carving after all cleaning has been finished – waxes removed, all old damage identified and re-repaired, and all three different ages of tooling marks identified and documented under microscopic conditions. It is when we read of pieces having “old polish” that makes us smile, when we can not figure out how anyone could tell “old polish” when a item is covered with wax. As you will see in this article (and as several people have told us they are afraid to do, because of what they might find after spending ‘good money’ on a piece of white jade with “old polish”), it is the only way to truly identify and correctly date waxed pieces using newer carving techniques (and almost all archaistic and archaic styles, as they have truly gotten so good at replicating, and dying the replications). Wax, while being one of the only coverings allowed on both nephrite jade and jadeite so that it can remain what is termed “Type A” (undyed and untreated), and still cover new tooling marks so they can not be seen by the naked eye, or even under a true 30 power loupe, is used to make the jade carvings shine more and cover up small imperfections which occur naturally in both jadeite and nephrite after the carving and final polishing stages. Polymers and centrifuged dyes and waxes would make a piece a “Type B” – ‘treated’ nephrite or jadeite. On the piece above, we have used what we feel is the best treatment for an old carving, a mixture of coconut and camellia oils, which allow the stone to “stay alive” and yet be cleaned off in minutes if a re-verification should ever be required. Though they are rarely thought of in this manner, both nephrite and jade are porous, and as such, absorb moisture and are similar to wood, in that they both need to be kept moist to stay in optimal stability. One white nephrite boulder we brought in from China weighed 78 pounds when it first arrived here in the desert. When we sold this boulder to Georg Schmerholz of Jade Fine Art two weeks later, it weighed 68 pounds after losing 10 lbs of water weight here in the dry Tucson desert heat. Obviously, we are not admirers of waxes on old pieces as they keep the old stones dry, and thus, more prone to fracture. The current oils on the wonderful Courtesan will be absorbed, and more coatings will be applied as needed, until it slows down its absorption – like the ‘old way’, pieces can be lovingly touched and cared for, and true, natural polishing will occur. [Note: The newer white tooling marks can easily be re-polished, using finer grits, by any competent nephrite jade carver, either in the US or China.]

In the three photographs above, we see full views of the Courtesan after we decided to do the article on this fine Chinese masterpiece of true period art. Upon initial verification over two years ago, we had very little time to soak the item in acetone and do a truly proper cleaning before it had its first showing. We did find the more recently broken-off piece from the back, as can be seen on the stand in photos one and two. We re-glued it and oiled it for its first showings, after verifying both the original tooling marks and newer tooling marks, as will be seen in additional photos. For this article, we felt a complete cleaning was in order, and it spent over a month in pure acetone to soften both the latest waxes (approximately 25-50 years ago) and the ones we believe were put on prior to this, in what was most likely late Qing Dynasty Era or the early Republic Period. After the waxes were softened sufficiently, we shot all of the remaining wax off with our power sprayer (powerful enough to cut through skin). Caution must be used while using this type of spray gun so one does not harm either oneself or ‘blow’ old degraded jade off a true old artifact. On this particular piece, the nephrite jade is of the finest Khotan-Hetian quality – extremely dense in its fibering, and as pure as Khotan jade gets. This quality of stone sells for in excess of of $100.00 per gram in China today; for the top artisans who carve it, it is worth the expense. The black lacquer repairs seen in the cracks will be explained as we proceed further into the article.

For those interested, Mr. Sam Gitchel of River Blossom Jade acquired the magnificent sculpture some 10 years ago, in a trade with an elderly Chinese man from California, for one of his phenomenal California Botryoidal Nephrite Jade specimens.With these first four close-up photographs above, several of the features that we will be examining in depth with the microscopic photographs are starting to be visible. The stylistic features of a true Ming Dynasty classic can be seen in all the photographs above — the lack of deep piercing to the subject, the thinness in depth (front to back thickness of material) of the Courtesan (similar to what we believe are Ming period Indo-China Jadeite pieces in our last article), and the fine treatment of Royal Court dress, but without the deeper detailing known especially in the 18Th Century. After the intensive cleaning this wonderful sculpture underwent, we see the white new tooling marks starting to show up in detail where it had been re-cut only (and not re-polished) the last time this piece was touched, and before the last wax was applied to obscure these newer tooling marks. This is very typical of more recently re-cut pieces, and also modern pieces made in the 18Th Century style. Remove the wax on a modern reproduction of a Qianlong era piece and this new, whiter tooling is all you will see in the grooves, especially in the finest of cuts. The great replicators know how to sand through the cuts in hair and other fine areas to make it look as if the piece were indeed old and worn by handling and cleaning over time, but at the edges of these sanded-through ‘worn’ areas, one will find the white tooling marks of modern tools extending right up to the intentionally worn-looking areas. However, on this magnificent piece, we see true old wear appearing along with the repairs that often accompany authentic old pieces, as real old pieces many times had to be moved or buried during times of war, or withstood earthquakes, or were just subjected to the same things that happen today; risks of having them around children and dogs and etc. These factors are not ‘de-valuators’, but rather , in our opinion, authenticators – old pieces are old and show their age well.

All above photos taken with Canon EOS XSi using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens

The three photographs above were each taken to show differing aspects of what we will be going into, much more in depth, in the microscopic photos to follow. In the first photo, the lens was trained on the hair lines to begin to show how true natural wear appears (even though most – but not all – of these have been slightly re-cut at differing times). In the second photo above, we have a close-up picture of a once old-black- lacquer-stabilized crack that had been broken off entirely, and repaired in recent times using modern glue that dissolved within a day in the acetone; most likely, it was repaired around the time the last re-cutting was done, and the fragment is shown on the stand in some of the photos above. In the last picture above, we see two different types of old damage on the bottom of the Courtesan, with one being to the viewer’s extreme left; that piece, which was once lacquered on, has been lost for a long time, and its break surface has been worn smooth over time, and has the more botryoidal look an old nephrite jade fracture. The second damaged area occurs not only here in the bottom, as can be seen in the old black lacquer repaired cracks, but on other parts of the figure, as can be easily seen in many of the previous photographs.

All remaining photos taken with Canon EOS XSI at 10-20-30X microscopic power unless otherwise noted.

In the three above photographs, we are looking at the newest re-cut area of the flower on the necklace around the Courtesan figure’s neck. As you will see in following microscopic photos, these areas have most likely seen a past re-cutting, though not quite as deeply as were these last ones. This is extremely common on old figures, and should almost be considered the ‘rule’ when viewing old period pieces of jade. While there are always exceptions, and some 100% original items do exist, almost all truly old jades have had some degree of re-cutting and re-polishing. The reason for this is that nephrite jade (even being the ‘toughest’ stone) will still wear, and all old pieces received wear. It was common in the old days to not deeply cut grooves and designs, and even if items were pierced, the fine lines we see on the designs were never cut that deeply. So, we have wear from minor dusting over long periods, wear to toggles and jewelry from use, wear from fondling, and wear from degradation and tectonic movement in burials, etc. Wear on old artifacts is what one would expect to see. In the photographs above, the newest tooling marks, probably dating back to around the 1950′s, are rather crude and were done with a coarse abrasive, as it must have been planned to only heighten the effect of the design, while knowing that the new waxes would hide all indications of such re-working (which they did). Other re-tooling was done at an earlier date but by someone with a much subtler touch and finer tooling knowledge. These second tooling marks were most likely done when the damaged jade figure was first fixed with the black lacquer. It is in the extreme whiteness of the marks in the photos above that we can see the newer work – new scratches look white no matter the color of the jade or jadeite being worked, and unless coated or polished away, will always appear white. With oiling and care and light polishing over time, even these scratches will disappear with wear (as the oils applied now have done, while still keeping the stone ‘alive’).

In the three photographs above, we are looking at a small portion at the top of the Courtesan’s belt, just above what would have been a jade ‘Bi’ style decoration. The black piece we see in the center of the first photo is where a small piece of jade had come off, most likely in the event which damaged the Courtesan. As we are looking through the photographs, we can start to see the tight fibering of the nephrite as previously described, and while it is not uncommon for even 2,000-year-old pieces to have had natural, minuscule cracks that have up-taken surrounding minerals from burial, and still remained intact, this Courtesan was, at one time, subjected to a huge amount of pressure in order for it to have shattered like it did. As described earlier, this figure was made from an extremely fine nephrite specimen, and while it could have had some natural, minute fissures from its long tumbling down either the White or Black Jade Rivers, it would not have had this type of pressure cracks and still been able to withstand the formation process, from boulder to finished work. Most of these cracks came long after the piece was finished, and from a source of blunt trauma to the bottom of the Courtesan. The nephrite itself shows almost no chatoyancy, and it could have had undetected layering from when the nephrite was first formed and then cooled. The fact that this stone took such heavy pressure damage, and did not shatter some of the finer detail work, attests to the remarkable quality of the original nephrite stone. To sustain such damage to the bottom portion, in my view, would be equivalent to someone dropping the figure from a five story building onto a solid rock surface. Despite whatever caused the damage that led to the need for the old lacquer repairs, the figure’s minute fractures have held together remarkably, and perhaps for as long as 500 years.

In the first picture above, we can also see the newest tooling marks easily as the whitish area just to the top of the replaced black piece, as we can in the re-grooved areas at the top of the belt. Two more interesting features which we can discern are the remains of the original Ming- period coarser grit marks (in the original grooving at the bottom of photo three), and the remnants of very old, clear wax in chipped-out areas around the black spot and other lacquer repairs in the lower left of the bottom photo. This old wax is most likely from the period of the Qing Dynasty when the Courtesan was first lightly re-cut and re-polished. This we will see in following microscopic photos showing only the fine details being re-cut, with no signs at all of re-polishing marks on the main portions of the figure.

In the above three photographs, we are looking at the old lacquer-glue stabilization to the cracked portion of a fold in the Courtesan’s dress that finally broke off completely in recent times, and was re-glued back on when we first received the figure for authentication. Old lacquer glues are never effected by acetone, or any other solvent we have ever tried. We have repaired this area (as can be seen in the second photo, at the beginning of this article) with Paleo Bond, and it is extremely secure, but can still be removed for examination. It would be our best observation that even this slight break took a blunt force trauma to finish breaking it the rest of the way, as it appears that the stone was still very secure by the way the break had occurred, and the fact that the old lacquer glue never penetrated the old crack very deeply, as it has in some of the other cracks on the bottom; in fact, some of the lacquer is missing from the deeper cracks, most likely due to long-time wear, popping out of the cracks (not from acetone cleaning, and not from abrasives).

In the three photographs above, we will start to see more of the true indicators of Ming Dynasty age, and the fibrous density of the grey/white Khotan-Hetian nephrite that held this masterpiece together through such trauma. The latest re-cutting marks do not appear on this portion of the fine hair lines at the top of the Courtesan. There are a few minor, recent re-cut marks to a couple of the fingers on this figure in an attempt to re-make some of her fingernails, but most of the fingers and hair marks were left alone. With the fingers, they were just too fine and worn to put new marks on, and the last person who worked on this marvelous piece lacked the skill of the ancients. In photo one above, we see true old wear and true “old polish”, in the fact that when these hair lines were re-cut, they were gently done in the old style, leaving the tips of the original Ming Dynasty marks untouched. Many true, old master restorers would always leave areas untouched for the real experts in China to know whether the piece they were touching was authentic. Chinese experts for thousands of years have been able to tell by touch and feel alone if a piece is authentic, and it is why it is said in China, “you must have touched a thousand real pieces to be an expert”. You can identify in the above photographs the approximate late Qing Dynasty re-cutting marks by their still-white appearance, and the original tooling marks by their much softer appearance. The Qing re-cuts are already starting to naturally polish out, but the Ming dynasty marks have aged (even though not fully polished out originally) with the rest of the stone. The tiny tips of the remaining hair lines are naturally polished out from wear over time. In the bottom two photographs above we can see at 20X and 30X microscopic power how one line was deep enough originally to not be considered necessary to re-groove; however, the line above must have been shallower to begin with, and needed a bit of re-cutting. We can also see how the older line has polished out more naturally, over centuries of handling and cleaning. The two different grooves, from both periods, would have looked very similar to begin with, but at different times.We find in this same general area with the hair lines, a wonderfully in-situ area showing what authentic Ming Dynasty wear should look like after 500 years as a revered item, not showing any signs of burial degradation. In the first photograph, taken at 10X microscopic power, we can still some of the later Qing Dynasty tooling marks where the whitened areas are, to the right of the photo. In the second and third photos (taken at higher magnifications), we see only the original Ming Dynasty tooling marks and all the natural wear that they have incurred over the centuries. It is in this area that we can see that the original period grooves were not as deep as those we find in modern pieces, using modern diamond cutting tools. The cuts are much softer and more rounded. This is why the later Qing masters would re-cut some of the grooves – to show the piece better – and why they re-cut and re-polished old burial jades, as old burial jade starts to look like river rocks from the degradation incurred from internment; in short, to make the stone shine again and bring out the details, while still leaving the original design intact. The pitting inside the groove of the partial hair line is as natural as it gets for an unburied Ming Dynasty original tooling mark – showing authentic wear and natural pitting of the nephrite from the salts and acids associated with touch from human hands. This piece has seen no acid-etching, no high-alkaline-etching, and no attempt at torching to make the Courtesan look old and degraded. It is truly old and has all the markings of an authentic, worn, revered item of the high aristocracy, in which even the damaged areas were repaired and revered, and if it could talk, what a story it could tell!

In the three photographs above, we are seeing two different types of black applications and two different periods of tooling marks. The area photographed is an original drill hole in the finely carved ribbons, towards the viewer’s left side, bottom of the dress on this magnificent Courtesan figure. The black spot in the middle of this recently re-cut hole appears to be of the same type of black lacquer, still left over from the ancient repair that we see at the bottom of each photo, but it is not. The top black spot is part of the later Qing Dynasty restoration, which will be better explained in the three photographs to follow. The main aspect of these three photos is the extremely white new tooling marks from the recent (maybe 50 year old) re-cutting, and the original Ming Dynasty tooling marks, covered in the original black lacquer from when this exquisite figure was repaired hundreds of years ago. There is a marked difference, as can easily be seen, between the new re-cutting marks and the original deep grooves from the coarse grits used to drill this hole some 500 years ago. We can easily see the much more rounded grooves of an old original tooling method, worked slowly with the coarser grit material, under much slower drilling speeds. In the last re-cut, we can see they just missed this portion, but the method used for drilling was with coarse grits at a much higher speed. This is what has left the whitened tooling marks, and the more ‘shattered’ look to the nephrite surface. Both the black spot in the middle and the remaining Ming Dynasty marks are in deeper depressions and survived the new re-cutting.

In the three photographs above, we are looking at an area on the finely-made ‘feather fan’ the Courtesan is holding in her right hand. It is quite apparent under microscopic conditions that this area was re-grooved in the later Qing Dynasty, as can be seen easiest (by the newer whitish grooves of the feathers) in the first two photos at 10X and 20X respectively. The black in the horizontal groove just below the feather cuts is the same type of black paint that was shown in the last photographs above as the little black spot in the center of the drill hole. This was most likely an attempt at ‘artistic license’ to highlight the feathers of the fan and other areas of the Courtesan. It would have made a beautiful contrast to the originally black lacquered repairs, and helped to attract one’s eyes to the details of this fine sculpture, while averting them from the cracks and flaws, balancing the appearance of the figure. The black addition from the Qing Period proved to be very ‘fugitive’ however, and very little of it remains on the figure, with most of it on the fan. The black lacquer, however, has remained, as true black lacquer will, unless abraded away. It is in the last of the above photos that we can once again see an original, worn tooling mark of the Ming Dynasty period, in the tip of the feather to the viewer’s left, closest to where it almost meets the black-painted line (taken at 30X microscopic power). The nephritic structure of the jade can be easily defined, and the wear and pitting of the approximately 500 year-old original tooling marks can be readily identified.

The last four photographs are showing an original Ming Dynasty coarse drilling mark under 10X-20X-30X and 45X microscopic power in succession. Only in the first photograph can we see the recent re-cutting marks going around a depression in the design. Starting with photograph number two at 20X power, we see only the old natural degradation to a coarse-grit drilling mark that stood the test of time and remained visible after hundreds of years of wear and loving attention to this fine Ming Dynasty Period carving. The reason for the deeper groove in these last photos is that ‘damage zones’ were not really well-understood in the old carvers’ art. It is true that some periods (stretching back through China’s 10,000+ year illustrious history of carving nephrite jade) were more adept at carving and polishing of jades than others. Another fact is that some carvers were just better than others (as in all things human), and also sometimes a piece had to be finished more quickly than others because of an impending death, or some other time-related reason. However, ‘damage zones’ appear in almost all pieces, from all ages. This is due to the fact that when using the harder, coarser grits that it takes to abrade nephrite jade (the only way it can be worked), the heavier grits damage the micro-structure of the nephrite beneath the carving on a molecular and atomic level. When a piece is worked in finer grits, these micro-damaged sub-surfaces appear to be polished, but are in fact not polished clear through the damaged areas. Many new artists understand this principle and will stop the heavier grits much sooner, and let the finer grits remove these damage zones. These damage zones were sometimes left in old carvings (more so in some periods and less in others), but they are the parts that always start to degrade first whether or not a piece has seen burial. This is what causes the pitted look in old tooling marks (along with acids and salts from human handling). Even in old Neolithic pieces, the reason why the tooling marks can often be seen is that they start degrading prior to the smoother polished surfaces. In the photos above, we see a natural degradation occurring to an old Ming Dynasty tool mark; not faked and not replicated.

In closing, this magnificent Ming Dynasty Period Courtesan has certainly seen her day, and has gracefully withstood the test of time and massive trauma that even the most beloved of jadeites could never have tolerated; they would have been shattered to pieces. This is the reason the original “Stone of Heaven” will never be replaced, in the view of many of us, and why it was chosen for the backs of the most recent Olympic medals – when dropped before the Chairman of The People’s Republic of China, the jadeite slab shattered and the nephrite jade just bounced.

[ Note: for any qualified researcher or purchaser please contact Dr. Timothy William Jones PhD at timothywilliamjones@gmail.com ]

David Fredericks – Yulongwei

Nine Large White Jadeite Figures From Indo-China – Legally Acquired Pre-1946

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 20:26:30 +0000

Shamrock Collection

Nine White Jadeite Figures

From Indo-China 14th -19Th Century

Figure One Measurements: 14-1/2″ Height X 12″ Width X 5″ Depth

In this first close-up-showing of nine amazing White Jadeite Figures, originally acquired and shipped home to his mother in 1945 (inherited legally by the present owner who wishes to remain private, as he is of a quiet nature), before departing on a ship from Calcutta the same year by a now deceased former OSS agent working in the Burma theater, we find the oldest of the nine White Jadeite Figures. With the typical “Thai” style dress and the ‘breasted’ Guanyin, we find a very old stylistic piece we would estimate to be from the 14Th-15Th Century. With its large “Ming Dynasty” Style Crown and the general degradation to the original stone (even after re-polishing and re-waxing to hide old damage and repairs), this large Jadeite figure is truly a tour de’ force in this amazing collection. We have been authenticating this collection of Jadeite figures for over six months now, and they had their first display (see partial display) at our Jade Through The Ages show, and also here on Timeless Jade in our article about the show.

In this second photograph of Figure One, we find a tremendous amount of natural degradation to the outside of the original jadeite stone. This first figure was soaked in acetone for approximately two weeks, as it was covered in a thick type of wax (mixed with iron). We had not seen this type of wax before, but we had seen the iron coatings on reproduction chalcedony figures that had been sold on the internet, gold-gilt and made purposefully to look like old, gilded, iron-oxidated pieces. After an extended shooting of the piece with our high pressure water gun (which will put a hole through skin), we found after the initial removal of a great deal of the wax and iron, that this was a truly authentic and restored old Jadeite figure with some slight re-polishing and original degradation, along with a piece of the crown that had come unglued in the acetone. We reattached the broken piece of the crown (as will be seen in a following photograph). After the initial cleaning we felt it best to leave the rest of the coating on until further research as to its history and origin could be accomplished. One thing was fairly certain; the old wax was probably a bees-wax, as it has a smaller molecule than petroleum waxes. This thick wax has been on for an extended period and was used to hide the breaks and repairs. It had penetrated the naturally degraded jadeite so much that it was initially extremely difficult to remove.

In this third photo of Figure One, we see a close-up of an heavily degraded portion of the jadeite, with only minimal surface re-polishing. Most of the rough white surface area is degradation, and the reddish areas are where the wax and iron are still adhering to the surface. The bottom of the heel of the foot has had some light re-polishing, as have areas around the clothing decoration seen in the top portion of the photograph. The ‘crudeness’ of the initial carving adds to the veracity of its age at a time when jadeite was first being carved in the area of Indo-China, somewhere near present-day Myanmar and Thailand. During the time of World War II, the entire area between China and India was called Indo-China, and the general region of Myanmar, Thailand and the surrounding areas was collectively referred to as Burma. This was years before Burma or Thailand became countries of their own, after the war. All documentation, war records, and notarized statements from family members noting that these figures were in the United States, are available for viewing to qualified Government officials, researchers and marketing personnel. Along with all pertinent war documentation, marketing agreements, and departure documentation, we have scores of photographs of on-site locations showing bombed-out railroad bridges (both wooden and iron), air drops of supplies, officers in many uniforms, de-licing camps, refugee camps, city photographs where the resistance fighters lived, and much more. Anyone wishing to contribute information or assist in our research is asked to write to david@antiquitiesplus.com with qualifications and credentials.

In this fourth photo of Figure One, the original break to the “Ming Dynasty” style crown can be seen on the viewer’s top right. This portion came off in the acetone bath and was re-glued by us. It was a clean break and like almost all the breaks we have found on these jadeite figures (both cleaned and left as they were when we received them), they were most likely due to hurried removal and transportation as the Japanese forces were invading the area. Some slightly re-cut ‘hair’ lines can be seen in the above photograph, while at the top of the hair we find original tooling marks and natural degradation to the stone. While some people who have viewed the pieces believe they could be from Chinese Ancestral Temples (as the Chinese were known to have been in this area long ago), at the present, we believe they follow the family oral history passed along from the young OSS officer that they were Temple Shine figures from somewhere around the present-day River Kwai area which borders both Myanmar and Thailand. The family story has it that they were given to the young OSS officer when the resistance fighters got to their air-dropped supplies, before the Japanese could intercept them. While there are many Temple caves throughout the entire large area encompassed in this ‘war theater’, it is a known fact that the Japanese had gun emplacements in the Sacred temples along the River Kwai area. This does not necessarily mean for certain that they came from that area, and is the reason why we are trying to research the original photographs we have in our possession. This has been proving difficult due to the current strife in Thailand, and we have yet to receive an official response back to inquiries to their National archives. However, the natural degradation found on all the figures (the greater the age, the more the degradation) lends itself to a cave temple theory, as the leaching waters over the jadeite would be the most likely cause for the degradation found on the figures thus far.

Figure Two Measurements: 10-3/4″ Height X 12-1/4″ Width X 7-3/4″ Depth

In this first photo of Figure Two, we can definitely start to see the more “Chinese” influence that will follow in the remainder of the Figures. However, when showing them to a third-generation carver from the Myanmar area who attended our last Jade Through The Ages Show, she said the models for all the figures’ faces were, in her opinion, not Chinese, but rather that of the original local populace. Having taken these photographs in the position in which they are currently being shown, they are a bit out of ‘sync’ stylistically, as we would put this figure more towards the middle age group of the collective group. Still with heavy degradation after being initially cleaned, we find this particular figure more in style with the later part of the 15Th-16Th century, in terms of design. The fact that all the figures were built at different times is not in doubt at the present, as the stylistic changes bear this out, and some appear to even have been modeled after earlier ones.

In this second photo of Figure Two, we find portions of the old wax with iron still adhering to the hair, and especially to the base portion of the sculpture. Some of the cracks to the original jadeite figures appear to be older, and were perhaps caused from rocks falling inside a cave temple over the many years these pieces were worshipped. Some of the damage (as in the next photograph) was almost certainly caused by the hurried removal form their resting places, as would occur in times of war.

In this third photograph of the bottom of Figure Two, we see some of the major chipping to the jadeite from when it was forcibly removed from the spot where it had been secured. This photo is just a portion of the bottom, and many more areas of major chipping are to be found from the prying-off of the figure from its previous resting place. The ‘iron red’ on the bottom is still part of the wax and iron that was used to ‘cover’ these chipped-off areas. These areas proved to be a great place for us to identify the stone under microscopic conditions, and what was found was the extremely tight graining common to the finest of jadeites, and indeed all of the figures proved to be the purest jadeite we have ever tested. With no impurities to color and affect the stone, the heat- and cold-resistance measured was the highest ever registered for Burmese jadeite. It was in these areas of freshly chipped jadeite, with no waxes or oils to effect the testing, that we received the highest readings. We would welcome any unconvinced gem laboratories to test these stones, as their weight, feel, and density will bear out these conclusions.

Figure Three Measurements: 18-1/4″ Height X 11-1/2″ Width X 3-1/2″ Depth

In this third White Jadeite Figure, we are seeing what we believe to be one of the oldest “Chinese style” figures in the grouping. While showing a flowing Guanyin very typical of later Qing Dynasty styles with its overall design, the lack of depth and piercing would lead us to believe a more early 15Th-16Th Century dating is possible. From the three-clawed dragon at her feet to the details seen in the following pictures, we believe the dating should stand fairly firmly. However, in all fairness to its original creator, we are much more versed in Chinese design than in the design features from the Indo-China area.

In this second photograph, of the rear of Figure Three, we can see the lack of piercing; piercing is a design element that would be expected in a later piece. While the above figure and its accompanying subjects are showing detail, they lack the more refined detail of the later pieces in the grouping. That, coupled with the fact the degradation is much greater even on the re-polished surface, leads us to further suspect an earlier dating. This figure was only partially cleaned in the aforementioned manner, and much of the iron-rich wax still adheres in the crevices of the figure, and especially in the area of the waves and lotus blossom on the bottom.

The sweet serenity of the face in Figure Three can easily be seen in the above photograph, as special attention was given to the facial area on this piece. Some parts of the rest of the carving were not given this degree of original detail. Most of the white residue in this photo is the old wax, still adhering to the degraded surface which has been re-polished. Some of the original wax can still be seen in the frontal hair area, in lines that were never re-cut. Also, as minute specks of gold gilding can be seen under microscopic conditions still adhering on most of the pieces, it is fairly safe to say that these figures were once gold-gilt, and perhaps jewel encrusted, as we have seen a recent replacement jadeite figure on a Thailand Temple website, which was highly ornate, with gold framing and encrusted jewels. It could easily be assumed that any gold gilding was removed from the figures during a time of extreme violence (such as WWII), as it could be more readily turned into cash and food for the starving populace, than the jadeite pieces themselves.

In this fourth photograph of Figure Three, we can see a lightly re-cut, original design in the ‘halo’ around the Guanyin’s face. There are still many areas in this design which appear to have been missed in the re-cutting and re-polishing process. Ming Dynasty period water wave patterns can be observed at the bottom. While these wave patterns have been copied in later periods, we do not believe that is the case with this particular figure.

Here in this fifth photograph of Figure Three, we can clearly see the lack of fine detail in the bottom portion of the piece. This is not the case in what we believe are the later figures. The three clawed water dragon, young boy, lotus flowers and buds, and the vase the Guanyin is holding, are most definitely Chinese motifs. Slight cracking of the jadeite can be seen on the front of the robe in this photo, as well as signs of the old wax still adhering, and degradation to the original stone.

Figure Four Measurements: 17″ Height X 9-3/4″ Width X 5-3/4″ Depth

In this massive White Jadeite Figure Four, we see what is perhaps a middle age piece of the grouping. This magnificent figure is in its original condition as shipped to us, and has not been cleaned in any way. The same type of clear thick wax on the figure tells us that it has most likely seen some re-polishing, with some minor re-cutting work undertaken in the past. Original degradation to the stone has occurred, but this figure is in remarkable condition for its age. As we plan a three-part series of true Macro-lens and microscopic photographs of all the figures (scheduled for this August and September), we will be able to go much more in depth on this wonderful sculpture, as well as on all of the figures, in our usual manner, showing both original and re-tooling marks, natural degradation, and re-polished areas.

Here in this wonderful close up photo of Figure Four, we can see the more rounded style face but with all the typical 16Th-17Th Century Chinese aspects of design and treatments to the hair, crown and Buddhistic flaming ‘halo’ in the background.

With the back of Figure Four being treated in such a plain manner, with no real obvious decoration, we feel it could be an indicator of a transitional piece, and may help date it to the aforementioned 16Th-17Th Century.

Figure Five Measurements: 15-1/4″ Height X 7-1/4″ Width X 3″ Depth

With the design elements in Figure Five we find many of the same virtues we found in Figure Three. Both pieces seem to be of an earlier period, perhaps dating to the same 15Th-16Th Century period. Many of the treatments are the same, such as the low relief, shallow depth, and light piercing of the figure. This figure is in its ‘as delivered’ state with all the waxes still remaining, but without the heavy iron mixed into the waxes, as seen on other figures. Much of the iron staining on this figure appears to be original; however, we will learn more as we go deeper under microscopic conditions. We have decided to leave the rest of the un-cleaned pieces in the condition they are now in, as we know they are all jadeite, and all authentic. We will leave their future owners to decide on just how they would like to see them finished and displayed.

In this beautifully portrayed facial view of Figure Three, we can again see the importance the artist placed on bringing attention to the most vital aspect of the figure – the serenity of the Guanyin. The bamboo in the background is not as well finished as the facial area, which was clearly the focal point.

In the rear view of Figure Five, we again see a rather plain but nicely carved scene of a bamboo grove. Not too deeply carved, and lightly pierced, this treatment and theme will repeat itself in the final figure of the grouping, but in much more detail and with the finer work expected from a later period carving.

Figure Six Measurements: 15″ Height X 4″ Width X 3-1/2″ Depth

In this frontal view of Figure Six, we start to see a later 17Th-18Th Century style of carving with this standing Guanyin Figure. While the piercing is not deep, we have more of the typical ‘total’ treatment to the sculpture, in that the folds of the dress, and indeed the entire figure, is more finely carved in the round. The waxes used on all these figures give the stone a more ‘grey’ look, when in fact the jade stones run in color from a “water” jadeite to “mutton fat” to a white/grey. This will be more clearly seen in the last figure, which is almost entirely cleaned.

With the more rounded facial features, we have been told the modeling was done off of Burma-Thailand faces, and perhaps that is the case. We believe that as we get closer to the figures’ place of origin and the temple or family shine in which they first resided, we will learn much more of who created them and, of course, the surrounding people. With the appearance in this figure of the ‘third eye’, we start to see design element not incorporated in the earlier figures.

The thumb and four fingers on the right hand had been broken and repaired prior to our receipt of Figure Six, and they most definitely were broken off while the figure was here in the US. The only treatment performed on this figure was the re-gluing of these digits, and all waxes and deposits are in ‘as received’ condition. The degradation to the stone from its original surroundings is minimal, and could date this piece even closer to the end of the 18Th Century.

In this rear view of Figure Six, we can again see the sculpture carved more symmetrically in ‘the round’. With attention being on the whole of the sculpture in both design and finish, we would again expect the later dating for this exquisite standing Guanyin. Some re-polishing appears to have taken place, and with the re-waxing, we would expect under further microscopic examination a more detailed look into the tooling techniques used, and then get a better estimation of the time spent in the temple, by comparative analysis with the other, older figures.

Figure Seven Measurements: 8-1/2″ Height X 16″ Width X 4-1/2″ Depth

With this lovely rendition of a reclining Guanyin in Figure Seven, we can again see the advancement in carving techniques over the older pieces in the collection. The depth of the treatment and lack of deep piercing would still lead us to an approximate 17Th-18Th Century dating for this figure. This wonderful sculpture is in “as received” condition, with all of the re-polishing and waxes extremely apparent (as will be seen). The ‘water’ jadeite to ‘mutton fat’ transition of the jadeite (or Yingyu as the Chinese call it) is stunning to view, and very minor old repairs have been noted.

In this close-up of the lower section, under the Guanyin’s necklace and arm, we can easily see the naturally degraded portion (in the white speckling) which was never touched when the figure was re-polished after years of being, most likely, in a cave temple, having water and minerals leaching over the jadeite figure. As with Khotan-Hetian nephrite (and indeed all jades), the stones degrade over time, and natural degradation does not have the same look under microscopic conditions as do acid and heat treatments.

The rear view of Figure Seven shows us the more advanced treatment to the lotus blossom background, and much of the original degradation to the jadeite can be seen here, as it was not as re-polished as was the front of the figure. The red stain in the upper middle is not the iron-wax mix we see on the older figures which were repaired and coated, but rather appears to be some type of natural staining inside the stone. In the coming three-partseries of in-depth articles, we will study this and many more details of the carvings under Macro and microscopic examination and photography.

Figure Eight Measurements: 15″ Height X 10″ Width X 5-1/2″ Depth

With this massive Figure Eight (weighing approximately 35 pounds), we see a treatment stylistically similar to that of Figure Four. The biggest difference, again, is in the depth and the refinement of the carving accomplished by the creator of this magnificent piece. It has remained in “as received” condition, with no cleaning treatments of any kind. With the deeper piercing and finer detail, we place this figure’s dating to approximately the late 18Th century.

In this close-up of the facial area on Figure Eight, we can most definitely see that more attention was paid to all aspects of the carving, including the fiery Buddhistic ‘halo’ around the Guanyin. This figure is the most grey/white of all the white jadeite figures, and shows signs of re-polishing and the same accompanying wax that all the figures have. The lack of deep degradation to the stone also tells us this is a much ‘younger’ figure than most of the others.

In this close-up of the right arm on Figure Eight, we can see an old repair to the wrist area, starting at the top of the bangle and running down toward the palm of the hand. The crack in the thumb area is not a repair, but rather either a natural break in the old stone, or was sustained during removal from its temple setting and subsequent transfer to another area. Under microscopic conditions, this crack does not appear to be new, as evidence of re-polishing efforts are visible on the surface of the crack.

In the overall treatment of the back of Figure Eight, we again see the attention to detail that is much lacking in Figure Four. The use of the natural ‘rind’ of the Jadeite on the mountain upon which the Guanyin is seated is also an indicator of a later carving. Impressive, massive and beautifully executed, this wonderful carving stands as one of the most dynamic figures in the grouping.

Figure Nine Measurements: 14-3/4″ Height X 9-3/4″ Width X 6″ Depth

In Figure Nine, we find the the most advanced carving of the grouping, with deep piercing and the least amount of degradation having occurred to the original white jadeite stone. This was the first of the figures we received to authenticate last December, and it was cleaned twice. The first cleaning involved soaking the figure in acetone for over three weeks, followed by an aggressive shooting with our water sprayer. The second cleaning was a one week soak in acetone, followed by another shooting with our water sprayer. The result is what you see here, an extremely beautifully carved Guanyin, most likely modeled upon Figure Five but with all the refinements we would expect to see in a later carving. Therefore, we would date this last figure to the period of the early 19Th century.

This side view of Figure Nine better shows the depth of both the carving and the piercing, while retaining the similar subject matter of Figure Five. This piece has been the most microscopically studied of all the figures, to date, and even after its aggressive cleanings, it retains traces of the original gold gilding, still adhered to the re-cut and re-polished jadeite. Under microscopic conditions, the minute remaining gold shows up extremely well, as does evidence that the figure was re-polished long ago. All the original fine carving lines were left untouched by the person who was responsible for its re-polishing, which leaves us with totally clean, original tooling marks that degraded naturally, and were either never worn away or degraded enough to need re-cutting. It is in these original, degraded tooling marks that we can best date the piece, as they are pitted from natural degradation and have never been re-touched. This shows us that time, weathering, and natural degradation wore at the original tooling marks, with absolutely no signs of re-cutting observed under high magnification.

In this rear view of Figure Nine, we again see the natural ‘rind’ of the jadeite being used as structure in the motif, and the much finer detail of the bamboo forest behind the Guanyin. These are all signs of a later date carving, but with the aforementioned degradation to the original tooling marks, we know it is not a ‘modern’ piece, by any means. What we have in these nine wonderful figures is a natural and lengthy progression of artistic representations of Buddhistic art unlike any we have ever seen in person or in print. Hidden away from public view for over 65 years, in boxes, basements, barns and under houses, it must certainly be time for their reappearence, and to once again take their place in a most Sacred and important manner.

[ Note: for any qualified researcher or purchaser please contact Dr. Timothy William Jones PhD at timothywilliamjones@gmail.com ]

David Fredericks — Yulongwei

Incredible Artistic Zhou Dynasty Anthrozoomorphic Jade Figure

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 21:43:46 +0000

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 [...]

Liao To Ming Dynasty Nephrite Cup With Pseudomorphs, Part Two

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:20:54 +0000

Exquisite Two Dragon Cup With Pseudomorphs

Liao to Ming Dynasty Period

6 Cm Height X 13 Cm Width X 7 Cm Depth

Liao To Ming Dynasty Two Dragon Cup With Large Pseudomorph Above Tail

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

Large Pseudomorph Above Tail At 1X On Ronald Edwin Prosser Estate Cup

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.

Pseudomorphs In Nephrite Jade Dragon Cup - Prosser Collection

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

Close Up Of Pseudomorphs Inside The Prosser Collection Jade Cup At 1X Macro

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

Pseudomorph Inside The Prosser Collection Cup Under 30X Magnification

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.

Pseudomorphs & Old Botryoidal-Shaped Chip To Rim, Left After Re-Polish

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

Botryoidal Area On Rim Of Prosser Dragon Cup With 1X Macro

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.

Pseudomorph On Top Of One Arm Of Dragon Handle at 10X Microscopic Power

Pseudomorph On Top Of Dragon's Arm At 30X Microscopic Power

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.

Macro Photo at 1X Showing The Side of One Dragon's Pierced Mouth

Macro Photo at 1X Showing Old Tooling Marks Untouched In Re-Polishing

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.

Top Of One Dragon's Head Under 10X Microscopic Power On Prosser Cup

Top of The Dragon's Head At 30X Microscopic Power

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.

Tree Root Tracks On The Prosser Dragon Cup At 10X Magnification

Tree Root Tracks On The Prosser Dragon Cup At 35X Magnification

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

Liao To Ming Dynasty Nephrite Cup With Pseudomorphs, Part One

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:57:00 +0000

Exquisite Two Dragon Cup With Pseudomorphs

Liao to Ming Dynasty Period

6 Cm Height X 13 Cm Width X 7 Cm Depth

Ronald Edwin Prosser Estate Collection Two Dragon Nephrite Jade Cup

Pseudomorphs Showing On Inside Of The Two Dragon Cup

We have chosen this phenomenal Nephrite Jade Cup, from the Ronald Edwin Prosser Estate Collection, to demonstrate not only the archaistic beauty achieved by later Dynastic carvers, but also to point out some aspects of Burial Jades which, to the best of our knowledge, have not been written about at length, and are outside the mainstream of common knowledge on the subject. While we will, throughout the article, be making references to other well-known jade authors, collections and museums, it is not our intent to harm, chastise, or berate in any way the marvelous pieces or authors and researchers involved. It is our intent to help add to the knowledge bank, and to do our part in furthering the research on Jade and Jadeite from both archeological and geological standpoints. We shall also attempt to show why we believe the obscure dragon design on this vessel, and the accompanying nephrite chosen for its construction, should bear out an earlier stylistic dating than what some have written thus far. As with many things, it is a matter of opinion only, and not to be taken as ‘gospel’, but we hope it does stimulate the ‘jade community’ to investigate further.

The unusually wide range (for us) in dating of the Octagonal Two-Dragon Cup is due to the fact that somewhere in our thousands of volumes of research material, we have seen an exact duplicate design of this cup, with a dating to the Liao Dynasty (907-1125 CE) of Northern China. After searching for a week through thousands of photographs (we thought it was in The Complete Collection Of Jades Unearthed In China – Gu Fang), we have yet to re-find it. If any person out there who reads this article and knows of this other cup (it will look like an exact mate and very possibly is, octagonal and with two dragons), please write to admin@timelessjade.com, and we will review it and revise this article. However, being stated as Liao to Ming Dynasty, we personally believe the design to be towards the earlier dating, both from a stylistic point of view and by what we have discovered under microscopic conditions, after first cleaning the item of all waxes and residues from its obvious re-polishing and re-patina-ing.

It is a well-known design change toward the rendition of dragons in general which occurred around one thousand years ago, in both jade and pottery designs during the Liao and Song Dynasties. The major changes to previous renditions are of more ‘flowing’ dragon with longer tails, arm and legs. While some items from the Han Dynasty reflect these same attributes, as can be easily verified in the aforementioned volumes of burial jades from China, we see a more consistent approach toward this ‘sinuousness’ in the dragon designs which follow old Han Dynasty models. In this Jade Vessel we find the lengthening of the appendages but with a much more ‘ridged’ approach than came be more commonly found throughout the Song Dynasty and into the Ming Dynasty. While one famous museum talks of the their piece as possibly being a late Qing Dynasty work (we will reference this a little later), we believe the cup should undergo a further analysis, as we find, in our opinion, the reasoning behind their stylistic dating technique to be possibly flawed, and the science used to determine its dating as lacking.

Lengthening Of The Appendages On Prosser Collection's Dragon Cup

Bottom Of The Prosser Collection Jade Cup Showing Octagonal Foot Rim, Complimenting The Cup's Shape

The stone for this marvelous cup was surely chosen for its intrinsic mottled beauty, and the Chinese knew well the Pseudomorphs in Nephrite Jade from the Khotan-Hetian Region (as is obvious from the over three-thousand year-old Collared Disc, shown in Book 13, Page 26 of The Complete Collection Of Jades Unearthed In China, and can be seen in many other Shang Dynasty pieces in the same book). Nephritic material, such as that in the cup above, is known to have been used intentionally during the Song Dynasty, as it closely resembles, in color and texture, some objects they were unearthing from the Han Dynasty tombs a thousand years before. The Song Dynasty Jades often reflect their reverence of the old designs, and it would seem most likely the Northern Kingdom of the Liao Dynasty would also imitate in their own manner, much the same as the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasty archaistic jades. It follows the pattern set down through successions of periodic ancestor worship when the teachings of the Tao and Confucianism were at their height. With the longer bodies and sinuous bifurcated tails worked into the cup in high relief, with the deep piercing, the dragons on the Prosser Collection cup appear to have some, if not all of the properties described in Plate 164 of the book Later Chinese Jades – Ming To Early Twentieth Century, from The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, and dated most likely to the period of the 19Th Century. However, while the deeper piercing might indicate this later date for their beautiful cup, other examples of deeply pierced designs were not uncommon in earlier Dynastic periods. Coupled with the likelihood that their cup was also re-polished, as was the cup above (indicated in the much rougher area to be seen underneath the dragon on their cup, which most likely received less re-polishing), it might be wise to re-evaluate their single-dragon cup, after the removal of any wax or other coatings it might have received after its re-polishing. This would allow a much greater opportunity to study the original tooling marks which may well underlie the re-polishing marks. The description for this single dragon cup also mentions a rough finish to the interior as being an indication of a Ming Dynasty date, which to our way of thinking falls more into the degradation aspect and re-polishing facet. To make blanket statements about Ming Dynasty rough finishes flies directly into the face of the fact that many Ming Dynasty jade artifacts were as finely made and polished as some of the finest pieces known to have been made in the famous Qianlong Era of the Qing Dynasty (see The Complete Collection Of Jades Unearthed In China for numerous examples). We believe, as we see everyday in both old artifacts and modern jade carvings, a differing degree of skill and polishing from one artist to another. For further review of this concept, one can also realize the great discrepancies in every period of jade and stone workmanship simply by studying the examples unearthed in China, and even from the exact same tombs. From examples found in the Marquis Yi’s tomb alone in Book 10 of The Complete Collection Of Jades Unearthed In China, the stunning difference in quality of workmanship is staggering. We also feel this most wonderful series of books may expose some of the most unrecognized flaws in archeological dating, such as the well-known fact that literally millions of Chinese people have loved to collect, study, revere, and then be buried with their older treasures; whether a piece was left unfinished because of time restraints, and buried with the deceased, or simply came from a more remote region with unrefined carvers, are among other possibilities for explanations of dating challenges.

This is the major problem (in our opinion) with relying almost entirely on stylistic approaches for dating and authentication purposes, when it is truly the original tooling marks that would better define the item’s correct place in history, along with at least a cursory study of the artifact and likely conditions of burial, based on microscopic analysis of both the stone and the old and newer tooling marks. Even while not having been there when an artifact was made and buried, some logical conclusions can still be ascertained, if one takes the time and preparation to access it with care and a certain degree of understanding. If an item was dyed, how and when was it dyed? Older dyes are not removed with solvent while modern ones are easily removed, and what lies beneath can be readily identified, as is often the case in restoration of an old artifact – it takes on a kind of ‘individual license’, as some are dyed and some are not. Sometimes the dyes and fire treatments are used to hide a repaired original crack in an original highly-oxidized artifact. Also, while the common ten-power loupes are easier on the eyes, we find they are rarely of much use in authenticating an older re-cut and re-polished jade artifact.

The similarity between the dragon design on the cup in the Asian Art Museum Of San Francisco collection and the ones on the Prosser Collection cup can be easily discerned. While we will never give a positive date or authentication by photograph alone, it is an extremely common occurrence throughout this industry to not only identify by photograph alone, but even to be so ‘expert’ as to be able to verify items of antiquity from 6 feet away, and whether they are in original condition, restored or reproduction. Sadly, we do not possess such ‘abilities’, and have to rely on more direct (aka scientific, and verifiable) methods, with both artifacts and reproductions. We feel this should be standard practice throughout the industry, given the numerous factors involved and the variety of methods of production, and reproduction, of such items of art of antiquity.

Side View Of One Of The Dragons And Variegated Type Of Grey Nephrite Used

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

Macro Lens Photograph Of Pseudomorphs & Chip To Rim Of Prosser Collection Cup at 1X

Above Photograph Taken With Canon EOS XSi Using MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Lens

We believe the nephrite jade originally used for this cup was chosen precisely because of its mottled properties, to mimic a true archaic jade from a earlier period. The iron oxides around the pseudomorphs were most likely deposited in the crack separating the morphing quartz crystal from the jade. This was almost surely caused, in this instance, by proximally placed iron-rich burial objects, which are well known from both archaic and later burials. The cracks around the pseudomorphing quartz crystals most likely were caused by what we have heard called ‘the alpha – beta stages’ of a growing quartz (explained in an earlier article on this site on pseudomorphs). As referred to before, this jade cup has been cleaned of all waxes by soaking in acetone for over three weeks, and then cleaned with our high pressure water gun. What is left is all original deposits that have not been sanded away in the restoration process. The reason the iron is so prevalent around the pseudomorph is due to the iron, over long-term burial, actually becoming a part of the whole, as it literally permeates the surfaces as they degrade along with the iron. This is very similar to what sometimes happens when manganese deposits adhere to the surface of stone and pottery items and actually start growing up and out from a central adhesion area. The chip in the viewer’s upper left corner in the second photograph above shows the well known ‘botryoidal’ look of chipped nephrite, and was left untouched in the re-polishing efforts. Veining of iron oxides (as can be seen in the photographs above) occurs over the entire surface of the jade, and is most likely a mixture of deposits inside the natural jade, and intrusions from degrading iron oxides during burial.

For a fine reference of similar stylistic types to the above mentioned jade cups, but from the Ming Dynasty period, please see Ms. Jessica Rawson’s exemplary book Chinese Jade – From Neolithic To The Qing – Part IV, pages 388-389. These marvelous examples, while being close stylistically, in our opinion are a bit more refined in the depiction and carving of the dragons, and to us, better reflect a closer association with Song Dynasty dragon depictions than do the Prosser Collection cup and one in the Asian Art Museum Of San Francisco Collection. As in all things, it is a matter of opinion based on individual conclusions, and not having had the pleasure to view the other collection’s pieces cleaned and under microscopic condition, we can only try to stimulate a hypothesis that perhaps the Prosser Collection cup and the one from the Asian Art Museum Of San Francisco could well be from the same area originally, due to the similarity of design and perhaps be of an older period than the ones in Ms. Rawson’s book.

Note: part two of this series will complete the description and continue with more in-depth Macro and Microscopic photographs.

David Fredericks — Yulongwei