Collecting guide: Chinese jade

When starting a collection of any sort, it’s important to figure out what kinds of works you’re drawn to, a consideration that’s exponentially more vital when it comes to Chinese jades. Spanning millennia, the material comes in many colours and has been shaped into many forms. ‘It seems basic, but Chinese jades vary so much in both material and form,’ says Vicki Paloympis, head of Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art at Christie’s in New York. ‘Learning about them is a journey.’

In contrast, Ming dynasty jades (1368-1644) are often carved from different coloured stones and exhibit a soft high polish, while Qing dynasty (1644-1911) examples, which some people argue are the highest-quality carvings, are often found in white, translucent stones, and sometimes, in coloured stones.

In China’s history, there were two major peaks of intense antiquarian interest: the first during the Northern Song dynasty, 11th-12th centuries, and the second during the late Ming-early Qing dynasty, 16th-18th centuries.

‘When I first began learning about jade carvings, I was attracted to the flashier, larger carvings. As my expertise grew, I began to value the finesse of the smaller carvings,’ says Paloympis.

‘In these smaller examples, you can really begin to appreciate the skill of the lapidary artist, who was able to bring so much detail and life into just a small stone.’

Chinese artists have a certain aesthetic taste, and this is seen in diverse mediums such as porcelain and pottery, cloisonné and lacquer. Once you have accustomed your eye to the proportions and silhouettes of Chinese forms, this will inform your entire collecting experience.

A good tip for a novice jade collector would be to look for forms that you are already familiar with in other mediums. ‘Once you have mastered these jade objects you can branch to the less familiar,’ says Paloympis.

The shape of the below water pot carries with it several deeply auspicious wishes for the owner. The lotus flower (hehua) symbolizes both marriage and purity. As the lotus is one of the few plants whose seed pods are visible when the flower begins to bloom, it is also associated with the early arrival of sons, as the seed pod, bursting with seeds, is a symbol of fertility, and the leaf (heye) is a pun for harmony.

Chinese jade lapidary artists exercised their superior technical abilities to demonstrate their understanding of the material. ‘This type of attention to the stone is what separates a master carver from a novice and is a sign of quality,’ Paloympis says.

A good example of the high technical skill of Chinese artists is this finely carved conch shell. It is not only naturalistically shaped as a shell, but also carved on the exterior with the eight Buddhist emblems (bajixiang) amidst waves. To carve with such detail in the 18th century would have taken an enormous amount of skill and care.

Just as some collectors will connect personally with a marriage bowl, others may be drawn to jades that illustrate scenes from famous texts or poems, or carvings of specific animals. Others still, who like the ocean, may prefer nautical-themed jades.

The above pendant is carved with a poem entitled ta xue xun mei (in search of prunus blossoms in the snow) by the Ming dynasty poet Zhou Shu.

At the height of the Chinese market in 2011, prices were high for both white jades and spinach-green jades. But more recently clients are searching for 18th-century white, translucent jades with perfect stone, rather than examples in other colours. This presents an opportunity for new collectors.

‘If you’re a new collector and you know the market is really strong for white jade, you might want to try to find a different area and collect spinach-green jades or Ming jades, for example. The prices will be a little bit more affordable,’ Paloympis says.

Small jades can be a good place to start for new collectors, such as this carving of a toad with pomegranate. This piece is not only appealing due to its charming subject matter but also for the purity of tone in the stone. 

‘If I were a new collector, I would go for those really beautiful, auspicious carvings. The prices are going to be lower because they’re small,’ Paloympis says. ‘So go for something smaller in size, but higher in quality.’

To get the full experience of collecting, you have to love what you collect. It is good to have an understanding of the market, but in the end, the satisfaction will come from living with a piece that you love and can appreciate on a day-to-day basis.