"like a wasp or a scorpion"". Rhinoceros and buffalo hide was also recorded to have been used for the inner coffin of the emperor, as it was supposed to preserve the body, similar in function to Han Dynasty jade burial suits. In the ""Manshu"" (Tang dynasty) it states that rhino and buffalo hide was used for saddles, armor and weapons of Nanzhao troops in Yunnan. From an early date, rhinoceros horn was believed to have special properties, in particular that it would react by fizzing if it came into contact with poison, and so cups made out of rhinoceros horn"
"in numerous classical texts. They listed it among historical imperial tribute products presented from the far western regions of China, and as the mineral-fruit of the legendary ""langgan"" trees of immortality on Mount Kunlun (Bokenkamp 1997: 289). Schafer's 1978 monograph on ""langgan"" sought to identify the treasured blue-green gemstone, if it ever had a unique identity, and concluded the most plausible identification is malachite, a bright green mineral that was anciently used as a copper ore and an ornamental stone. Two early Chinese mineralogical authorities (Chang 1921: 24, Read and Pak 1928: 21) identified ""langgan"" as malachite, commonly called ""kǒngquèshí"""
"Dynasty. Cast-bronze money trees are a conspicuous feature of Han tombs in Sichuan. Money trees have been excavated by archaeologists from Han tombs in western China in and near Sichuan Province, an indication that the adoration of the money tree was prevalent in the Han Dynasty. They are made from bronze and green-glazed earthenware. Money trees are decorated with scenes of paradise containing magical creatures and immortals including the sun bird, the moon toad, the deer who finds the main ingredient for the elixir of immortality, and the clever monkey who steals the elixir. One folk tale tells of a"
"in the West. Jade was used for the finest objects and cult figures, and for grave furnishings for high-ranking members of the imperial family. Due to that significance and the rising middle class in China, today the finest jade when found in nuggets of ""mutton fat"" jade – so-named for its marbled white consistency – can sell for $3,000 an ounce, a tenfold increase from a decade ago. The Chinese character 玉 (yù) is used to denote the several types of stone known in English as ""jade"" (e.g. 玉器, jadewares), such as jadeite (硬玉, 'hard jade', another name for 翡翠)"
"孔雀石 (lit. ""peacock stone"") or ""shílǜ"" 石綠 (lit. ""stone green""). Comparing blue-green stones that were known in early East Asia, Schafer disqualified several conceivable identities; demantoid garnet and green tourmaline are rarely of gem quality, while neither apple-green chrysoprase nor light greenish-blue turquoise typically have dark hues. This leaves malachite, This handsome green carbonate of copper has important credentials. It is often found in copper mines, and is therefore regularly at the disposal of copper- and bronze-producing peoples. It has, in certain varieties, a lovely silky luster, caused by its fibrous structure. It is soft and easily cut. It takes"
"Chinese jade Chinese jade refers to the jade mined or carved in China from the Neolithic onward. It is the primary hardstone of Chinese sculpture. Although deep and bright green jadeite is better known in Europe, for most of China's history, jade has come in a variety of colors and white ""mutton-fat"" nephrite was the most highly praised and prized. Native sources in Henan and along the Yangtze were exploited since prehistoric times and have largely been exhausted; most Chinese jade today is extracted from the northwestern province of Xinjiang. Jade was prized for its hardness, durability, musical qualities, and"
"owing to its unique hue. In many cultures of the Old and New Worlds, this gemstone has been esteemed for thousands of years as a holy stone, a bringer of good fortune or a talisman. The oldest evidence for this claim was found in ancient Egypt, where grave furnishings with turquoise inlay were discovered, dating from approximately 3000 BC. In the ancient Persian Empire, the sky-blue gemstones were earlier worn round the neck or wrist as protection against unnatural death. If they changed color, the wearer was thought to have reason to fear the approach of doom. Meanwhile, it has"
"Lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli (), or lapis for short, is a deep blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. As early as the 7th millennium BC, lapis lazuli was mined in the Sar-i Sang mines, in Shortugai, and in other mines in Badakhshan province in northeast Afghanistan. Lapis was highly valued by the Indus Valley Civilisation (3300–1900 BC). Lapis beads have been found at Neolithic burials in Mehrgarh, the Caucasus, and even as far from Afghanistan as Mauritania. It was used in the funeral mask of Tutankhamun (1341–1323 BC)."
"valuable for ornaments and decorative objects. Nephrite can be found in a creamy white form (known in China as ""mutton fat"" jade) as well as in a variety of light green colours, whereas jadeite shows more colour variations, including blue, red, black, dark green, lavender and white. Of the two, jadeite is rarer, documented in fewer than 12 places worldwide. Translucent emerald-green jadeite is the most prized variety, both historically and today. As ""quetzal"" jade, bright green jadeite from Guatemala was treasured by Mesoamerican cultures, and as ""kingfisher"" jade, vivid green rocks from Burma became the preferred stone of post-1800"
"of a small bound foot when worn under a long skirt. Though foot binding is no longer practised, many lotus shoes survive as artifacts in museums or private collections. A Phoenix crown (kao) is a Chinese traditional headgear for women. It was worn by noblewomen in the Ming Dynasty on ceremonies or official occasions. It is also the traditional headgear for brides. It is adorned with gold dragons, phoenixes made with , beaded pheasants, pearls and gemstones. The number of pearls used ranged from 3426 to 5449 pieces, while the number of gemstones used range from 95 to 128 pieces."
"and earth respectively. These are found from the Neolithic Liangzhu culture (3400-2250 BCE) onwards, and blades from the 2nd millennium BCE Shang Dynasty on. Traditional Chinese culture attaches strong powers to jade; the jade burial suits in which aristocrats of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) were buried were intended to preserve the body from decay. The Chinese and other cultures often attributed specific properties for detecting and neutralizing poison to gemstones, a belief still alive in the European Renaissance, as shown by the works of Georgius Agricola, the ""father of mineralogy"". The English word ""jade"" derives (via the Spanish"
"""precious stones"""" (tr. Legge 1865 3: 127). Legge quotes Kong Anguo's commentary that ""langgan"" is ""a stone, but like a pearl"", and suggests it was possibly lazulite or lapis lazuli, which Laufer calls ""purely conjectural"" (1915: 205). The c. 4th-3rd centuries BCE ""Guanzi"" encyclopedic text, named for and attributed to the 7th century BCE philosopher Guan Zhong, who served as Prime Minister to Duke Huan of Qi (r. 685-643 BCE), uses ""bi"" 璧 ""a flat jade disc with a hole in the center"", ""qiulin"" 璆琳 ""lapis lazuli"", and ""langgan"" 琅玕 as examples of how establishing diverse local commodities as fiat"
"Langgan Langgan 琅玕 is the ancient Chinese name of a gemstone which remains an enigma in the history of mineralogy; it has been identified, variously, as blue-green malachite, blue coral, white coral, whitish chalcedony, red spinel, and red jade. It is also the name of a mythological ""langgan"" tree of immortality found in the western paradise of Kunlun Mountain, and the name of the classic ""waidan"" alchemical elixir of immortality ""langgan huadan"" 琅玕華丹 ""Elixir Efflorescence of Langgan"". The Chinese characters 琅 and 玕 used to write the gemstone name ""lánggān"" are classified as radical-phonetic characters that combine the semantically significant"
"Yuhua Stone The Yuhua stone () is a special kind of stone found in Nanjing, China, due to the unique geology of the area. Yuhua stones, or pebbles, are of sedimentary origin and consist of minerals including quartz and other silicates. They are found in the Yangtze River, polished smooth by the action of water. Colors include red, rose, yellow, green, and white. The origin of the Yuhua Stone is told through the legend of a Chinese monk named Yunguang (雲光) who lived during the Liang dynasty. Yunguang used to travel around the country to deliver sermons.One day, He travelled"
"as ""murrhine"" may have been a fluorspar similar to Blue John. Recently discovered deposits in China have produced fluorite with colouring and banding similar to the classic Blue John stone. One source is the Deqing Fluorite Mine, in Deqing County, Zhejiang Province, the only source (other than in Derbyshire) that has an ornamental craft based upon it. However, although this fluorite is similar to Blue John its banding is straighter and it contains colours not associated with Blue John, suggesting they are compounds and not inclusions as in Blue John. Roman writers, such as Pliny the Elder, refer to a"
"who used such a pipe. Jadeite, with its bright emerald-green, pink, lavender, orange and brown colours was imported from Burma to China only after about 1800. The vivid green variety became known as Feicui (翡翠) or Kingfisher (feathers) Jade. It quickly became almost as popular as nephrite and a favorite of Qing Dynasty's nouveau riche, while scholars still had strong attachment to nephrite (white jade, or Khotan), which they deemed to be the symbol of a nobleman. In the history of the art of the Chinese empire, jade has had a special significance, comparable with that of gold and diamonds"
"(which turns green), iron (which turns brownish yellow), and less often manganese and cobalt (which turns blue). At kiln sites located at Tongchuan, Neiqui county in Hebei and Gongxian in Henan, the clays used for burial wares were similar to those used by Tang potters. The burial wares were fired at a lower temperature than contemporaneous whitewares. Large figures made for grave goods in burials (""burial wares), such as the well-known Tang dynasty tomb figures with people, camels and horses, were cast in sections, in moulds with the parts luted together using clay slip. In some cases, a degree of"
"was used to create many utilitarian and ceremonial objects, from indoor decorative items to jade burial suits. Jade was considered the ""imperial gem"". From the earliest Chinese dynasties to the present, the jade deposits most in use were not only those of Khotan in the Western Chinese province of Xinjiang but other parts of China as well, such as Lantian, Shaanxi. There, white and greenish nephrite jade is found in small quarries and as pebbles and boulders in the rivers flowing from the Kuen-Lun mountain range eastward into the Takla-Makan desert area. The river jade collection is concentrated in the"
"Service on an expedition to Burma in 1888 writes the following about the origin of Chinese demand for jade based on local lore. Jade has been associated with China going as far back as the Liangzhu culture (3400-2250 BC) but this jade was primarily nephrite, a milky white stone more common than the green Burmese jadeite. Often the stone was used in the presence of copper in order to give the illusion of a deeper green color without access to jadeite. As stated in the previous paragraph, most notably during the Qing dynasty, during the Qianlong Emperor's lifetime, he acquired"
"Heirloom Seal of the Realm The Heirloom Seal of the Realm (), also known in English as the Imperial Seal of China, is a Chinese jade seal carved out of the He Shi Bi, a historically famous piece of jade. In 221 BCE, the Seal was created when Qin Shi Huang destroyed the remaining Warring States and united China under the Qin Dynasty. The ""He Shi Bi"" was a famous piece of jade stone which previously belonged to the Zhao state. Passing into the hands of the new Emperor of China, he ordered it made into his Imperial seal. The"
"Stone of Scone The Stone of Scone (; , )—also known as the Stone of Destiny, and often referred to in England as The Coronation Stone—is an oblong block of red sandstone that has been used for centuries in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland, and later the monarchs of England and those of the United Kingdom. Historically, the artefact was kept at the now-ruined Scone Abbey in Scone, near Perth, Scotland. It is also known as Jacob's Pillow Stone and the Tanist Stone, and in Scottish Gaelic, ""clach-na-cinneamhain"". Its size is approximately by by and its weight is"
"as the ""jade radical"" 玉 or 王, that suggests meaning and a phonetic that hints at pronunciation. The ""jade radical"" frequently occurs in characters for names of gemstones (e.g., ""bì"" 碧 ""green jade; bluish green"" and ""shānhú"" 珊瑚 ""coral""), and occasionally for words denoting ""preciousness"" (""bǎo"" ""treasure"" and ""bǎobǎo"" ""precious/darling baby""). Jade has been used in virtually all periods of Chinese history and generally accords with the style of decorative art characteristic of each period. Its deep significance in Chinese culture has deemed it worthy of being symbolic of ancient Chinese ethics and ideologies and also representative of the progression"
"is unique in China because of its pyramid-shaped stone construction. It consists of a mound that has been covered with stone slabs during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty in 1111 CE. The entire pyramid is 28.5 metres wide and 8.73 meters high. On its flat top stands a small pavilion that houses a statue, variously identified as the Yellow Emperor or Shaohao. The mound and tomb stands inside a compound with many old trees, chiefly thujas planted on the orders of the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty, who visited the site in 1748. The rather"
"the exact source of the supply continued unknown. Jade has been associated with China as far back as Liangzhu culture (3400-2250 BC) but this jade was primarily another variety of jade known as Nephrite, a milky white stone more common than the green Burmese jadeite. Often the stone was used in the presence of copper in order to give the illusion of a deeper green color when jadeite was not available. Later on, most notably during the Qing dynasty, the Chinese imperial court acquired a particular taste for Burmese jadeite, or ""Fei Cui"" as it was referred to by the"
"its variations are not found in classical sources. However, the titan Rhea does present Dionysus with an amethyst stone to preserve the wine-drinker's sanity in historical text. Tibetans consider amethyst sacred to the Buddha and make prayer beads from it. Amethyst is considered the birthstone of February. In the Middle Ages, it was considered a symbol of royalty and used to decorate English regalia. In the Old World, amethyst was considered one of the Cardinal gems, in that it was one of the five gemstones considered precious above all others, until large deposits were found in Brazil. Amethyst is produced"
"was approximately one-third mile) Xun Kuang's 3rd century BCE Confucian classic ""Xunzi"" has a context criticizing elaborate burials that uses ""dan'gan"" 丹矸 (with ""dān"" 丹 ""cinnabar"" and ""gān"" 矸 ""waste rock"", with the ""stone radical"" and same ""gān"" 干 phonetic) and ""langgan"" 琅玕. In these ancient times, the body was covered with pearls and jades, the inner coffin was filled with beautifully ornamented embroideries, and he outer coffin was filled with yellow gold and decorated with cinnabar [丹矸] with added layers of laminar verdite. [In the outer tomb chamber were] rhinoceros and elephant ivory fashioned into trees, with precious rubies"
"in Confucian philosophy and in the ""I Ching"". A mountain peak on an island was also a central part of the legend of the Isles of the Immortals, and thus became a central element in many classical gardens. The first rock garden appeared in Chinese garden history in Tu Yuan (literally ""Rabbit Garden""), built during the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE – 9 CE). During the Tang dynasty, the rock was elevated to the status of an art object, judged by its form (""xing""), substance (""zhi""), color (""se""), and texture (""wen""), as well as by its softness, transparency, and other"
"the Native American style, or as tumbled or roughly hewn beads in chunky necklaces. Lesser material may be carved into fetishes, such as those crafted by the Zuni. While strong sky blues remain superior in value, mottled green and yellowish material is popular with artisans. In many cultures of the Old and New Worlds, this gemstone has been esteemed for thousands of years as a holy stone, a bringer of good fortune or a talisman. The oldest evidence for this claim was found in Ancient Egypt, where grave furnishings with turquoise inlay were discovered, dating from approximately 3000 BCE. In"
"Yunzi Yunzi (Traditional: 雲子; Simplified: 云子; Pinyin: Yúnzǐ; IPA [yn˧˥tsz̩˨˩˦]) refer to special weiqi (Go) pieces manufactured in the Chinese province of Yunnan. At various times in history they have also been termed ""yunbian"" (云扁) and ""yunyaozi"" (云窑子). Though technically Yunzi refers only to sintered stones made of ""yunzi"" material (the exact composition is a secret), the term can also sometimes connote stones which are single-convex of any material. Yunzi-style stones made of jade for instance, were often presented to the reigning emperor and his court in ancient China. Yunzi are delicately made with a green luster yet are neither"
"yearly tribute payments consisting of the most precious white jade were made to the Chinese Imperial court and there transformed into ""objets d'art"" by skilled artisans as jade was considered more valuable than gold or silver, and white more valuable than green. Jade became a favorite material for the crafting of Chinese writing materials, such as rests for calligraphy brushes, as well as the mouthpieces of some opium pipes, due to the belief that breathing through jade would bestow longevity upon smokers who used such a pipe. The Qing dynasty was the final dynasty to gain political power within China"
"two and a half pounds of gold wires. In 1973, a jade burial suit belonging to Prince Huai of the Western Han Dynasty was discovered in Dingxian, Hebei. It consisted of 1,203 pieces of jade and 2,580 grams of gold thread. In 1983, a jade suit was found in the tomb of Zhao Mo, the second king of Southern Yue, in Guangzhou. The red silk thread used to bind the 2,291 jade plates represented Zhao Mo's immersion into local culture. It is exhibited in the local Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King. In 1991, a jade burial suit"
"they saw the God of Israel, and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone.."" (KJV). The term used in the Latin Vulgate Bible in this citation is ""lapidus sapphiri,"" the term for lapis lazuli. Modern translations of the Bible, such as the New Living Translation Second Edition, refer to lapis lazuli in most instances instead of sapphire. Lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli (), or lapis for short, is a deep blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. As early as the 7th"
"Geyuan Garden Geyuan Garden () is located in Yangzhou, a city renowned for traditional private gardens, in Jiangsu Province, southeast China. The Geyuan Garden is open to the public, throughout the four seasons. Spring is demonstrated with a picture of bamboo and rock. Summer is represented by the steel-grey Taihu stone, a popular tourist attraction. Autumn is depicted by Huangshan stone, and winter by Xuan stone. The Geyuan Garden was known as ""the garden of the long-lived ""Ganoderma"""" during the Ming Dynasty. In 1818 (the 22nd year of the reign of the Jiaqing Emperor), salt distribution commissioner Huang Zhiyun bought"