The carving process of Chinese Antique Jades玉器製作

中国古代玉器的制作工艺流程是随着社会生产力的发展而日趋完善的。新石器时代的琢玉工艺相对简单,后因铜、铁等金属工具的运用,工艺流程逐步复杂,至清代晚期形成了一套完整的玉器制作工艺流程。

清末李登渊的《玉作图》,将中国古代玉器的工艺流程分解为捣沙、研浆、开玉、扎砣、冲砣、磨砣、砣堂、上花、打钻、透花、打眼、木砣、皮砣等,即先准备解玉砂(捣沙、研浆),接着用一把没有锯齿的拉锯(又称拉丝)和着解玉砂将玉料锯开(开玉),然后在带圆盘砣(又称砣)的旋车上将玉切成坯(扎砣),再根据需要,或以装有边缘粗厚的圆盘状冲砣的旋车磨平表面(冲砣、磨砣),或以装有卷筒穿堂锥、成膛钻的旋车掏堂(砣堂),或以装有形似小图钉的圆盘状勾砣(又称丁子)的旋车雕花(上花),若需要镂花,则先用拉钻打孔(打钻),再用搜弓镂锯(透花),最后磨光,用木制圆盘砣包上沙浆或牛皮以旋车抛光(木砣、皮砣)。一件精美的玉器就通过这样一个工艺流程问世了。

古玉紋飾的演變Chinese Antique Jade Motif Development

紅山文化:  玉龍, 玉鷹, 玉箍形器是紅山文化最具神秘感的器物之一 紅山玉器多分佈於內蒙古東南至遼寧西部,甚至延至河北北部地區,4 器形多屬圓 雕,間以浮雕、透雕及隧孔、陰刻線條等技法雕作以成,嗣而通體磨光,質滑細膩。展 品所陳可分為三類:(一)為動物類,如(C 形)玉龍(圖 001)、玉豬龍(圖 002)、玉 鴞(圖 010)及玉鱉等。(二)為佩飾類,如勾雲形玉珮、帶齒獸面紋玉飾(圖 015)等。 (三)為人物類較為鮮見,如玉鷹人首婦女像(圖 005)、石質捧腹婦人等。大體而言, 紅山玉雕風格形象概括,講究神似不求形準,為其主要特徵。  良渚文化:  主要形制為玉琮, 椎形器, 三叉形器 良渚文化,是長江下游太湖地區新石器時代晚期一支重要的考古文化。6 玉琮(圖 016),是良渚玉器中體積最大的一種,也是良渚先民祀神的禮器之一;不但深具祭地通 天等典型的意義,7 亦是研究良渚文化最具代表性的器物。玉琮在雕製上有三大特點:(一) 內圓外方,中心部位係兩面對鑽的直通大孔,由於上下對鑽的中心點礙難對準,故多留 下錯位所造成的原始台階。(二)四個方角皆雕有繁簡不同的獸面紋圖像,共工氏 齊家文化: 主要形制為玉刀 齊家文化位於黃河上游,同屬新石器時代的末期文化,甘肅武威皇娘娘台遺址所出 的玉器最負盛名。13據研究指出,齊家文化的玉璧(圖 025),形制有圓形、橢圓形與方 形三種 夏代: 主要形制為玉璋, 玉鉞, 龍山文化處於新石器時代的末期,係由大汶口文化發展而來,9 分佈於黃河下游地 區,以山東境內為主要面積,在遠古即東夷氏族所屬區域,盛行鳥圖騰的文化崇拜。   商周以後禮器較為完備 。夏商周 畢竟是一代王朝,21除典章制度益加完備外,凡有助於國家政權之莊嚴肅穆、至高無 上的儀杖器用,大多以玉雕琢成兵械或武器,如玉戈(插圖 0 四)、玉刀(插圖 0 五)、 玉鉞、玉斧、王戚(圖 039)等。此類國用儀杖玉器的形制較大,精琢細雕、打磨光 潔,多無使用痕跡。不難想見主要行用於廟堂大典,以彰國家軍權政治的象徵。 夏商周 畢竟是一代王朝,21除典章制度益加完備外,凡有助於國家政權之莊嚴肅穆、至高無 上的儀杖器用,大多以玉雕琢成兵械或武器,如玉戈(插圖 … Continue reading

古玉圖像學(Iconology of Chinese Antique Jades)

中華民族是一個愛玉的民族. 中國古玉的歷史可以遠朔至八千年前興隆窪文化時期. 古代中國人將君子比德於玉, 對玉的鍾愛, 可見一斑. 許慎說文解字雲: 「玉, 石之美, 有五德者. 潤澤以溫, 仁之方也. 鰓理自外, 可以知中, 義之方也; 其聲舒揚, 專以遠聞, 智之方也; 不撓而折, 勇之方也; 鋭廉不忮, 絜之方也.」將玉的美好發揮得淋漓盡致.

古玉的收藏涵蓋鑒定, 鑒價及鑒賞三大領域; 古玉的鑒定不祇要探索玉器的歷史淵源, 還要從科學的角度確認古玉的跡象; 古玉的鑒賞不僅從器物的角度審美, 還要從審美的意象中去觀想人生的哲理. ,反映出不同歷史時期 的社會結構和生活理念,而在歷代政治層面、宗教信仰、文化思想的脈絡上,始終扮演 著相當重要的角色。正因如此,審視每件玉器美感的來源,並不僅止於外在的器形及紋 飾,更重要的是歷史所賦予的人文價值與意義

古玉圖像學(Iconology)係探討古玉圖像(icons)的科學, 一般而言, 古玉圖像(icons)涵蓋古玉的形制(form), 紋飾(motif), 呈現法(presentation)三個層面,  古玉圖像學(Iconology)在中文領域中尚在萌芽階段,可資參考文獻資料較少, 本書試圖根據古玉實物, 以創新的做法, 歸納出古玉的形制(form), 紋飾(motif),呈現法(presentation)三個層面,  加以深入詳盡說明.

呈現法(presentation)涵蓋隱喻呈現法( metaphor), 透視呈現法(perspective).

呈現法(presentation)即在視覺藝術中的形式因素, 包含點、線、面、空間、色彩、光線等;而其所被期待呈現的美感效果則有平衡、次序、比例、對比、和諧、律動等.

 

 

 

東漢玉璧圖騰設計方式的猜想

 

檢視幾款與西王母故事圖騰相關的玉璧發現, 周穆王訪西王母的主題有兩式, 一為周穆王的馬車西行, 一為周穆王的馬車東返, 而兩式璧的另一面, 分為兩圈, 內圈為以如意雲紋表示善業, 以荊棘紋表示惡業的善惡輪迴圖, 外圈四方表示兩組開放的天門, 兩組封閉的天門. 另一式為一面為周穆王訪西王母, 另一面記載漢光武帝相關事蹟及光武中興史蹟銘文.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The quality of the jade, carving works, form, and motif are the four main areas to appreciate Chinese antique jades. Among them, the quality of jade may serve as the preliminary step to judge whether the jade artifact’s genuineness. As far as the further step to verify the exact age of the item, we cannot help to consider the workmanship, form, and motif. The purpose of the present article is to discuss the motif itself.

Motif is like a symbol, although it is abstract in nature, if you know the principle of formation, it is not difficult to understand its meaning. Motifs often reflect the aesthetic standard of different ages. If you are able to control the characteristics of the particular motifs of different ages, you will be able to verify the particular age of the artifact.

After the long-term development, the characteristics of the jade artifact’s motif can be grouped into two periods: the transient period and the mature period. Because of the vast amount of archaeological data, here we only present an elementary reference framework, and only discuss the mature or stable period characteristics.

The motif of the Hongshan Culture Jade

Pig dragon and same-side dual hole are the major characteristics of Hongshan Culture jade.

Motif and form of Liangshu Culture jade

Cong and god’s face are the two major characteristics of the Liangshu Culture jades.  Later period, the 共工 symbol relate

  1. The motif of the Shang Dynasty jades

God and Weapons are the major Shang Dynasty Jade Motifs.

(1). Motif fits the form of jade

The line’s formation follows the shape of the form.

(2)The eye has the shape of the character 臣, most Shang Dynasty jades no matter if they are human or animal, the shape of eyes has the shape of 臣.is it a sign to emphasize the importance of the eye like many legends in the world such as the Sanxingdui Culture.

(3) Dual lines carving, of the two lines, one is using press down style, and the other is using decreasing contour style. First, carve two incise lines, then to decrease the contour for the outer line gradually to generate a convex line.

The jades from the FuHow tomb are carved streamlined and according to a procedure. Almost all jades are carved with two incise lines enclosing a convex line. The corner of the line looks rigid.

  1. The motif of the Western Zhou Dynasty jade

The motifs of Western Zhou dynasty jades do not necessarily relate to the form of jade. The style of carving is presented in the shape of the line which is called a big slant surface.

  1. The motif of the Spring Autumn period

The motif shows low relief from a concrete shape to an abstract shape. Ho’s bi has shown the unique characteristics of shape forms in shape. The so-called shape within shape(形中有形)

  1. The motif of the Warring States

The shapes of the motif are from abstract to geometric. In addition, the composition of the motif is simple to complicate.

6. Motif of the Chin Dynasty

 

  1. The motif of the Han Dynasty

The motif of cloud, grain, and grass sheet are developing to popular. High relief emerges. At the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Gan Ying was sent as an envoy to the Great Qin State (Roman Empire), so the jade ornamentation of the Eastern Han Dynasty, in addition to highlighting the ideas of Chinese immortals, also integrated Western characters and illusory mythical beast modeling elements.