Contemporary jade carving made to order: a few superb examples from Shanghai jade carver Wang YunMei

A purist in materials and methods, Wang YunMei served her apprenticeship of many years in the jade carving workshops of Shanghai, working with traditional Hetian white nephrite, now a scarce and expensive material. She works from photographs (usually several for complex carvings)  making replicas of existing carvings, as well as carving her own designs, some of which are posted on her website at http://www.hq-jadebazaar.com.

The jades shown here take up to 2 to 4 weeks to carve, depending on size and complexity. These are all carved from Baiyu or white nephrite. The slight color cast present in some photographs is an artifact of the camera settings and/or lighting.  

Alan White

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