In 2008 the discoveries of archeological jades where minor and overshadowed by exceptional tombs and bronze finds of the Western Zhou, Han and Warring State periods.

 Nevertheless I have picked out the jades shown in the publication and the associated text describing the site for your enjoyment.

 The Xiaozhushan and Wujiacun sites are situated at Wujiacun Village in the middle of Guanglu Island within Changhai County, Dalian City, Liaoning Province.

They are 300-400m apart from each other as the crow flies, and between them a stream runs northwards to the Yellow Sea. To research into the chronological and pedigree sequences of the prehistoric archaeological cultures in the Liaodong Peninsula region and the diffusion of ancient rice farming in East Asia, the Institute of Archaeology, CASS jointly with the Liaoning Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the Dalian Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology carried out excavation on the two sites in May—August 2006 and April—July 2008 respectively. The Xiaozhushan site is a typical shell-mound site, consisting of several cultural layers largely formed of large quantities of shells. The Wujiacun site is the same in nature. In date its main remains correspond to those of the mid phase of the former site, but they lasted down to the Liao-and-Jin period. The findings include Neolithic vestiges and pottery, stone and bone objects, as well as house-foundations of the Liao-and-Jin period.

The Halahaigou cemetery lies on a hill in the northwest of the territory of Halahaigou community of Sihe Village in Yuanbaoshan Town, Chifeng City of Inner Mongolia.

 In May —August 2007, the Inner Mongolian Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the Chifeng Municipal Museum and the Chifeng Municipal Office for the Preservation of Ancient Monuments carried out there a salvaging excavation. They revealed 51 tombs and a sacrificial pit of the Xiaoheyuan Culture period. The cemetery is much similar to other burial grounds of the Xiaoheyuan culture, with the tombs arranged roughly in rows, the pottery belonging mainly to sandy clay ware, the dou stemmed vessel and cylindrical jar as the chief types, various incised patterns as the prevalent decorations, and the painted designs falling into the prior- and post-firing-made variants. The funeral objects include tools of production and ornaments. This is another important discovery following the Danangou cemetery in Ongniud Banner of Inner Mongolia and the Jiangjialiang site in Yangyuan of Hebei. It provided important material data for the study of the Xiaoheyuan culture.

The South Baoligaotu site and tombs are situated about 40 km southeast of Lubei Town in Jarud Banner, Inner Mongolia.

In 2006 — 2008, the Inner Mongolian Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the Horqin Museum and the Jarud Banner Office for the Preservation of Ancient Monuments jointly carried out there three seasons of excavation. The vestiges fall into four areas, i.e. Areas A, B, C and D, with a distance of 300 to 800 m between each other. The former three are cemeteries, while the latter one, a dwelling site. The excavation of 2008 covered the southeastern corner of Area A, Area C and Area D, and revealed in a total area of 4,300 sq m 50 tombs, 35 ash-pits, 9 house-foundations and over 400 pottery, jade and other precious stone, bone and shell objects, providing abundant material for understanding the cultural aspect and nature of the cemeteries and dwelling site. Located at a distinctive place, the South Baoligaotu complex held the key position for the amalgamation of many late Neolithic archaeological cultures in Northeast China. Its discovery and excavation has important value to further researching into prehistoric archaeological cultures and their types in Northeast China.

 The Sunjiacheng Site is located in the territory of the Suncheng and Feiwu communities of Ligang Village in Mamiao Town, Huaining County, Anhui Province.

It measures about 250,000 sq m in remaining area and has surrounding city-walls in the periphery. To investigate further the source and where-about of 6c Xuejiagang culture and the date of the city-walls, archaeologists carried out two seasons of excavation in October 2007 to January 2008 and in October to November 2008, and revealed an area of about 600 sq m in total. The results include, firstly, the confirmation of the local Zhangsidun type period of the Longshan -age as the date of the main city-walls; and, secondly, the establishment of the rather complete chronological sequence in southwestern Anhui from about 6,000 to 4,000 BP that evolved from a newly recognized culture through the Xuejiagang culture to the Zhangsidun type. The discovery of the Longshan Age city-site constitutes a breakthrough in the prehistoric archaeology of the lower Yangtze River valley. The above-described evolutionary line covers on the whole all periods of the Neolithic Age in southwestern Anhui, provides valuable data for inquiring into the change of the Neolithic culture in this region and furnishes new valuable clues to seeking for the source and where-about of the Xuejiagang culture.

 The Dahekou cemetery is situated to the north of Dahekou Village of Longhua Town in Yicheng County, Shanxi Province, on a terrace of the northern bank of the Huihe River.

At this site more than 400 tombs were discovered through drilling. Since September 2007, six of them have been excavated. The most important is Tomb MI. It is an earthen pit with a chamber and a coffin, which contains the remains of a male. Sloping holes were discovered at the four comers of the pit opening, and lacquered wooden tomb-figurines were found on the eastern second-tier platform. This is the first time archaeology has revealed this type of funeral object among the so far recorded Western Zhou tombs across the Central Plains. The grave goods from M I include large quantities of bronzes, proto-porcelain and pottery, with the former one coming first in number and falling into ritual vessels, musical instruments, weapons and horse-and-chariot trappings. The tomb-owner is an earl-ranking nobleman of the earlier mid Western Zhou. The burial ground is a newly discovered graveyard of a Western Zhou fief-state, which, as known from the bronze inscriptions, was in contact with the Yan and Rui states. Culturally the Dahekou cemetery is much similar to the Hengshui cemetery in Jiangxian County, Shanxi.

   Tomb Shuangdun-1 of the Spring-and-Autumn period lies at Shuangdun Village of Xiaobengbu Town in Huaishang District, Bengbu City, Anhui Province,

It was explored through a salvaging excavation in December 2006 to August 2008. It is a large-sized earthen pit with a nine-meter high mound, beneath which is a 30 cm thick pavement of white earth. The pit measures 20.2 m in diameter for the opening and 7.5 m in depth. Two meters below the opening is a circular second-tier platform 1.9 m in width, and on the eastern side, a 14-step tomb‑passage 6.3 m in length and 3.2 m in width. The grave goods include large quantities of bronzes, post-firing-painted pottery vessels and lacquered wooden articles, and a small number of stone implements, jades, pottery vessels with stamped geometric patterns, cowries and gold-foiled ornaments. Unique in structure and complex in furniture, the tomb represents a newly discovered type of burial in pre-Qin times and provides new data for researching into the form, structure and burial institution of tombs in ancient China.

The Anshan site is located at Kengbian Village of Shenhu Town in Jinjiang City, Fujian Province.

In May to August 2008, the Fujian Museum and other institutions explored it through a salvaging excavation that covered an area of 775 sq m. The revealed vestiges include the remains of three floors and four ash-pits with large quantities of shells. The site goes back to the Bronze Age and contains two phases of cultural elements. Among the unearthed objects are substantial pottery, stone, jade, bone and bronze artifacts. This is the first time archaeology has discovered a dune-type site of the Bronze Age in Fujian. Its building-foundations and cultural relics show unique regional features. Remains of the same cultural type are extensively distributed in the coastal area and islands of the southern Fujian region.

In November 2008, in coordination with capital construction in Cuizhuyuan Sub-district of Qujiang, Van City, the Xi'an Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics Preservation and Archaeology excavated four tombs of the Western Han period.

Tombs M I and M2 are similar in form, either consisting of a sloping passage, a brick chamber, a western side-room and an eastern one, either of the two latter having a small niche. Tombs M3 and M4 are also similar, either furnished with a brick chamber with a shaft passage and a side room. On the chamber walls of Ml, murals were found to depict doorkeepers, life scenes, celestial phenomena, etc., constituting a batch of important cultural relics. Judged by the tomb form and unearthed objects, the tomb can be preliminarily dated to the late Western Han period. The dress and stature of the human figures in the wall paintings reflect then people's difference in social status. These murals show the high artistic achievements of the Chang'an Capital Region in the Western Han period.

I present you below the top ten jades (as per auction price) of 2008 with their short original description and the achieved approximate price in US$ as listed in this survey.

Nr. 1
A magnificent imperial white jade “dragon” vase and cover – Qianlong period – 28cm height

Christie – Hong Kong – 3,285.000 US$

Nr. 2
A magnificent and extremely rare imperial white jade “zodiac animal” marriage bowl and cover – Qianlong period – 21cm width

Christie – Hong Kong – 2,700.000 US$

Nr.3
A large jadeite figure of Guanyin – Mid Qing Dynasty – 68.5cm height

Council Auction House – China – 2,700.000 US$

Nr. 4
A very rare imperial white jade “guang” archaistic vessel and cover – Qianlong period – 19.8cm height

Christie – UK – 2,274.000 US$ (?)

Nr. 5
A pair of exceptionally fine white jade circular “elephant” boxes and covers – Qianlong period – 16.4cm diameter

Christie – UK – 2,274.000 US$

Nr. 6
A superbly carved imperial spinach-green jade brush pot – Qianlong period – 15.8cm height

Christie – UK – 1,602.000 US$

Nr. 7
An exceptionally fine and rare yellow belt hook – Western Han Dynasty – 9.3x6.5x1.5cm

Christie – UK – 1,420.000 US$

Nr. 8
A rare miniature imperial “Prajnaparamita Sutra” jade book – Mark and period Qianlong period

Sotheby’s – Hong Kong – 945.000 US$

Nr. 9
An exquisite imperial white jade teapot and cover – early 18^th century – 18.6cm height

Christie – Hong Kong – 937.000 US$

       Nr. 10
An exquisite jadeite vase and cover – early 20^th century – 26cm height

Christie – Hong Kong – 840.000 US$

Next to these capital jade items also the auction of a set of jade seals made headlines.

The most important of these pieces are shown below.

 Nr 1
An exceptional imperial white jade “Qianlong Yubi” seal, the seal of the Kangxi period, the seal face recarved during the Qianlong reign – 12.5x12.5cm

Sotheby’s – Hong Kong – 9,600.000 $US

Nr. 2
A very fine imperial white jade “Zi Qiang Bu Xi” seal – Qianlong period – 7.5x7.5cm

Sotheby’s – Hong Kong – 5,700.000 $US

Nr.3
A massive imperial Khotan-green jade “Tian En Ba Xun Zhi Bao” seal – Qianlong period – 12.7x12.7cm

Sotheby’s – Hong Kong – 2,815.000 $US

Nr. 4
A superb pair of imperial white jade “dragon” seals – Qianlong period – 5x2.8cm

Sotheby’s – Hong Kong – 2,300.000 $US

Nr. 5
A small and extremely fine imperial white jade “Sanxi Tang” seal    -Qianlong period – 3.1x1.8cm

Sotheby’s – Hong Kong – 1.630.000 $US

Nr. 6
A pair of imperial spinach-green jade “dragon” seals – Qianlong period – 4.5x4.5 and 4.5x2.9cm

Sotheby’s – Hong Kong – 1.542.000 $US

The Science Press of Beijing and the Beijing Institute of Jade Culture have published in 2005 a monumental collection of 15 volumes with about 370 pages each on archeologically well traceable jades found in China.

I noticed the volumes recently in Hangzhou and have quickly taken some pictures of the volumes on the fly and want to alert you on their availability.

The 15 volumes present jades in function of their place of finding going from volume 1 covering finds in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei all the way to volume 15 showing jades found in the Chinese Far West or in the provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang. It is logical that the promises of the title “the complete collection…” is not fulfilled otherwise at least 100 times more volumes would be needed!

Each jade item, shown in color pictures, has a short description in English indicating also the museum or institution caring for it now.

In each volume also a summary of the jade finds of the particular province and their dynastic background is presented. This text has been reviewed by the well known US jade expert Mrs. Elizabeth Childs-Johnson and has thus gained much in content and editorial clarity.

The entire set costs 4980 RMB or approximately 730 US$.

So what's new.....?

In the fall of 2008, Deborah invited Donn Salt to demonstrate his small scale carving skills in her studio, and rounded up 4 eager participants for this unique opportunity. Donn is a world renowned jade artist from New Zealand, who has recently become part of the North American jade family.

For those who are just becoming acquainted to jade and to Donn's work in paticular, his website will take you on a magical tour of his exquisite works of art. Click here for more of Donn's work.

After the Vernon workshop, the next destination was due south, to Big Sur, California. The 17th annual Jade Festival was held on October 10, 11, & 12. Both Donn and Deborah showed their pieces at this event with Jade Haven Galleries. Following that, the 2nd annual workshop at the California School of Jade Carving was scheduled to begin on October 20th, for 6 days. This was hosted once again by Mike Burkleo, who provided the space, equipment and passion for learning the techniques involved in carving jade. Nine students in all enjoyed an intensive 6 day session with Donn and Deborah, who shared their expertise with small and medium scale approaches to working jade.

There is a great number of people associated with jade and the arts, that are very interested in learning these skills. Next October's workshop is tentatively booked, and the waiting list is getting longer!

The Renaissance is well on its way!

A jade classic by Bill Koochin carved from Ogden Jade in Canada. Deborah requested that Bill bring the piece along with him to show the others in the Vernon workshop. Bill was Deborah's sculpture instructor at the Vancouver Scholool of Art (1969 - 1973)

Kenny Comello carved this pendant out of his own California Blue Jade. He was one of nine participants at the California jade workshop.

Chris Poelma's Cassiar Jade bowl

Master jade carver Donn Salt from New Zealand demonstrating handsanding

A collection of finished jade sculptures, pendants and bangles . These were carved by some of the participants of the Californis jade workshop. Donn and Deborah's pieces are featured here as well.

This year's attendees at Mike Burkleo's 2nd annual jade workshop, in Fairfield California.

Eternal Calendar in green nephrite with diamonds, pearls and enamel manufactured, before 1899, in the Fabergé workshops under the supervision of Michael Perchin.

The Faberge workshops in St.Peterburg during the last years before the Revolution

The green nephrite jade came from the Sayan Mountains about 150Km east of Irkutsk, near Lake Baikal in what is now the Autonomous Republic of Buratia in Russia.

 
The Sayan Mountain area with the Bortogol site

The area is still mined today although the best material becomes very rare indeed. Looking for suppliers of Russian white Vitim jade I came across the company Minerasia S.pA. in Treviglio (near Milano/Italy – office@minerasia.it) ). Its owner, Mr. Claudio Cerasi, did inform me that beside the material I was looking for, he had also an exceptional boulder, weighting 1163Kg, of the beautiful emerald green jade which Fabergè was using for his most precious carvings and jewelry works.

The top grade "Fabergé" green jade from Bortogol

The material comes from the now exhausted Bortogol River mine in the Sayan’s and is available for inspection and purchase in Italy. He would like to sell the huge piece as a single lot with an asking price of about 100 EURO per Kg.

The "last"  Fabergé green Bortogol  jade boulder?

 This is indeed a steep price but this green jade is the last of its kind and really beautiful and linked directly to the Fabergé objects d’art. I hope that his marketing plans are successful and he will find a jade lover willing to take up the entire boulder.

Next to the Bortogol boulder Mr. Cerasi has also two further green jade boulders (about 1000 and 2000Kg) from the nearby Gorlykgol River mine. This very compact material is slightly darker and has a more subdued green color. Similar material was also utilized in the St.Petersburg workshops.   
The Gorlykgol green jade boulders

For those which appreciate white nephrite jade, Mr. Cerasi sells also diverse pieces from the Vitim area with one cut-in-two river boulder showing the typical “Khotan/Yurungkash” reddish skin so much sought after by the Chinese jade carvers.

I include the pictures of these jade roughs for your enjoyment and, in the case that you need such special material for your carving projects, ask you to contact Mr. Cerasi directly. The material is already in Italy and thus not submitted to the uncertain Russian export regulations.    
The white nephrite river jade from the Vitim area with the russet skin

Since ancient times, Suzhou is also one of the centers of fine jade carving and, during a recent stay in China, I managed a short visit there.

Jade carving is carried out as a cottage industry in the south-eastern part of the old town (Suzhou 1) along the numerous small roads off the Xiang Wang Lu.

 
A carver's workplace

A typical jade carving shop consists typically in a 4x4m room in which three to four carvers work and many times also cook, eat and sleep. When you stroll along the Xian Wang back alleys you can see numerous Chinese signs of jade painted hastily on the walls indicating that behind a door or courtyard such jade carving is carried out. You are welcome to wander in, observe their work and enquire about carvings available and their always too high prices.

Please inspect my ware!

These carvings are mostly of small size consisting in pendants and small animals made from good quality Xinjiang white jade. The carving is done on standardized horizontal spindle workstation of Chinese manufacture (about 500 US$ per unit) by the local artist.

Typical Suzhou small white jade carvings

In a division of labor, the final and less creative step, the polishing of the carving, is done by specialized workshops which I have not been able to locate/see. The working conditions are not the best especially what concerns the cramped quarters and the poor lighting which strains the eyes of the artist. Although very fine details are carved, no magnifying glasses or loupes are used.

Belt buckle in watery green Geermu white jade with Taotie mask design

Unfinished pendant in cloudy green Xinjiang Jade

     
  Pendants in white and dark green-to-black Khotan jade

A more up-scale jade shop in the Xiang Wang Lu quarter

Available jade mountain scenes in a pale green-white Khotan jade

Lone pine and sage mountain scene in pale green-to-white Khotan jade

Next to these small jade carving shops also larger facilities are located in and around Suzhou but they turn out more the standard "tourist" ware and less this "artisan jade" with all its individualities and styles.

More up-scale jade selling is ocurring near the center of old Suzhou in a building on the Quan Qian street just off the main pedestrian street. 

 Da Chen Fong gate at the entrance of the Quan Qian road (at Suzhou 2 on Google Earth picture) 

  
 
Entrance to the jade shops building
 
 
  No need to hurry - the prices are going only one direction - up!

Some very nice carvings are available as also a good-to-excellent but terribly expensive selection of Khotan Yurungkash River white jade pebbles and boulders.

   Discussing how to get the most out of a Khotan white jade river pebble

A veritable black Karakash River jade pendant (left) and a deep green one with gold line decoration

A small cup carved from a white jade pebble with a thick red skin

 So if you are close by and have a ton of money, visit Suzhou and its jade carvers and don't forget to report it on www.friendsofjade.org!

For each jade a short description of the item is given together with the auction house name, lot number, auction date and items size. The information is completed with the estimated price range and the realized final price. A list of Chinese art auctions and the addresses of the auction houses completes the information. The book, with a total of 773 pages includes also chapters on other Chinese art items such as ceramics, ancient pottery and ceramics, ancient bronze, sculptures, furniture, snuff bottles and ancillary works of art.

    Volume 2005 is out of print!
  

I have selected the top 10 items of 2007 and present them here for your information and personal enjoyment. The conversion into US dollar is based on the 11/2008 exchange rate

Position 10

Auction date 10/9 – Sotheby’s – Lot 1310 – length 43cm

A superbly carved white jade “Ruyi” scepter, Qianlong period

HK 3,000,000 – 4,000,000 – HK 8,272,500 (US$ 1,126,202)

Position 9

Auction date 10/9 – Sotheby’s – Lot 1332 – Book 8x6.6cm – Box: 13.8x12.1x8cm

An imperial “Prajnaparamita Sutra” jade book together with its craved zitan box and cover, Qianlong period

HK 4,500,000 – 6,000,000 – HK 10,183,500 (US$ 1,131,085)

Position 8

Auction date 10/9 – Sotheby’s – Lot 1210 – height 19.8cm

An exceptional and very large rare yellow jade double carp vase, mark and period Qianlong

HK 8,000,000 – 10,000,000 – HK 10,631,500 (US$ 1,371,895)

Position 7

Auction date 11/27 – Christies – Lot 1543 – height 20.3cm

An important yellow jade vase and cover, 13^th – 17^th century

HK 3,000,000 – 5,000,000 – HK 12,087,500 (US$ 1,559,778)

Position 6

Auction date 3/22 – Christies – Lot 132

A very rare and important set of ten inscribed white jades, Song Dynasty and later

US$ 400,000 – 600,000 – US$ 1,832,000

Position 5

Auction date 11/27 – Christies – Lot 1511 – diameter 25cm

A magnificent pair of white jade circular screens, Qianlong period

HK 6,000,000 – 5,000,000 – HK 18,247,500 (US$ 2,354,668)

Position 4

Auction date 10/9 – Sotheby’s – Lot 1334 – height 15.3cm

An exquisitely carved white jade “pine” brush pot, Qianlong period

HK 6,000,000 – 8,000,000 – HK 18,807.500 (US$ 2,426.931)

This same brush pot had been auctioned in 2003 by Sotheby’s and fetched then HK 1,742,400!

Position 3

Auction date 4/8 – Sotheby’s – Lot 603 – 30.8cm disc 23.8cm

An exceptionally large and extremely rare dated zitan stand with a mounted archaic jade bi, Eastern Han dynasty, the inscription and the stand date to the Gengyin year (1890)

HK 34,480,000 (US$ 4,449,319)

Position 2

Auction date 4/8 – Sotheby’s – Lot 602 – box 12cm, ring diameter 3cm

An extraordinary group of seven jade imperial archer’s rings with its original fitted cinnabar box and cover, mark and period Qianlong

HK 47,360,000 (US$ 6,111,362)

Position 1

Auction date 11/27 – Christies – Lot 1518 – diameter 19.5cm

A magnificent white jade cylindrical brush pot, Qianlong period

HK 10,000,000 – 15,000,000 – HK 54,087,500 (US$ 6,979,668)

Next to these magnificent items also imperial seals in jade made the headlines with extraordinary prices realized in auctions

Auction date 3/20 – Sotheby’s – Lot 626 – 13x13cm

The “Shi Quan Zhi Bao” an extremely important imperial green jade seal, Qianlong period

US$ 800,000 – 1,000,000 – US$ 1,608,000

Auction date 11/27 – Christies – Lot 1861 – 8.2x8.2x8cm

An important imperial “Emperor Emeritus” with jade seal, Qianlong period

HK 6,000,000 – 8,000,000 – HK 16,007,500 (US$ 2,065,617)

Auction date 10/9 – Sotheby’s – Lot 1303 – 12.6x2.6cm, 2.6cmx1.6cm

A pair of very fine white jade imperial “Dragon” seals, Qianlong period

HK 5,000,000 – 7,000,000 – HK 16,007,500 (?) (US$ 2,065,617)

 Auction date 10/9 – Sotheby’s – Lot 1301 – 4.5cm

An important and superb imperially inscribed “Tai Shang Huang Di” white jade seal, mark and period Qianlong

HK 15,000,000 – 20,000,000 – HK 46,247,500 (US$ 5,967,804)

Also this year I bring you the images of the jades and the short descriptions of the major 2007 archaeological discoveries in China. The 2007 edition of this series, a 176 page book (ISBN 978-7-5010-2439-1), has been published by Wenwu,
The Cultural Relicts Publishing House in Beijing. 

Of all the sites with jades, the Neolithic site of Linjiatan in the Anhui Province with the 72cm stilized jade pig sculpture is the truly exceptional find of 2007.

The description of the sites is in the original published English version.

With approval from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology carried out excavation in the burial area of the Lingjiatan site, a state-protected ancient monument, in May to July 2007. They excavated cultural remains in two parts: the northwest of the southern cemetery and the east of the altar in this cemetery. The opened area totals about 450 sq m, where four tombs and three ash-pits of the Lingjiatan culture were revealed.

The most important are two discoveries. One is the jade pig found near the top of the altar. It is 72 cm in length and 88 kg in weight. On the face, all the features and a pair of protruding teeth are vividly represented. Being the largest, heaviest and earliest sculptured pig of the Neolithic Age discovered so far in China, it can be called the first Chinese jade pig. The other finding is Tomb 07M23 beneath the jade pig. It has intruded the altar and measures 3.6 m in length and 2.1 m in width. The tomb pit is full of funeral objects, including stone implements, jade artifacts and pottery vessels, really an astonishing treasury.

The tomb pit points to the south and north with the tomb-owner's head to the south and the feet to the north. At the head are jade rings, jue half-rings, bracelets and huang semi-discs; on the chest, some dozen huang; near the two arms, ten bracelets respectively; and from the chest to the feet, jade yue battle-axes and stone yue, adzes and chisels overlap each other in two to six layers.

The funeral objects number 330 pieces, i.e. 98 stone implements, 214 jades, 16 pottery vessels, a piece of raw jade and a broken bone. Among the jades are three objects of jade tortoises (rattles), which contain jade slips (clappers) in the belly.

The stylized pig with tusks, snout and eyes made from a jade boulder 72cm long and weighting 88Kg

It suggests that by the Neolithic Age the Lingjiatan people had known rather mature divination and evidences that the literal records about divining activities at that time, such as the Yellow River map and Luoshui River book, are based on real facts rather than myths and legends.

The Longwangshan cemetery lies at the juncture of Nanqiao Village and Meiman Village of Zilingpu Town in Jingmen City, Hubei Province, on the western bank of the Hanshui River, in the hilly country between Mt. Daba of the Qinling Mountains and the Jianghan Plain, adjoining the Longwangshan site in the north and occupying an area of about 200,000 sq m. The excavation under discussion covered 1,700 sq m, where 203 tombs were revealed and over 9,000 jade, stone and pottery objects were unearthed.

The tombs fall into stone, earthen and semi-stone semi-earthen pits. The dead are largely in an extended supine position, with a few buried secondarily. Among the funeral pottery vessels are cups, ding tripods, jars, dou stemmed vessels, vat, curved-belly cups, slender-neck pots, basins, vessel covers and spindle-whorls, with the ding-cup-jar-dou set occurring most frequently.

The objects from Tomb M132 alone number 260 pieces. As a batch of remains intact in condition and varied in tomb scale and the number of mourning objects, it demonstrates distinctly social differentiation. Its excavation has important value to researching into the relationship between the prehistoric Daxi and Qujialing cultures in the mid Yangtze River valley and investigating the origin, features, evolution and motive force of the early civilization in this region and even the source of the whole Chinese civilization.

In 2006, the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology carried out excavation in the late Western Zhou cemetery within Licheng County in the Taihong Mountains of southeastern Shanxi. They revealed ten tombs, which have largely been robbed in recent years, but the small-sized tombs excavated are preserved in a good condition. Tombs M7, M8 and M9 are medium-sized grave not damaged by robbery.

The large-sized tombs are earthen pits with ramping passages, while the medium- and small-sized are all earthen pits without passages. Each grave is furnished with a wooden chamber and multiple coffins; the latter are rather good in condition; and the funeral chariots, when in presence, are placed in the chamber.

 
The unearthed objects are small in number, but some of them have great academic value, such as the two bronze pots and the bronze ding tripod unearthed from M8, the inscriptions of which can be identified as indicators of the cemetery belonging to the Li State. As recorded in literal evidence, the Li State was destroyed by the Zhou people in the late Shang period and was restored by the Jin State in the mid Spring-and-Autumn period, but the Licheng cemetery belongs to the late Western Zhou, which seems to have no consistent information in relevant literal records.

A few years ago, late Shang bronzes of the ding, gu cup and jue three-legged cup types were unearthed in the vicinity, which also evidences that the ancient Li State, belonging mainly to the Shang period as recorded in historical documents, existed in this area.

In 2007, the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and other institutions carried out a secondary excavation in the graveyard at Liangdai Village of Hancheng. They revealed 26 large-, medium-and small-sized tombs and a horse burial-pit, which yielded over 500 pieces (sets) of valuable cultural relics, including bronzes, jades and pottery.

Judged by the distribution of the tombs, the Rui State people of the Zhou period must have observed the custom of constructing the "state graveyard" with the dead buried mainly by the clan. Some of the unearthed ritual bronzes bear the inscriptions "Bi Bo" (Earl Bi), "Guo Ji" and other names, which provide new clues for studying the relationship of the Rui State with these local states.

The funeral horses and chariots and other objects from Tomb M502 and other large burials suggest that the graveyard can be dated to the late Western Zhou period, thus the history of Rui State's activities in Hancheng can be pushed to an earlier time approximately by one hundred years than the previously known. The coffin stands discovered in these tombs constitute a batch of important remains unknown before in Shang-Zhou archaeology, which enriched our knowledge of the institution of using coffins in the Zhou period.

The wooden tomb-figurines unearthed from M502, over one meter in height for the tallest piece, show that the first appearance of tomb-figurines in China should be traced to a much earlier period than the previous understanding; and their discovery made up the gap in this aspect of Western Zhou archaeology.

The Xi'an Zhangjiapu cemetery of the Han period is located about 2,500 m east of Han period Chang'an City. So far, above 440 tombs have been excavated there, and approximately 3,000 objects of various kinds have been unearthed. Three medium-sized graves among the revealed tombs are all earthen pits, each with a brick chamber and a long ramping passage. They yielded more than 320 valuable ritual bronzes, jades and glazed pottery articles.

The small-sized tombs, the main part of the cemetery dates from the mid Western Han to the Xinmang period. Their occupants should be assigned to the common people of Chang'an City. But the three medium tombs must be the burials of higher-status noblemen. Among them M110 yielded plates of a jade shroud; NI114, large-sized glazed pottery vessels rarely seen in the Western and Eastern Han tombs across the Xi'an area; and M115, even an astonishing bronze distiller rational in structure and advanced in making technique. The nine ding-tripods from M115, massive in size and complete in combination, constitute the only set among the cultural relics from the so far discovered tombs of the Xinmang period.

The excavation provided important material for studying into the social life of the Han period and the layout of Han Changan City and rich archaeological data for researching into the formation and evolution of Han culture. After the mid Western Han, ritual tended to fall; and in the Xinmang period, the government implemented the policy of restoring ancient ways and changing the economic and political systems. The nine ding from M115 are reliable material proof on the situation in Wang Mang's reign. It is the first time that we have got a piece of evidence of the then ritual institution change, which, therefore, has extremely important academic and historical value.

The funeral objects from the tombs include gold, silver, bronze, iron, jade, porcelain and lacquered articles, totaling over one hundred pieces. Before the excavation the archaeological team made drilling and trial excavation, which brought to light stone stands, stone images, structural members, underground building-foundations, etc., and roughly clarified the whole layout of the tomb-garden.

The Shamen city-site is located two km northeast of Shamen Village in Yulin Township of Yanjin County, Henan Province. According to local annals, there were the seat of Weizhou District and Zuocheng County for approximately 40 years at the turn from the Jin to Yuan period. In August 2006 to August 2007, the area was explored through a salvaging archaeological excavation.

The work resulted in the confirmation of the city as a ferry-crossing town, which measures about 3,180 m in circumference and has city-gates in the western, eastern and northern walls. The southern wall was built on the great Yellow River dyke, but no city-gate was discovered there, and a wharf was revealed 1.000 m south of the city. Excavation brought to light vestiges of Jin-Yuan period city-walls, roads, houses, wells, fields, ash-pits, tombs and so on. The unearthed objects are extremely rich, falling into porcelain, potters, glazed pottery, jades, bronzes, ironware, stone implements and bone artifacts, as well as structural members, remains of smelting and animal bones (waste material of bone working). The porcelain is especially rich in variety, differing widely in glaze and decorative means.

I have scanned the relevant pages showing the small jade carvings of recent manufacture as also of the white Yurungkash/Hotien jade pebbles and boulders. As each illustration was accompanied by the weight of the jade and the estimated lower to upper auction price, I have normalized the upper price limit to US$ per gram so to give you a comparison yardstick of current jade prices. Haohan Auction House did not want to give me the actual reached auction price.

100US$ are valued 670 Chinese RMB and 100g amount to 3.5 ounces.

The next auction will be held in October 2008 with several jade boulders announced to be in the auction program.

As these carvings are of recent manufacture and labor costs are low in China, you can evaluate for yourself how the raw material cost through the combination of colored skin, translucency and size, influences the estimated auction price. The price of uncut pebbles from the Yurungkash River ranges from a low of 10$/g to an absolute high of 502$/g depending on the translucency and homogeneity of the material (true mutton fat jade).

For the value of carved items, the presence of russet colored skin, adroitly incorporated into the design of the carving, is essential for asking an elevated price. Its absence or a patch with only a dull brown color immediately lowers the price as the origin of the white jade cannot anymore be related to the Yurungkash River. This value adding russet skin is however now also reproduced artificially and the suspicion lingers on that at least one boulder offered in this auction has seen such a color enhancing step.

Carving of an unborn chicken (?) in white (river) jade with russet colored skin
78g – 115$/g

Carving of a fruit in white (river) jade with small russet colored skin patch
148g – 71$/g

Yurungkash River boulder in white jade with russet skin
25.5Kg – 9.5$/g

Carving of a duck in white (river) jade with tenuous russet colored skin patches
206g – 159$/g

Yurungkash River boulder in white jade with russet colored skin
22Kg – 20$/g

Carving of a sage in white (river) jade with a small russet colored skin patch
48.8g – 108$/g

Five small Yurungkash River white jade pebbles
80.9g – 14$/g

Carving of a sage in white (river) jade with small russet colored skin patch
218.7g – 21$/g

Necklace with 42 naturally shaped white (river ) jade pebbles
124.1g – 66$/g

Carving of a fruit and a bat in white (river) jade with tenuous russet colored skin patch
167.7g – 27$/g

Carving of two catfishes (?) in white (river) jade with russet colored skin patch
153g – 29$/g

Small Yurungkash River white jade pebble with very tenuous russet colored skin patches
112.1g – 27$/g

Five small Yurungkash River white jade pebbles
80.4g – 15$/g

Carving of a monkey in white jade
18.5g – 306$/g

Carving of lion cub in white (river) jade with russet colored skin streaks
18.4g – 203$/g

Carving of a scene with a rooster in white (river) jade with a tenuous russet colored skin patch
57.1g – 78$/g

Carving of a horse in fetal position (?) in white (river) jade with a tenuous russet colored skin patch
151.4g – 37$/g

Carving of a fruit with monkeys in white (river) jade with an intense russet colored skin patch
20.1g – 245$/g

Carving of a scene with a peach tree, monkeys and dogs in white (river) jade with russet colored skin
133.4g – 179$/g

Necklace with 44 naturally shaped small white (river) jade pebbles with russet colored skin
90.2g – 165$/g

Carving of a sage in white (river) jade with a tenuous russet colored skin patch
32.8g – 127$/g

Carving of a sage in white (river) jade with a russet colored skin patch
21.3g – 196$/g

Carving of scene (upside down) with a rooster in white (river) jade with russet colored skin patches
11.5g – 285$/g

Carving of two carps in white jade with a small brown colored patch
26.9g – 36$/g

Carving of a Buddhist religious figure in white jade
33.4g – 36$/g

Carving of a scene with two bats and a bamboo stalk in white (river) jade with an intense russet colored skin patch
16.7g – 53$/g

Carving of a goat in white (river) jade with russet colored staining
12.6g – 61$/g

Small Yurungkash River white jade pebble with very tenuous russet colored skin patches
31.9g – 187$/g

Carving of a fruit with butterfly in white (river) jade with localized russet colored skin patch
11.6g – 45$/g

Carving of a sage in white jade
15.8g – 47$/g

Carving of lion cub playing with a ball in white jade with some brown colored spots
99.1g – 60$/g

Pendant carving of a fruit and a butterfly in white (river) jade with russet colored spots
6.2g – 46$/g

Carving of a small lion cub in white (river) jade with russet stains
18.7g – 28$/g

Carving of a scene with a ram and monkey in white (river) jade with an intensive russet colored skin patch
20.4g – 36$/g

Carving of a fruit with monkeys in white (river) jade with a small russet colored spot
121.4g – 37$/g

Yurungkash River white jade pebble with an intense russet skin color and blackened fracture lines
1444g – 21$/g

Yurungkash River white jade pebble with a thin russet colored skin
463g – 48$/g

Carving of a sage in white (river) jade with russet colored patches
128g – 41$/g

Carving of a group of animals in white jade
20g – 373$/g

Small Yurungkash River unblemished white jade pebble
54g – 105$/g

Small Yurungkash River white jade pebble
53g – 138$/g

Small Yurungkash River white jade pebble with russet colored spots
103g – 43$/g

Small Yurungkash River white jade pebble with a small russet colored spot
103g – 116$/g

Bracelet with 7 Yurungkash River white jade pebbles with russet colored skin
72g – 62$/g

Carving of a fruit and two monkeys in white jade
26g – 172$/g

Small Yurungkash River top quality white jade pebble with russet colored spot
29.7g – 502$/g

Yurungkash River greyish white jade pebble with extensive russet colored skin (oiled)
106g – 140$/g

Yurungkash River white jade boulder with russet colored surface (oiled)
78Kg – 13$/g

Rectangular flat pendant with the carving of a sage in white (river) jade with a tenuous russet colored volume
52g – 115$/g

Yurungkash River white jade boulder (oiled) with heavy russet colored skin and with two windows showing the white jade core
37Kg – 12$/g

Yurungkash River white jade boulder (oiled) with fractures and a russet colored surface
38Kg – 10$/g

Yurungkash River white jade boulder (oiled) with a russet colored surface
21Kg – 26$/g

Yurungkash River white jade boulder (oiled) with a russet colored surface
15Kg – 57$/g

In the following pictures you will be seeing some of their manufacturing steps!

The ancient master for the Beijing Olympic Medal

Cutting the raw jade

The jade workshops

Cutting out the jade rings with a CNC milling machine

The finaly sizing of the outside diameter of the jade ring

The masters in plaster of the metal part of the medal

The metal blanks for the bronze medal

The medal stamping die press

The wings of victory

The engraving and machining of the medal holder

Inspecting the machined medal holder

Assembling the bronze medal with the green jade ring

The metal part of the gold, silver and bronze medals ready for assembly

The medals ready for the Olympic Champions.

Images courtesy of www.beijing2008.cn

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