Since the Han Dynasty, people have used the appearance of cicadas to describe their rebirth. Putting the jade cicada into the mouth of the deceased, called cicada, means that its spirit will not die and will be resurrected. If you have cicada ornaments on your body, it means that you are lofty and noble. So cicadas are decorations for strangers and funerary objects for the dead. Later, people gave cicadas more beautiful meanings, such as: wearing cicadas on the waist means "wealth"; Hanging cicadas on the chest is a "blockbuster"; Cicadas lie on their leaves, which is called "golden branches and jade leaves".
Cicada-shaped handicrafts first appeared in the Neolithic Age. In Shang Dynasty, people used cicadas as accessories for daily wear. At that time, cicadas were simple in shape and rough in carving. The material is mainly jade. During the Warring States and Han Dynasties, great progress was made in the production technology and modeling design of cicadas. The jade cicada in Han Dynasty is known as the Eight Knives in Han Dynasty because of its simple carving technique and rough and powerful. And the surface is polished flat and clean, the lines are beautiful, the tip is sharp, the edge must appear, the edge is like a knife, and there will be no cracks and burrs. The cicada's tail may even sting. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the jade cicada still used the shape of the Han Dynasty. However, due to the war at that time and the shortage of jade resources, the jade cicada was mostly made of talc, and the details were more realistic than those of the Han Dynasty. During the Song and Ming Dynasties, cicadas had smoother wings and no thorns at their tips. This is also a feature that can be used to distinguish between true and false. Jade cicadas in Qing Dynasty are the most exquisite, with slender eyes, clear cicada patterns and more foot decorations.
2. Lu Zigang, a master of jade carving in history, was a jade carving craftsman and sculptor during Jiajing and Wanli in Ming Dynasty. Zuo Zibang. Suzhou (now Jiangsu) people live at the foot of Hengshan Mountain. He is good at jade carving, and once carved daffodil hairpin, which is exquisite and ingenious, and the base branches under the receptacle are as thin as hair. "Suzhou Fuzhi" praised: "Lu Zigang, who skillfully grinds jade, is a narcissus hairpin, exquisite and ingenious, and the flowers are unscathed." There are also Five Poems of Narcissus Hairpins in Xu Wenchang Collection. One of them is "it is difficult to get ahead in the end, and Suzhou Lu Zigang is worried." There is also a phrase "plum blossom tea crystal flower insert". The existing Palace Museum in Beijing. 1962, when the Beijing cultural relics team excavated the royal tombs of the Qing Dynasty, they got a jade cup with the word "Zigang" on the handle, engraved patterns on the cup body and lid, and three round lions on the lid. Exquisite modeling is his masterpiece. Compared with contemporary jade articles, the jade articles he made have many unique features, especially the form of carving, all of which are stamped. There are three types: self-discipline, self-discipline and self-discipline system. It is not obvious or fixed, but it is different on the back, bottom, lower end of handle and cover. People who play with jade can't help but know the "Zigang Jade" in the Ming Dynasty.
Suzhou, Beijing and Yangzhou were the three centers of jade carving in China in the Ming Dynasty, especially Suzhou. Song said in "Tiangong": "Although good workers gather in the capital, they skillfully push Su County." According to historical records, there were four jade carving masters in Suzhou in Ming Dynasty, such as He Si and others, among which Lu Zigang was the most famous. Although he was only a craftsman, his jade carving skills were praised as "Wuzhong stunt", and the jade he made was called "Zigangyu", which was sought after by dignitaries at that time and was very precious. At that time, Suzhou also compared "Purple Harbor Jade" with Tang Bohu's lady paintings.
Lu Zigang was the most famous jade carving master in the late Ming Dynasty, which was recorded in many literati's notes. "Suzhou Fuzhi" contains: "Lu Zigang, grinding jade to record grazing, making daffodil hairpin, exquisite and ingenious, the flower stems are as thin as a scratch." Xu Wei's "Narcissus Hairpin Fu": "There is a subtle and long style, and there is no fireworks. The peak of Kunwu seems to end in the south, and I am worried about nailing Suzhou Luzigang. " To this day, there are still many jade articles engraved with Lu Zigang style. Lu Zigang was born in the first half of16th century, between Jiajing and Wanli of Ming Dynasty. He was originally from Taicang County, Jiangsu Province, and later moved to Suzhou, the center of Zhuolu. The management of handicraft industry in Ming Dynasty was very strict and hierarchical. Even in the late Ming dynasty, when the "principal system" was abolished, there were still legacy attacks. In this case, Lu Zigang, a craftsman engaged in humble jade carving, can be regarded as a guest of honor by scholars, and his superb and ingenious jade carving skills can be seen.
Lu Zigang studied in a jade workshop in Hengtang outside Suzhou since childhood and became a very comprehensive master in jade carving. He carries forward the male pattern, hollows out the carving, and engraves the negative line as much as possible, especially in the technique of plane reduction, which sometimes presents an artistic effect similar to bas-relief. The jade carving works we made mostly imitate the Han Dynasty in modeling and take the method from the Qin Dynasty, which is quite ancient and has formed the artistic characteristics of emptiness, floating and thinness. Empty, that is, the reality is commensurate with the reality, and the density benefits, so that people do not feel cumbersome and have an ethereal feeling; Gone with the wind is a vivid and smooth line, which makes people feel dull and elegant; Precision means meticulous workmanship and exquisite design, which makes people feel rough and ingenious. For example, the carved daffodil hairpin is ingenious, and the stems and branches under the receptacle are as thin as a millimeter, which shows the delicate state of the flowers in a trembling way. It's really hard to imagine that it was carved out of jade. It is still a mystery what tool Lu Zigang used to carve jade so exquisitely. Moreover, he is very particular about cutting jade, and there is a saying that "jade is not beautiful, jade is not good, and jade is not good". You know, the better the jade, the harder it is to carve. According to Lu Zigang himself, his unique skills are all due to the original "rake" of the carving tool. But this "knife" has never been kept secret from others, and neither has the skill of waving it.
Lu Zigang is famous all over the world. When Zhu Zaihou, Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, heard about it, he ordered a picture of a hundred horses carved on the jade board. He was not stumped, but it only took a few days to finish. On the small jade finger, he carved an atmosphere higher than the mountain, a wide-open city gate, and only carved three horses, one galloping in the city, one galloping towards the city gate, and one just emerged from the valley. However, it gives the impression that there are countless horses rushing out. He expressed the meaning of a hundred horses in a virtual way, which was wonderful. Since then, his jade carving has become the exclusive product of the royal family.
3. The history of jade carving in China What jade carving is one of the oldest carving varieties in China? During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, jade making became a profession, and jade articles became etiquette utensils and decorative accessories. Jade is always regarded as a treasure. In ancient China, jade was regarded as a symbol of good things and gentlemanly manners. There are many kinds of jade carvings, mainly large works such as figures, utensils, birds and animals, flowers, and small works such as pins, rings, seals and ornaments. China's jade carving works enjoy a high reputation in the world.
Jade is processed and carved into exquisite handicrafts, which is called jade carving. In the production process, craftsmen can make jade carvings into exquisite handicrafts according to the natural colors and shapes of different jade materials after careful design and repeated thinking.
4. The history and features of jade carving crafts Jade carving is one of the oldest carving varieties in China. During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, jade making became a profession, and jade articles became etiquette utensils and decorative accessories. Jade is always regarded as a treasure. In ancient China, jade was regarded as a symbol of good things and gentlemanly manners. There are many kinds of jade carvings, mainly large works such as figures, utensils, birds and animals, flowers, and small works such as pins, rings, seals and ornaments. China's jade carving works enjoy a high reputation in the world.
Jade is processed and carved into exquisite handicrafts, which is called jade carving. In the production process, craftsmen can make jade carvings into exquisite handicrafts according to the natural colors and shapes of different jade materials after careful design and repeated thinking.
In 2008, it was selected into the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.