A History about Jade
2 min readA History about Jade
People believed that jade was the expression of the most beautiful stone.A beautiful piece can be more valuable than fifteen cities and a man’s life.Historic records tell of a story about a stanch man named Bian He who had a piece of jade called‘Heshi Bi’which was said to be the most priceless treasure in history.
However，when Bian He discovered the piece，it was hidden under the veil of the coarse stone in which it laid.He did not dare to carve it but instead dedicated it to the King of State Chu.He never knew that he would pay two legs for his dedication，for the king did not know the real value of the jade and cut Bian He’s legs off.He cried for three days and nights.Afterwards，the new king heard of him and wanted to see whether his jade was as precious as he said.When the jade was cut，all were startled by the delicate quality.Very soon，it became a national treasure and was called’Heshi Bi’.So precious was the stone that it even became a source of conflict between the Qin State and Zhao State.
The Change of Value
Jade articles induced by a primitive and hazy sense of beauty appeared and have undergone twists and turns in their development of more than 7 000 years from simpledecorations to sacrificial ritual articles in ancient times and to symbolic fittings for lofty morality，and finally to art works of various types and varieties.They profoundly reflected the social consciousness of different historical stages.
Especially in a certain stage of development，people made the natural properties of jade moralized，enabling it to play a special role in political，religious，ideological and cultural spheres and develop a unique function that other art works could notdo.In the world cultural history，this cultural phenomenon has never been known in other countries and regions，and embodies a distinctive national character.
