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Symbolic Jades of the Erlitou Period: a Xia Royal Tradition Author(S): Elizabeth Childs-Johnson Source: Archives of Asian Art, Vol

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Symbolic Jades of the Erlitou Period: a Xia Royal Tradition Author(S): Elizabeth Childs-Johnson Source: Archives of Asian Art, Vol Symbolic Jades of the Erlitou Period: A Xia Royal Tradition Author(s): Elizabeth Childs-Johnson Source: Archives of Asian Art, Vol. 48 (1995), pp. 64-92 Published by: University of Hawai'i Press for the Asia Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20111255 Accessed: 12/07/2010 13:22 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. 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University of Hawai'i Press and Asia Society are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Archives of Asian Art. http://www.jstor.org Symbolic Jades of the Erlitou Period: A Xia Royal Tradition Elizabeth Childs-Johnson Hamilton College are 1. here has been lively discussion recently about the cul Dawenkou jades marked by ornamental and refined tural identity of the Xia, allegedly China's earliest historical tool types. Longshan period jades of Shandong include for period, dating to ca. 2100?1700 bce. Due to the lack of any mally designed blades, some of which are directly related extant written documents from this period historians have to Erlitou period jade-working. The exploitation of jade been hesitant to confirm the period's historicity.1 None and the popularization of symbolic jade forms during the as a theless, due to C14 dates and the geographical distribution Erlitou period can be viewed generally climax to a of cultural remains throughout Henan, Shaanxi, and longstanding pre- and proto-historic tradition concen Shanxi provinces, archaeologists and art historians favor a trated originally not in central but in coastal China. Xia rather than Early Shang identification for the Erlitou ERLITOU PERIOD JADE TYPES AND THE culture.2 Excavated finds reveal plans of major religio-ad ERLITOU PERIOD STYLE ministrative centers and pubescent ritual bronzes such as jue and jia, and now ding and he, that mark the beginning Jades excavated from Erlitou period sites derive primarily of bronze casting for ritual purposes.3 Far more prominent, from the site of Erlitou of Erlitou period III, although a nonetheless, in the excavated material, and overlooked by few works date to periods II and IV.5 Almost all of the ex come or near or modern scholarship are the specialized, large in scale blades cavated jades from burials pits found in the nos. i 2 worked out of nephrite jade. Although these nephrite vicinity of the and "Palace" remains. The earliest were blades when published may be labeled ritual implements, jades discovered at Erlitou in 19676 and the latest thus are so there has been no discussion of why they are ritual or what far reported in 1987.7 Most of these jades artistically art on they signify artistically in terms of early Chinese cultural phisticated works of modeled utilitarian tools and to show no evidence of use and since the ma history. In order illustrate that these Erlitou jades iden weapons. They were tify amajor tradition artistically and historically, I shall be jority found in moderately well-to-do burials, these as gin by identifying stylistically representative types amidst jades may be generically described symbols of wealth, out and as archaeological remains and amidst collections in and perhaps proto-insignia. side China. Then I shall compare these representative jade Major types of these symbolic jades of the Erlitou cul works of art with excavated examples of earlier and over ture include the zhangc-blade, daod-knife, faceted yuee-ax, are lapping Longshan period sites, and of later provincial and and gef-dagger (Fig. ia). Other, less conspicuous forms to to a the handle and Bronze period sites further define what appears be guis-blade, zuh-arrowhead, attachments, major jade-working tradition unique to the Erlitou cultural various ornaments (Fig. ib). The names for certain of these are in some cases since are func period and theoretically Xia dynasty. jades self-explanatory they Due to recent excavations of the last ten years it has be tionally descriptive of the original weapon or tool from are come evident that during the Late Neolithic, ca. which they derive. Representative of this category the names 3500?2100 bce, ancient China witnessed a long period of ge-dagger, yue-ax, and dao-knife. Other for Erlitou as are jade-working. Various cultures aligning coastal China from period jades, such zhang and gui, drawn from northern Shandong to southern Zhejiang, such as the Eastern Zhou and later Han ritual texts like the Zhouli1 Hongshan of northernmost China, Dawenkou and Shan (Rites of Zhou) and Lij? (Records of Rites). are cases dong Longshan of northeastern China, and Liangzhu of Prototypes of Erlitou period jades in all trace to southeastern China, are individually representative of jade able Neolithic utilitarian implements originally fabri stone ex working on amajor scale.4 Each culture is characterized by cated in (Fig. 2). The jade weapon type yue, for idiosyncratic types of well-developed jade forms. Hong ample, is derived from the utilitarian stone ax, fuk (Fig. were shan jades, for example, comprise primarily amuletic 2d). Stone fu, which used to chop, split, and hew are dragon and cloud forms. Liangzhu jades, on the other wood, ubiquitous amidst archaeological finds of hand, are distinguished by specialized conga and bib shapes. Neolithic date.8 Early Neolithic examples from Hemudu 64 1 ? ? I\l O O O pa ??\ i. A. of works of art from Henan: i. 2. Fig. Major types jade Erlitou, Yenshi, Zhang (Kaogu 1983.3, fig. 10:5-6, p. 204); Yue (1. KG 1984.1, fig. 5:2, 2. KG KG KG p. 38; 1976.4, fig- 6:4, p. 262; 3. 1983.3, fig. 70:1, p. 204; 4. 1978.4, fig. 1:1, p. 270); 3. Dao (1. KG 1985.12, fig. 8:1, p. 1092; 2. KG 4-10, KG Ge KG 2. 1975.5, fig- p. 305; 3. 1978.4, fig. 1:3, p. 270); 4. (1. 1976.4, fig. 6:6, p. 262; KG 1975.5, fig- 4-7> P- 305). a Q. M fh B. of works of art from Erlitou: 1. Handle 2. KG 6: 1 and KG 2. Secondary types jade (1, 1976.4, fig. 5, p. 262; 3. 1975.5, % 4-*4, P- 305); Gui (1. KG 1975-5, 4:6, 305; 2. KG KG % p. 1983.3, % 10:7, P- 204; 3. 1976.4, % 6:2, p. 262); 3. Arrowhead (KG 1983.3, fig. 7:4, p. 215); 4. Bead (1. KG 2. 1983.3, % 104, p. 204; KG 1984.1, fig- 5H-5, P- 38). 65 o o o m I utilitarian A. From to nianhui Fig. 2. Five Erlitou period jade types and their prototypes: chan-spade zhang-blade (Zhongguo kaoguxuehui lunwenji c. From ben-adze to WW 1980.1:99); B. From lian-sickle to ge-dagger (Wen Wu 1984.2, fig. 3:9); gui-blade (Kaogu 1975.5, fig- 4^6, p. 305; 1984.2); e. From dao-knife to dao-blade D. From fu-ax to yue-ax (KG 1978.4, fig. 1:1, p. 270; KG 1981.3, fig. 6:1, p. 196); (KG 1975.5, fig- 4:10, P- 395) a For the that the latest of in Zhejiang province,9 for example, show standard design example, yue appears during phase was ca. is characterized a of a broad and thick blade with stepped shoulder that Hemudu, 3200?2700, by slightly use a hole in fastened to a wooden or bone handle at a 90-degree angle. rounded blade shape and by the of perforated to at stead of a shoulder for attachment of handle to Examples from the earliest the latest phase Hemudu stepped site not ex evolve from crude to more refined shapes, from rough to blade.12 Although the author of the report does to his use of the term as to the more polished, and from small very large examples.10 plain yue opposed fu, a new hole for and The fu-ax is a tool whereas the yue-ax is weapon used refined shape, perforated attachment, slender are characteristics that to kill and slaughter theoretically humans and animals. proportions outstanding define later functional and bronze and Although the yue weapon evolved from the utilitarian fu symbolic jade yue.13 as a It is that about bce stone and tools tool, and although the tool may have been used apparent by 3500 jade to and and weapon and the initial weapon as a tool, their differences begin be consciously consistently polished, by in ca. bce tools and to appear to be practical and chronological. Hunting gear 3300 weapons begin appear commonly arrows are to been as Our means of utilitar cluding spears, bows, and known have specialized objects.
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