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Came across these images as part of my weekly dose of Chinese Jade appreciation.

First piece is a Chinese Jade Sword Guard attached to what seems like part of a burial sword.

Second piece looks like a typical Ming (or Qing) style cup.

Third piece should be a Cong but not too sure about the material.

Any opinions would be great!







Link :They Don\'t Make \'Em Like They Used To

The first piece is a replica soaked in blackish brown dye. The second is a replica ming cup. The chilongs are wrongly carved and the jade color is not typical of ming period and the third is late qing jadeite cong vase.

jade typically used in the ming dynasty for vessels such as basins, stem cups and scholar objects and vases have black inclusion and cracks with brown vein such as these from the capital museum Beijing. The only category of objects made from pure colored jade in this period are pendants, hair pins and ornaments, belt buckels and plaques. May be because the supply of jade wasn't abundant and the good quality stuff were used for jewellery.

1)The sword guard is carved in the han style but appears to be iron bladed(by the appearance of the corrosion), although iron edged (and aerodosite) blades were made by the Han (and earlier), it doesnt sit right with me, could be Song , Ming or modern reproduction (would need a close look)
2) is in a style used by the Song and Ming but the material looks wrong and far too new, I would say last 100 years or so..
3) Shape is wrong for a true cong!! that is the most obvious fault... Although the piece also looks like its made of Burmese Jadeite (18th century +)Although I have seen Nephrite take on that mint green colouration from burial next to copper. The whole body colour however makes me think it is burmese jadeite too... So Qing dynasty onwards, Would need a closer look to say whether 18/ 19/ 20th century.

Regards Ming jade coloring...

Many ming jades were dyed (The real dark black striated inclusions you see, they were typically secret family recipes and the dyers were considered as important as the carvers!!) They used materials such as boiled walnut and heavy metal fumes!!!
Later qing + republic dyed pieces were never dyed as well or for as long resulting in gentle brown veining..often seen on fake archiastic pieces.

Both are easy to tell apart from the natural jade skin though.
PS... I am one of the people who believe this dying practice began with the Song (Makes sense with their love of the archaic)

Hi Adam, some Ming pieces have been dyed by roasting them in burning wood chip. However it is not known if some of this black coloring in the fissures were due to this sort of staining process or if it was the result of house fire like a palace or a temple burning down. It is commonly found also in song and yuan jade like the giant wine vessel at Behai park. I have a few pieces that have this effect will post their pics when I have time.

Hi Dave, I suspect the technique of dyeing jade in the ming and early qing dynasty was by smoking the piece rather than roasting it. The carbon particle of the smoke will stain the fissures in the jade. They do not crack the jade or create wide fissures. It gives the jade a blackish fissured look, but the surface is not severely affected by wide cracks. first 2 ming jade stained by smoking last pic jade altered by fire

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