Treasures of Han Style | Western Han Dynasty Jade Swirling

Source：Xuzhou Museum Release time：2022-07-12

Column introduction

"Han Feng Treasures" is a cultural relic display column produced by Xuzhou Museum, which aims to better publicize the precious cultural relics in the Xuzhou Museum, pay attention to the stories behind the cultural relics, enhance national self-confidence and pride, and inspire love for excellent Chinese culture. Enrich the spiritual and cultural life of the people.

Western Han Dynasty Jade Swirling

【Name】：Western Han Dynasty

【Era】: Western Han Dynasty

【Size】: 11.8 cm in height, 6.7 cm in diameter

【Land from】: Tomb of King Chu in Lion Mountain, Xuzhou

【Collection unit】: Xuzhou Museum

【Grade of cultural relics】: National first-class cultural relics

The Western Han Dynasty hooked vortex pattern jade is made of translucent Hetian jade, which is warm and bright. However, the cover is pale cyan, and the body is cyan and yellowish, apparently carved from two pieces of jade. The lid and the body of the vessel are fastened together by the male and female mouths, and the lid button is in the shape of a five-petal persimmon rhombus. Three cylindrical buttons are embossed around the cover. The body is cylindrical, the mouth is slightly larger, and there are three animal-shaped feet under it, which are tall and straight without losing stability. There is a roll of moire fringe on the lip and the bottom edge, which are full of thunder patterns, neat and elegant.

According to the materials unearthed from the archaeological excavations, the materials of the scorpion are various, including silver, copper, lacquer, jade, stone, pottery, etc. The wine utensils used by the people of the Han Dynasty when drinking should be consistent with their status, and the common people can only use pottery. Gourd and other rough or natural wine vessels, while nobles and rich people can use copper, bamboo, lacquer, and even gold, silver, jade and other wine vessels with exquisite workmanship and fine texture. It can be seen from the pre-Qin documents that the jade was a precious wine vessel during the Warring States Period. "Han Feizi" records: "The pottery is the most cheap, and it can hold wine without leaking. Although there is a jade scorpion that is worth a thousand gold, it is extremely precious and worthless. It shows that although jade is worth thousands of gold, if it does not have a bottom, it cannot even hold water, let alone wine, and its value is not as good as ordinary pottery.

The ancients have always asked for "beautiful food", and wine not only has practical functions, but also represents the identity and rank of the owner. In the Western Han Dynasty, jade was used by emperors and high-ranking nobles, and in the eyes of the ruling class, it was a grand instrument. "Records of the Grand Historian: The Chronicle of Emperor Gaozu" contains: "The Weiyang Palace was completed. The princes and ministers of the great dynasty of Gaozu placed the wine in the front hall of the Weiyang Palace.

At that time, the jade scorpion enshrined by Liu Bang, the great ancestor, has no chance to be seen. Fortunately, now we can still get a glimpse of the style of the past from the jade scorpion of the Western Han Dynasty displayed in the Tiangong Han jade exhibition hall of the Xuzhou Museum.