The Jade in Today’s Life

Written by Juliette Qi

Today, jade is still very popular in Chinese daily life. It is a precious material much sought after by collectors not only for its different shades of green, but also for its symbolic meaning rooted in traditional Chinese culture.

Often made into jewelry such as pendants, bracelets and earrings, jade is also widely used in Chinese interior decoration as a symbol of honesty and courtesy vis-à-vis the master. It also adds a quiet and peaceful atmosphere to the house.

Modern interior decoration with jade objects

“Jade Cabbage”, Imperial Interior Decoration, Qing Dynasty,
National Palace Museum, Taipei

The Acknowledgement of Jade in Europe

Jade has been known for over 7000 years. The name jade dates back to the time of the Spanish conquest of Central and South America and comes from the “piedra d’ijada” or hip stone, which was considered a protection and cure against kidney disease.

For its therapeutic effect on the kidney, the stone was also known as “lapis nephriticus”. It was not until 1863 that mineralogists discovered that jade consisted of two distinct minerals, jadeite and nephrite. Jadeite is very hard and durable due to its structure made of very small grains fit tightly together. And nephrite, a variety of actinolite mineral, is even harder, because of its inter-paired fibrous crystal composition in a hard compact mass.

Nowadays, jade also plays an important role for Western stylists in the design of modern jewelry as a special aesthetic element.

Jade has become increasingly popular. In China, the finest qualities of jade come from Xinjiang (Hetian), Fengcheng in Liaoning (Xiuyan), Zhejiang (Qingtian) and Henan (Nanyang). The line between jade and precious stones is not always easy to draw. For example, the most beautiful jade stones can be worth as much as gems of comparable quality.

About Interact China

“A Social Enterprise in E-commerce Promoting Oriental Aesthetic Worldwide”

Aileen & Norman co-founded Interact China in 2004 with specialization in fine Oriental Aesthetic products handmade by ethnic minorities & Han Chinese. Having direct partnerships with artisans, designers, craft masters and tailors, along with 10 years solid experience in e-commerce via InteractChina.com, we position well to bridge talented artisans in the East with the rest of the world, and bring you direct finely selected products that are of good quality and aesthetic taste.

So far we carry 3000+ goods covering Ladies Fashion, Kungfu Clothing, Home Furnishings, Babies & Kids, Painting Arts, Textile Arts, Carving Arts, Tribal Jewelry Art, Wall Masks and Musical Instruments. Our team speak English, French, German, Spanish and Italian, and serve customers worldwide with passion and hearts.

P.S. We Need People with Similar Passion to Join Our Blogging Team!

If you have passion to write about Oriental Aesthetic in Fashion, Home Decor, Art & Crafts, Culture, Music, Books, and Charity, please contact us atbloggers@interactchina.com, we would love to hear from you!

Culture insider: Chinese paintings on fans

China has been dubbed the “kingdom of fans” for many years. Fans were not always tools for cooling oneself, but also were symbols of status and taste. One main reason is that fans sometimes were decorated with paintings, poems or calligraphy.

There were many kinds of fans in ancient China, though only two types with paintings, the round fan, popular in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) and the folding fan, prevalent in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), have grown to be truly appreciated by art collectors. Those that held a famous artist’s painting or calligraphy were highly prized possessions.

An artist from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Zhu Yunming once compared the difficulty of painting on the surface of a fan to a girl dancing on debris, because of the fan surface’s limited space, special shape and different textures, such as colored paper, thin silk and so forth.

Now let’s take a closer look at some of the prettiest Chinese fan paintings and feel a cool breeze in the scorching summer.

Fan painting by Yao Yuehua,Flowers in the Vase, Song Dynasty (960-1279). The birth of the round fan was much earlier than those of the folding variety. Its shape, like a full moon, signifies the auspicious union and happiness.

Fan painting by Su Hanchen,The Maid, Song Dynasty(960-1279).

Fan painting by Xu Beihong(1895-1953) ,The Cat

Fan painting by Zhao Yong,Clear River and the Wintry Moon, Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

Fan painting by Li Anzhong,Butterflies in the Spring, Song Dynasty(960-1279).

Fan painting by Ma Lin,Hold a Candle for a Night Excursion, Song Dynasty(960-1279).

Fan painting by Zhao Chang,Apricot Flowers, Song Dynasty(960-1279).

（source: http://www1.chinaculture.org/classics/2014-06/12/content_537342_11.htm）

About Interact China

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P.S. We Need People with Similar Passion to Join Our Blogging Team!

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Ways to Use Table Runners

Table runners are a terrific way to “dress up” a kitchen or dining room table. They come in a variety of sizes designed for different length tables, and also have many patterns from which to choose. Table runners are perfect for adding extra color and texture to table settings and other types of furniture. Table runners can be used in many different ways and on different types of furniture.

Table Types

Table runners are traditionally used on dining tables. However, you can get creative with table runners and use them on all kinds of tables including:

• Patio tables

• Coffee tables

• End tables

• Nightstands

• Sofa tables

• Hall tables

They can work on any shape of table, including:

• Round tables

• Oval tables

• Rectangular tables

• Square tables

Placed Lengthwise

The most common way to use a table runner is to place the runner in the middle of the table, running lengthwise. This provides a perfect guide or path to keep multiple centerpieces or serving dishes in line. The runner can also be used to protect the table’s surface from candle wax drippings, moisture, heat, food drippings and other debris caused by centerpieces, serveware or décor.

Placed Across the Table

You can also use slightly narrower and shorter table runners placed across the table in front of each chair. These runners can serve as placemats and can be used in addition to a lengthwise runner or without one. Runners placed across extra long tables can be used to separate each place setting.

Table runners used to separate each setting

Runners Used on Other Furniture

Shorter table runners can be draped over a nightstand or end table for a splash of color and texture. You can also use table runners to accent other types of furniture such as a buffet, hutch, credenza, dresser or vanity table.

Use a table runner to protect furniture made with glass. Use one on a glass display case, console or coffee table when you want to display knick-knacks that might scratch the surface.

by Xiao Xiao xiaoxiao@interactchina.com

About Interact China

“A Social Enterprise in E-commerce Promoting Oriental Aesthetic Worldwide”

We co-founded Interact China in 2004 with specialization in fine Oriental Aesthetic products handmade by ethnic minorities & Han Chinese. Having direct partnerships with artisans, designers, craft masters and tailors, along with 10 years solid experience in e-commerce via InteractChina.com, we position well to bridge talented artisans in the East with the rest of the world, and bring you direct finely selected products that are of good quality and aesthetic taste.

So far we carry 2000+ goods covering Ladies Fashion, Tailor Shop, Home Furnishings, Babies & Kids, Painting Arts, Textile Arts, Carving Arts, Tribal Jewelry Art, Wall Masks and Musical Instruments. Our team speak English, French, German, Spanish and Italian, and serve customers worldwide with passion and hearts.

P.S. We Need People with Similar Passion to Join Our Blogging Team!

If you have passion to write about Oriental Aesthetic in Fashion, Home Decor, Art & Crafts, Culture, Music, Books, and Charity, please contact us at bloggers@interactchina.com, we would love to hear from you!