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Kevin Kwong

IT is often said that Chinese are descendants of the dragon, but, according to a legend from the Shang dynasty, we are children of the bird.

Folklore has it that a woman who ate a bird egg gave birth to the first ruler of the Shang dynasty (1600 BC to 1028 BC), and for years many Chinese worshipped the bird as their god.

Jade artefacts from the neolithic age, before 1500 BC, reinforce the legend, as many relics, particularly those used in religious ceremonies and for jewellery, are in the shape of birds.

There are countless bird-shaped pieces on show among the 30,000 priceless jade artefacts being displayed by the Beijing Palace Museum for the first time to mark the museum's 70th anniversary.

  According to The Complete Collection Of Treasures Of The Palace Museum - Jadeware I, which was published this month to coincide with the celebrations, most of the artefacts come from the palace's own collection and are deemed national treasures.

Jade collector Yip Wai-tat says much has been written about the bird-shaped jades because they're some of the earliest finds in China, but archaeologists have failed to agree on the origins and uses of many of the items on display.

In fact, during the neolithic age, several cultures worshipped birds as their 'god and protector', including the Shijiahe society.

For example, a jade pendant from the Qing imperial collection of such relics offers clues to how rivalry between ancient societies was played out, Yip says.

'Here we have a carving that shows two birds perched over a couple of human heads. At that time, battles were often fought between different cultures which had different beliefs,' he explains.

'When the bird cultures won, they would capture the leaders from the opposition and behead them. The jade may be a record to commemorate their victory.

'Judging from the pieces I have seen, there were two major types of cultures: those from northeast China who believed they were descendants of the dragon and those living in the central plateau who thought the bird was their ancestor.' Indeed, Yip finds the bird symbols similar to the totems in North America in that they represent a culture.

  Yip says jade appears to have been used mainly for decorative or ceremonial purposes. Most jade pieces are used as burial items, and as jewellery and gifts for the wealthy and powerful, it is rare to find ordinary tools made out of jade.

'Since the Xia dynasty [2100BC to 1600BC], Chinese society already had a simple class structure in which a leader headed a culture that held the same beliefs,' he says. 'Jade was a status symbol. Ordinary people might use stone or more inferior material as ornaments.' Among the items that have intrigued him is an animal-shaped piece from the Hongshan culture, with 'legs' that may be the teeth of a comb.

'However, I doubt whether it was used as a comb,' says Yip, whose family has been collecting and dealing in jade for three generations.

'There are several small holes on the piece which suggest it may have been used as a pendant of some sort. We don't know where it was worn. We can only speculate as there is no documentation to prove what it is.' Earlier jade pieces are more precious and interesting because of their cultural value. They are also '100 per cent Chinese jade', Yip says, as opposed to the imported jade from countries like Burma that entered China towards the end of the Ming dynasty.

'Jade from Burma is known as jadeite and those from China as nephrite. The former is brighter in colour and good for making accessories.' Like a detective trying to solve a mystery, tracing the origins of such artefacts as the cong holds similar fascination for Yip.

An object placed at the altar during worship, the cong is covered in mythical figures.

Yip believes it represents some of the 'landmark' pieces in the collection.

'A cong, common in the Liangzhu culture, is unique as it symbolises an entire universe,' he explains.

Although the ceremonial object is carved into the shape of a square vase, the internal cavity is round.

'This, one suspects, has something to do with the traditional Chinese belief that the sky was round and the world was square,' Yip says.

'Later in the period the inside became more angular but is probably more to do with the artistic expression of the craftsman than people's understanding that the Earth is round.' Being used for ceremonies, the article often features a unique symbol or badge, and a human face or an animal carved on the outside.

The cong, which originated from northern China, was also found in Guangzhou, which shows the breadth of the society's influence in the country.

'They all have some sort of face carved on their exterior, probably the protector or god of that culture,' he says.

But other faces are strictly earthly in nature, he believes. 'A jade human head from the Shang dynasty, for instance, shows the face of a wealthy master, indicated by the type of head gear,' Yip says.

'Some have suggested the faces may be those of slaves, but I think that is unlikely. Why use a jade to carve out the face of someone without status? 'It is more likely that craftsmen were commissioned by the wealthy and powerful to have a piece carved in his own image,' he argues.

But as the mystery has yet to be solved, Yip and his fellow collectors may well be debating for years to come. 'The Complete Collection Of Treasures Of The Palace Museum - Jadeware I', $560, is available at Commercial Press bookstores.



Solving the mystery of ancient stones