The Cult of Jade

Chinese art history begins with jade — the most prized material in Chinese culture for thousands of years. Neolithic cultures carved jade into ritual objects called bi discs (flat circles with a central hole) and cong tubes (square cylinders), whose exact ritual purpose is still debated.

Chinese art traditions span more than five thousand years, from Neolithic jade carvings to the imperial court and beyond. Through every dynasty, one thread holds: artists prized restraint and suggestion over display, letting empty space and a single confident gesture carry as much meaning as the marks themselves.