Masterworks of Chinese Jade in the National Palace Museum (1969) is a seminal catalog celebrating the National Palace Museum’s (Taipei) world-renowned collection of Chinese jade artistry, spanning Neolithic to Qing Dynasty masterpieces. Published during the museum’s early years in Taiwan, this lavishly illustrated volume features:
- Ritual bi discs and cong tubes from the Liangzhu culture (c. 3300–2200 BCE), embodying cosmic symbolism.
- Imperial carvings like Qing-era jadeite cabbages and mountainscapes, showcasing technical perfection.
- Archival-quality plates capturing the stone’s luminous textures, from milky mutton-fat white to spinach-green veins.
The text delves into jade’s spiritual significance (as yu, the “stone of heaven”) and its role in Confucian rites, burial customs, and literati culture. A must-have for collectors of Asian art books.
For related reads:
- Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages (1975) by Alfred Salmony – A foundational English-language survey.
- The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology (1999) – Contextualizes jade with other Neolithic treasures.
- Jade: A Study in Chinese Archaeology & Religion (1912) by Berthold Laufer – Early 20th-century scholarship.
