Ancient Chinese Jades from the Buffalo Museum of Science
中国古玉

Jade has been admired as China’s most precious stone since ancient times, credited with possessing magical properties. Even today, the Chinese believe that jade can exorcise evil and protect its owner. Jade tools were used in China before the development of metal farming implements. After the advent of metals, jade was replaced by metal wares in daily life. Because of its protective properties and associations with immortality, jade was used for tomb furnishings, where it was often incised with detailed decoration. The 126 jade objects in this exhibition included blades and axes, amulets, handles, and small human and animal sculptures from the late Neolithic period (ca. 2000 BCE) through the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE).