Study on Six Dynasties Jade

Despite of the historical significance of Six Dynasties (220-589)--a turbulent time between Han and Tang Dynasty--research on jades of the period remains a neglected overlooked topic. Short of systematic studies, our understanding of the functional change of jades from religious rituals to daily life and decoration is greatly lacking. The current thesis studies jades excavated from tombs and collected in museums, by identifying their dates, characteristics, and styles through comparison and stylistic analysis, and discusses the use of jades through three centuries of change. The thesis begins with an introduction of important jade finds from 1949 to 2009, followed by three chapters (chapter 2-4) illustrating the jade culture of the Six Dynasties. Chapter 2 is a case study of a jade pendant set. This examination provides important implications on the stylistic origin and changes of jades in the Six Dynasties. Chapter 3 explores the cause of functional differences in jades produced and used by Chinese and non-Chinese people and their influences on Tang Dynasty jades. Chapter 4 discusses ingestion of jade as a religious quest for immortality under the impact of Daoism. The final chapter concludes the thesis with an investigation into the scarcity of jades from this period to define the significance of Six Dynasties jades in the broader history of Chinese jades.