gems, jade, China, chinese jade carving, Chinese lapidary arts, archaic jades, Chinese art, bronze, ivory

Sinkankas: An esteemed near-encyclopedic work covering all of Chinese art and much larger in content than its physical size suggests due to the use of small type. In addition to the usual discussions of history, stylistic features, artistic merits, cultural significances, etc., the work is remarkable for its inclusion of much technical information on all the arts, with discussions of the nature, provenance, and preparation of the materials employed in the manufacture of the various specimens. The first chapter is general and discusses the geography of China and early civilizations, followed by chapters on jades, and others on bronzes, lacquer and silks, sculpture, ceramics, painting and calligraphy, and architecture. The chapter on jade, p. 53–107, is excellent and frequently cited in later works on jade. The development of jade carving is traced from the Neolithic period into the present, and covers the nature and sources of jades, their lapidary treatment, employment of symbolism, special types of carvings and their meanings, ritual jades, and purely decorative pieces of carved jade.