Galerie Golconda

Hairpin of dragon and phoenix in nephrite jade. The Chinese name for phoenix is Fenghuang. The male pheonix is called the Feng and the female is the Huang. Together they represent marital happiness.
In China, the dragon is a symbol of heaven. The artistry of jade came in subtle forms from Neolithic cultures stretching from the mouth of the Yangtze (Liangzhu Culture) to Southeastern Mongolia. This very hard stone is cut following pure geometrical forms, often with harmoniously placed motifs and perfect finishing. The working of this material in ancient times could only be done by methods of friction, abrasion and polishing. The composite material of jade, which is by nature extremely hard, was clearly chosen based on its symbolic value of purity and its association with hardness, as well as various other values unique to the Chinese culture. Cultures which followed valued jade for its attributed property of protecting the body on its journey to the world of our ancestors, eventually to sit amongst the immortals.