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Zhejiang has a long history of jade-working. From conceptual and artistic points of view this history is divisible into three periods, including the Neolithic, text the Xia and Shang through Han and Six Dynasties and finally the Sui through Tang periods. It was not until the 1970’s that the jade culture of Zhejiang was scientifically recognized, through finds primarily of the Neolithic, Spring and Autumn, and Warring States periods. Zhejiang’s Neolithnic consists of three phases: early, Middle and late.
The special characteristic of the early period is the different between jade cultures located on north and south banks of the Qiantang River in Zhenjiang. On the south bank one finds jade beads, slit rings and thin and narrow huang with one end pierced for suspension. On the north bank, during the early phase of the Majiabang Culture, one finds only jade slit rings and slit ring-shaped bracelets yet during the late phase thin and narrow huang begin to appear.
The middle period of the Neolithic is represented in Zhejiang by the Songze Culture. Songze Culture jades consist primarily of ornaments that used individually to decorate the body. The most popular jade is huang, which is found throughout the lower reaches of the Yangtze River valley and in the area of the Yellow and Huai River valleys. Based on the fact that the geological source of nephrite jade is known and based on working methods, a new phase of jade-working begins during the Songze Culture period.
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