Ingenious Design in Jade Carving

The color and texture of jadeite vary a lot, and the same piece of raw material can have different colors and textures. This is very different from the Hetian jade which has uniform texture and consistent color. Even for jadeite with uniform texture and color, craftsmen will utilize jadeite's optical effects and use various methods to create different effects. It can be seen that the processing of jade has higher requirements on design conception. It requires both ingenious ideas and solid manual skills. A good piece of jade artwork is not easy to come by.

Most jade carvings are based on plant themes, with animal themes slightly less common. Common animals include the twelve zodiac animals such as dragons, tigers, and horses, and they all have traditional forms of expression in jade carvings. The current carving methods are mainly based on inheritance. Jadeite panda carvings are rare, and this traditional subject has never been seen before in jade carvings, so new ideas are needed to express it.

The panda in this jadeite piece is black, and the panda's fur is portrayed with extremely delicate craftsmanship, with even the fine hair on the ears visible. The cold jade actually gives people a furry feeling. The panda's whole body is not polished, only its nose and eyes are polished. Its eyes are black, making it look lively and cute, while its nose feels cold, and you can't help but want to touch it. The four claws have polished nails and firmly grasp the bamboo. The green bamboo is fresh and juicy, and it looks like the panda is eating it with relish. There was also a red panda next to it, sitting patiently at its mother's feet, as if waiting for its mother to be full before feeding it.

The same piece of material, with the same texture and color, can give people a completely different feeling due to the ingenious craftsmanship of the craftsmen. The thick parts are not polished and are black, with delicate hair patterns, combined with the panda's round body, giving people a warm and honest feeling. The key places are polished black, which adds the finishing touch and makes the panda's naive character particularly cute. The bamboo leaf carving is powerful and shows great effort. As the bamboo leaves are relatively thin, they turn green after polishing and each one is crystal clear. The most interesting thing is that the bamboo leaf in the panda's mouth is only half carved, as if the other half is already in the panda's mouth. My personal favorite part is the panda’s four paws, which are furry and chubby, and the nails are polished, just like the texture of nails, which is so cute. There are also rocks carved on the back of the panda, which appear hard and cold after polishing, further highlighting the panda's warm life.

A piece of raw material that originally grew in the wilderness for millions of years and looked cold and hard has been skillfully carved into a living work of art on our bodies and in our hands. It carries our appreciation, caress, play, and experience, and condenses our life time. Decades later, it is passed on to future generations, and when they pick up this work of art again, they will still see the new meaning of life. Maybe this is why people like and collect jade.