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About the Exhibition
Neolithic Archaic Jade Ornaments of the Hongshan (紅山文化) and Pre-Hongshan (兴隆洼 / 赵宝沟) cultures
INNER ASIAN JADE ARTIFACTS is delighted to present this wonderful collection of unique, jade artifacts from Swedish, German and Chinese private collections for the first time. The artifacts in exhibition dates from ca. 6500 BCE - 900 AD. Most part of the neolithic artifacts are sourced in the arid south-eastern and central part of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region (Nèi Menggu), others origin from the steppes and deserts of China's northern east-west corridor, stretching from the offshoots of the Ala-Shan-Mai desert in today's northernmost Gansu to the arrid, transitional forest–steppe zones of Manchuria. The artifacts in exhibition pertain mainly to Hongshan, Pre-Hongshan and Qijia cultural remains.
The INNAJA collection of jade is currently displaying over 130 artifacts which encompasses protective Hongshan Human and Humanoid Figurine amulets, Pig Dragons, Birds and other ritual archetypes. All artifacts in the exhibition testify the extraordinary and skillfull workmanship and technical brilliance of the ancient jade carvers. The figurines on display are among the finest known examples of Hongshan and Pre-Hongshan artifacts and are particulary interesting neolithic cultural testimonies. Their outstanding quality, abstract and unusual form, their vivid color permeation and their textural richness, surround these prehistoric jadecarvings with an enduring and transcending aura.
All exhibition objects have been carefully selected throughout various european and chinese private collections and has been photographed for the purpose of this internet-exhibition. Some of the neolithic jades in exhibition may well seem familiar, they had been collected on the open market within the last years. Many jades however has never been on public display before, they had been collected in the early and mid 20th century by European collectors from Chinese antique dealers and are presented, in this context, for the first time to the public. The online-collection is conceived as an integrated whole that should be continuously enhanced. The exhibition is non-commercial and non-for-profit. The aim of the collectors which had contributed artifacts to the exhibition, is to demonstrate the great beauty, splendor and supernatural spiritual awareness that is always present in authentic jade artifacts from Inner Mongolia and China.
Due to favourable environmental circumstances and the excellent jade quality used by the ancient artisans, many of the Hongshan, Xinglongwa, Zhaobaogou and Qijia artifacts has been unearthed in excellent conditions, revealing an almost completely smooth surface, thus, some of the jades in exhibition are still, after thousands of years in pristine conditions, smooth and translucent. For more information on the Hongshan culture please go to the INNAJA introduction page.
Dynasty Jade Artifacts
On June 2009 one outstanding Song-Dynasty (960–1279 AD) celadon jade ring with the motive of a flying Apsara (Dakini) has been added to the exhibition. Religion in China during this period had a great effect on people's lives, beliefs and daily activities, and Chinese literature on spirituality was popular. The major deities of Daoism and Buddhism, ancestral spirits and the many deities of Chinese folk religion were worshiped with sacrificial offerings. Tansen Sen asserts that more Buddhist monks from India traveled to China during the Song than in the previous Tang Dynasty (618–907).
The Celestial Planisphere of King Yi Tai-yo from innaja.org
This is the first available, comprehensive digital and scalable vector map of the ancient traditional Chinese and Korean planisphere's of the heavens. The map is diligently reproduced from the original Korean Star Map of King Yi Tai-yo, finished in the the year 1395 A.D. Pictured are a total of 283 constellations and 1467 stars, many of them has been identified by Knobel, E. B. "On a Chinese Planisphere"; Rufus, W. C., "The Celestial Planisphere of King Yi Tai-yo" and recently Park, Changbom, "Analysis of the Star Map in Chon - Sang - Yol - Cha - Bun - Ya - Ji - Do". In addition the work of Sun Xiaochun & Jacob Kistemaker, "The Chinese Sky during the Han", has been extensively consulted for this facsimile digital reproduction. A complete reference of all identified stars and bibliography informations are included. Please go to the exhibition page.
Tibetan Artifacts
A small number of Tibetan artifacts are on display, among them an ancient, siver-gilded, oracle ring.
INNAJA
last updated: November 13, 2009
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Inner Asian Map
Information about the Inner Mongolian and Qijia culture neolithic sites. |
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Planisphere
The Celestial Planisphere of King Yi Tai-yo. Digital reproduction.. |
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