CHINESE JADES AND OTHER TREASURED STONES
at the Worcester Art Museum

By Leon Nigrosh

It’s interesting to note that in a world with little regard for human life, people will spend inordinate sums of money ~ or even kill ~ to obtain bits of shiny stone extricated from the ground. While there is absolutely no excuse for the extermination of any person, the current exhibition at the Worcester Art Museum sheds some light on how and why some people’s minds can suddenly become foggy and disoriented as they are mesmerized by the allure of certain chemical compounds that have been extracted from the earth.

For thousands of years, inhabitants of China in particular have been drawn to the mythical powers of jade. Upon entering this exhibit, you can immediately see why. The array of some 95 exquisitely carved objects, chiefly from the 18th-19th centuries, present a captivating rainbow of shining colors. But jade is just green, right? Not so. Even within the two types of the stone ~ nephrite and jadeite ~ colors range from green through yellow, russet, white, blue, lavender, purple, and pink. And to further boggle the eyes, curator Louise Virgin has included a number of small sculptures and artifacts elegantly created in coral, carnelian, amethyst, crystal, and other shimmering stones.

To bring some order to the cacophony of invisible sounds (It’s as if each object is calling out “Look at me! Look at me!”), Virgin has displayed the works in several themes such as “Ritual and Burial Jades” and “Mythological Animals.” Within each category, she has written short explanations and stories for every piece that tell both its history and its originally intended use. There are so many different colorful shapes to behold and let your mind absorb in this magnificent exhibition that one young observer commented that there was too much to look at all at once. Indeed, because each piece is so intricately carved with fish, dragons, prophets, lion-dogs, or flowers, you must pace yourself ~ perhaps even coming back a second and third time to examine the rich, glowing hues and superb craftsmanship.

Regarding the production of these objects, it is important to remember that jade is a pretty tough material. After being wrested from the mountains, it has to be broken up into useable portions before the sculpting can even begin, and ordinary tools won’t work on these stones. In earlier times the jade had to be chiseled, carved, ground, and polished with other harder materials ~ the tools were usually made from diamonds and were all hand-operated. Today the tradition is carried on by highly skilled workers who, thankfully, get to use power tools.

The works on view were originally created as objects with great magical, philosophical, or religious symbolism. So if, as you are inexorably drawn into each one of them, you begin to develop thoughts of inner peace, ecstasy, and enthusiasm, or feel as though you are being transported to a different place and a different time, then these expressive and luminous images have succeeded in carrying out their intrinsic mission.

What: Mountain Harvests: Chinese Jades and Other Treasured Stones

Where: Worcester Art Museum
55 Salisbury Street

When: Through March 4, 2007

Call: 508-799-4406