When a stone is not just a stone.

Elizabeth Hubert Malott Hall of Jades

Learn about the history and importance of jade in Chinese culture, and see its role change over time.

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Exhibition Summary

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Exhibition Highlights

Ceremonial jade objects used in Neolithic burials
Status symbols displayed by Bronze Age kings and warriors
Qing dynasty pieces commissioned by imperial patronage
Modern jade pieces inspired by traditional forms

Image slideshow

Gallery

  • In the Qing period (AD 1644–1911), decorated snuff bottles emerged as a new art form. Snuff, a powdered form of tobacco, became popular in China during the 1600s.

    Photographer(s): Field Museum

  • Jade animals were buried in tombs of wealthy Chinese people for many centuries. By the Six Dynasties period (AD 265–589), this practice was disappearing, but jade animals like this tiny horse from the Qing dynasty (AD 1644–1911) remained popular as objects simply to be enjoyed.

    Photographer(s): Field Museum

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In the Qing period (AD 1644–1911), decorated snuff bottles emerged as a new art form. Snuff, a powdered form of tobacco, became popular in China during the 1600s.

Photographer(s):Field Museum

Quiz

What is jade?

A rock
A stone
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