What Are the Important Steps to Identify an Ancient Jade Artwork? Episode 2. A: Stains

This is a vast and fascinating topic. In the West, few scholars have explored the essential elements of stains and patinas on ancient jade. To do it justice, we’ll need multiple discussions. Let’s begin with stains.

What is a Stain?

A stain refers to the thin layer of color that forms on the surface of jade over time. It is distinct from the original jade skin, which is the natural surface of a jade block after it is cut. Ancient artists often incorporated this original skin into their designs to add beauty and accentuate the artwork. This technique dates back as far as Hongshan culture (refer to my Hongshan Jade book or YouTube episodes for more details).

Unlike jade skin, stains develop over thousands of years as jade absorbs materials from its surrounding environment while buried underground.

Why Was Jade Buried?

In ancient China, it was believed that life continued after death. The deceased were thought to live underground, worshiping gods and maintaining their social status in the afterlife. Jade, as a symbol of power and prestige, was essential for this journey into the next world.

To prepare jade for this transition, it underwent a fire ceremony. Ancient texts from over 2,000 years ago describe more than a dozen methods of using fire to treat jade. Unfortunately, most of these methods are now lost. However, two key practices—intense fire and light smoking—are still referenced today.

This fire ceremony played a dual role:

1. Symbolically transporting jade to the afterlife.

2. Physically altering its surface, resulting in the stains we see today.

How Are Stains Created?

From my experience, stains are closely linked to how jade was exposed to fire and burial conditions:

• Fire Damage:Fire caused cracks in the jade’s surface, making it more porous and allowing minerals from the surrounding environment to seep in, creating deeper stains. These cracks are so common in ancient jade that collectors often say: “Nine out of ten jade pieces have cracks.”

• Environmental Factors:Burial conditions significantly influenced staining. For example:

  • In the dry northern regions, such as Hongshan, jade pieces from 5,000–6,000 years ago often show minimal staining due to the arid environment.

  • In wetter southern regions, such as Liangzhu, jade pieces (despite being 1,000 years younger) are often heavily coated with stains.

Why Are Stains Important?

Stains are a natural treasure, carrying the stories of jade’s journey through time. They reveal:

• The region where the jade was buried.

• The type of fire ceremony it underwent. Although only two methods of fire treatment are currently known, as we study stains further, we may uncover more about these ancient practices.

• The burial conditions of the tomb, such as proximity to metal or water sources. Stains can even indicate whether the tomb was nearly airtight until its discovery.

Stains provide invaluable information about a jade piece’s history. It is unfortunate that they have not been given the attention they deserve in scholarly studies.

Can Stains Be Forged?

Modern technology enables people to fake stains using chemicals or other techniques to fool collectors. However, understanding how and why stains form helps us identify these forgeries. Artificial stains, created in a short time, cannot replicate the complexity and depth of stains formed over thousands of years by natural processes.

While some collectors claim that stains alone can determine the age of jade, I believe that stains must be analyzed alongside other factors, such as material, design, and craftsmanship, to make a reliable assessment.

Next time, we’ll tackle patina, another challenging and insightful topic. Stay tuned!