Qijia Culture (2000 BC)

Dated back four thousands years ago, Qijia Culture covers Kansu, Ningsia and Chinghai of the Yellow River Areas. According to Encyclopædia Britannica,<a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/110016/Qijia-culture"> evidence of the culture was first unearthed in the small village of Qijiaping, in the northwestern Chinese province of Gansu, in the early 1920s by the Swedish geologist Johan Gunnar Andersson. In the 1940s and ’50s more important finds were explored in the nearby villages of Yangwawan and Cuijiazhuang by the Chinese archaeologists Pei Wenzhong and Xia Nai. More sites associated with the Qijia culture were later found in Qinghai province and in the Hui Autonomous Region of Ningxia.There are many varieties of jade artifacts for Qijia Culture.</a> Most of the jade artifacts unearthed are found with plain surface. Major characteristics of Qijia Culture jade artifacts include (1) single direction hole drilling with irregular edges remains not removed, (2)plain surface without motif( seen from available unearthed jade artifacts) and (3) for jade cong, the plane of each side merges the round part of the center cylinder without clear boundary like the congs of other cultures.The typical jade artifacts are various including jade knifes, bis( typical, notched, spindle-shaped ), rings and, zhangs. All the artifacts in the pages here have archaic phenomena of differential weathering, cleaving veins and exposed crystals.

Qijia Culture Jade Bi, D. 23cm, T.0.3cm

<strong><em>Identification:</em></strong>

Carved with white jade from area of Qijia culture, this jade bi is seen rectangular flavored round shape with unidirectional hole. Similar item seen as the one Huang Liang Liang Tai,Wuwei City, Gansu Province..Antiquity evidences include additive crystal, diffusive marking and differential weathering.

Qijia Culture, L. 46cm, W. 12cm T. 0.5cm 

<strong><em>Identification</em>:</strong>

With the shape of trapezoid, this jade knife is seen five different size holes with unidirectional drilling on the upper part of the blade. Both sides of the blade have shown convex profile. Antiquity evidences include additive crystal, cleaving vein and differential weathering. In addition, the back end of the knife is seen calcification phenomenon. One of the hypotenuses is seen several small cracks owing to the effects of ages.

Qijia Culture, L. 36cm, W. 9cm T. 0.5cm

<strong><em>Identification</em>:</strong>

With the shape of trapezoid, this jade knife is made of semitransparent  jade. It is seen five different size holes with unidirectional drilling on the upper part of the blade. Both sides of the blade have shown convex profile. The color and quality of jade are similar to those of the jade knife of Shanghai Museum collection. Antiquity evidences include cleaving vein, diffusive marking and mica.

Qijia Culture,Jade knife, L. 32cm, W. 7.5cm T. 0.5cm

<strong><em>Identification:</em></strong>

Made of green tone jade, this jade knife is seen four holes with one directional drilling technique that conforms the style of Qijia Culture.

Qijia Culture, Jade Knife, L. 32cm, W. 5cm T. 0.5cm, 

<strong><em>Identification</em>:</strong>

Made of translucent jade with yellow tone, an one directional drilling hole is seen located at the handle of the knife. The blade has a slope to have the sharpen effect. Antiquity evidences include deteriorate marking and diffusive marking.

Qijia Culture, jade Knife, L. 32cm, W. 5cm T. 0.5cm.

<strong><em>Identification</em>:</strong>

In  addition to the conforming the characteristics of unidirectional hole drilling, this jade knife is very thin with only 0.1cm on the thinnest part. The jade quality is similar to the jade knife unearthed in Zong Ri ruins in Tongde county in Hainan autonomous prefection in Qinghai, A collection of Qinghai Provincial Museum .Antiquity evidences include differential weathering and diffusive marking.

Qijia Culture, Jade Knife, L. 36cm, W. 5cm

<strong><em>Identification</em>:</strong>

Made of jade of green tone with translucent quality, this jade knife has a sharp blade is seen a hole near the handle. The hole drilling style conforms the one directional characteristics of Qijia Culture. Antiquity evidences include exposed mica, diffusive marking and cleaving vein.

Qijia Culture,Jade Zhang, L. 33cm, W. 9cm T. 0.5cm.

<strong><em>Identification</em></strong>:

At the top end of the zhang, a new moon shape outward shape blade is seen. There are four notches on each side near the handle. At the center between the notches is an one directional drilling hole with one side polished and one side has remains. Antiquity evidences include mica and diffusive marking.

Qijia Culture zhang, L. 36cm, W. 7cm

<strong><em>Identification</em>:</strong>

Made of green tone jade, this zhang has a streamline design with a graceful shape outward blade on the top. Both sides on the handle are seen small wave shape notches. A one directional drilling hole is located between two side's wave shape notches in the center.Antiquity evidences include cleaving vein, exposed plane and differential weathering.

Qijia spindle-shaped bi L. 8cm, W. 8cm

<strong><em>Identification</em>:</strong>

The object is identified as Qijia spindle shape bi based on the carving form and <a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/DSCN3332.JPG">hole one directional drilling style</a>. One hole is seen on each diagonal side of the bi. Antiquity evidences include<a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/chinese/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/ChiDimondCleaving-vein-and-differential-weathering.jpg"> differential weathering</a>,<a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiDimondMica.jpg">exposed crystal plane</a><a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/chinese/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/ChiDimondCleaving-vein-and-differential-weathering.jpg">, cleaving vein</a>,<a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiDimondDissolved-pit.jpg"> dissolved pit</a> and<a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiDimondDiffusive-Marking.jpg"> diffusive marking</a>.

<strong><em>Appreciation</em>:</strong>

This spindle shape jade bi may serve as the physical evidence that the Qijia culture has a highly developed textile industry.

Qijia Culture, H. 9.5cm, W. 8cm

<strong><em>Identification</em>:</strong>

The plane of each side merges the round part of the center cylinder without clear boundary like the congs of other cultures. <a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/NPMChichiaCong.jpg">Similar items are seen in the National Palace Museum</a>. Antiquity evidences include<a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiDifferential-weathering-and-Cleaving-Vein.jpg"> differential weathering, cleaving veins</a> and <a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiDissolved-Pits.jpg">dissolved pits</a>.

Qijia Culture Jade Zhang,  L. 18cm

<strong><em>Identification</em></strong>:

Carved with translucent jade with yellow tone, this jade zhang is seen sharp blade with two different length points. Near the handle is seen three norches on each side with an one directional drilling hole located at the center between the two sides. Antiquity evidences include<a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiZhangCleavingVein1.jpg"> cleaving veins</a>,<a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiZhangCleavingVein.jpg"> dissloved pits</a> and <a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiZhangDeterioratedMarking1.jpg">deteriorate marking</a>.

Qijia Culture, Jade Ring, D. 13cm, T. 0.3cm

<strong><em>Identification</em>:</strong>

Carved with semitransparent jade, this jade ring is similar to<a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/11011823.jpg"> the items seen from the unearthed in ruins of La Jia, Minhe Hui and Tu autonomous county in Haidong prefecture. A collection of Qinghai Provincial Museum</a>. Antiquity evidences include <a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiRing-Additive-Crystal.jpg">additive crystal</a>,<a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiRing-Diffusive-Marking.jpg"> diffusive marking</a>, <a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiBiMica-and-Differential-weathering1.jpg">mica and differential weathering</a>.

<strong><em>Identification</em>:</strong>

With a combination of bi and axes, this object is seen a round curve form on the top and four sides form in the bottom. There are three sets of notched on each side. Like the usual bi, there is a hole in the center. In addition, there is a small hole with uni-directional drilling is seen on the upper part. Antiquity evidences include <a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiAxeAdditiveCrystal.jpg">additive crystal</a>, dissolved pits and<a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiAxeDifferentialWeathering.jpg"> differential weathering</a>.

Qijia Culture, Notched Jade Ring, D. 8cm

<strong><em>Identification</em>:</strong>

Based on the size of inner hole, this object should be called a ring. With notches on the outer edge of the ring, it is thus a notched ring. The notches are divided into three major section, each section has four group notches. Antiquity evidences include<a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiBiMica-and-Diffusive-Marking.jpg"> exposed crystal plane</a>,<a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/ChiBiDeterirorate-Marking.jpg">differential weathering and diffusive marking</a>.

<em><strong>Jade Identification</strong>:</em>

With two notches on each side, this zhang is made of whie good quality jade. A major cleaving vein appears on the end part of the zhang. In addition, There exist archaic evidences of diffusive markings, differential weathering and secondary crystals.

Qijia Culture,Jade Kwei, L. 31cm, W. 7cm

<strong><em>Identification</em></strong>:

Similar item is seen in the <a href="http://www.exoticjades.com/wp-content/uploads/11011828.jpg">Qinghai Provincial Museum collection</a>.

Carved with jade of green tone, this jade kwei has a unidirectional drilling hole located at the lower part of the handle. The upper end is seen blade style with smooth surface.