Research On The Jade Pendants Of Chu In The Warring States Period

The jade pendants(组玉佩)which had the most complex structure and diverse quantity was an important part of robe system in Zhou Dynasty.Its name was called the same in different materials including ancient documents,the divination and possession lists in Chu bamboo books.In addition,its records in the Chu bamboo books also showed that it couldn’t be used only as accessories,but also in the ritual rites.The jade pendants of Chu was mainly composed of the ribbon and different kind of jade like Jade Bi(玉�'�),Jade Huang(玉�'�)and Jade Huan(玉环)etc.All sorts of appellation including Shou(绶),Sui(�'�),Zushou(组绶)and others about the ribbon had its particular time range.The shape of Jade Huang(玉�'�)in the Warring States Period had been changed a little bit but it was still call Huang(�'�)rather than Heng(珩).The single jade component of the jade pendants could be used without tying with other jade objects but it didn’t mean that the single jade could be regarded as a complete jade pendants.During the Warring State Period,by reference to the wooden figurines discovered in the Chu tombs,the main tying way of the jade pendants was tied to a person’s waist then it could hang down to the ground.In addition,the buried jades in the inner coffins were usually recognized as the jade pendants by the scholars.However,the former one in fact should be carefully distinguished with the latter.According to its property,the jade pendants could be classified into two categories:the symbol of moral(德佩)and the symbol of ministry(事佩).The former one was referred to the kind of jade pendants which was composed of the jade objects like Bi(�'�),Hu(琥)and Huang(�'�).The ancient Book of Rites(《礼记》)said that,“the nobleman shouldn’t take off his jade pendants which symbolizes the moral and virtue without cause.”The jade pendants could be used in many kinds of occasions like sacrifice ceremonies,banquet and some others.In contrast,the jade objects which symbolized the ministry was more practical because its nature was linked with one person’s job.For the status hierarchy,as far as we can know that the status which is equal to Shi(士)or above were allowed to wear the jade pendants,but the common people had no access to wear them.Instead,they chose the materials like stone or other things they liked to imitate the upper class and also to express their own characteristics and aspiration.