A ''huang'' (璜) is a Chinese arc-shaped

jade Jade is an umbrella term for two different types of decorative rocks used for jewelry or Ornament (art), ornaments. Jade is often referred to by either of two different silicate mineral names: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in t ...

artifact that was used as a pendant.Rawson, Jessica (2002). ''Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing''. Art Media Resources. pp. 266-267. ''Huang'' arcs were used in a jade ''pei'' ornament set (組玉佩), which would be worn from the belt. The pendant set would emit a faint pleasant sound as the wearer walked, in line with the customs of Confucian etiquette.Rastelli, S., editor (2008). ''China At the Court of the Emperors: Unknown Masterpieces from Han Tradition to Tang Elegance (25–907)''. Florence: Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi. p. 301. Cited in The number of ''huang'' arcs in a set of jade pendants is not always the same. It is suggested that the amount in a set may have indicated the social status of the person. At the ends of a ''huang'', there were often abstract heads of animals carved into the jade. During the Eastern Zhou period, block-shaped tiger-like ends were often used in the ''huang'', but these would develop into more-abstract notches. File:Huang with interlocked dragon design.jpg, ''Huang'' with interlocked dragon design, Western Zhou period, housed in the

Shanghai Museum The Shanghai Museum is a municipal public museum of ancient Chinese art, situated on the People's Square in the Huangpu District, Shanghai, Huangpu District of Shanghai, China. It is funded by thShanghai Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau Reb ...

File:Arc-shaped pendant (huang),Western Zhou period, 10th or 9th century BC.jpg, ''Huang'', Western Zhou period, housed in the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...

File:Huang with two dragon heads.jpg, ''Huang'' with two dragon heads,

Warring States period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...

, housed in the Shanghai Museum File:Dinastia han anteriori, pendenti huang, II sec. ac. ca., giada verde.JPG, ''Huang'' and two other pendants from green jade, Western Han period, housed in the Guimet Museum File:组玉佩SPIA.jpg, A jade ''pei'' ornament set combines jade artifacts in a variety of ways. This one, from the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

, includes a pair of symmetrical ''huang'' arcs.

References

{{Reflist Jade Hardstone carving Chinese art

See also

References