Since ancient times, civilizations like China and Mesoamerica were connected by Jade, a gemstone that joined the two cultures despite being geographically so far from each other and being so different in their customs and traditions, curiously there is a coincidence between both of them regarding the symbol that represents them, used in the rites and union with power.
Dr. Xu Lin, a researcher at the Palace Museum in China said that “In ancient China it was believed that jade and mortality were closely linked, it was thought that putting pieces made of this mineral (nephrite, in particular), as part of the mortuary ornament, would allow the spirit of the person to reach their destination. For that reason, the clothing of the dead could be made of jade, with the idea of avoiding the putrefaction of the body, and plugs were also placed on the eyes, ears and mouth to prevent ‘the soul to escape.’ ”
On the other hand, Diana Magaloni, director of the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico said, “The Mesoamerican people were aware of our passage through the world, and for them, the jade – characterized for its hardness and resistance – was always going to keep that color of frozen water“, which means life that transcends death.
In China, this stone began as just that, a stone that was used to build working tools, so that it would gradually be transformed into a symbol of moral beauty, honor and purity; whereas for Mesoamerican cultures, the green color of the stone was a gift from the gods; they have even awarded it with properties of attracting good fortune.
In these ancient cultures, it was considered a precious stone, that came to be more appreciated than gold or silver in the West, because pieces linked to the rulers and rituals were manufactured with it; very hard, fine-grained, translucent, with an intense gloss if polished and a clear sound when tapped; with a big range of shades, from vivid green, light green, gray, white, yellow, orange, violet, red, to black.
The ancient Chinese used to put into the mouth of the dead a figure that looked like a cicada, and on the hand, a piglet, two pieces made of this rock; there was the belief that the first would revive the dead person when shedding its skin and the second would grow rapidly, which would increase the assets of the family.
Mexico also has countless designs made with this material. In Campeche, in the middle of the jungle, in the archaeological site of Calakmul, several burials were found containing masks, which are distinguished by the gestures that were given by their creators; in Palenque, Chiapas, there is another site that stands out for its architecture, but also for the objects that were discovered in the tombs of important Mayan personalities; its delicacy and elegance has become popular in jewelry manufacturing.
ALFA