An Analysis of the Chinese Culture Influences on the Contemporary Jewellery Themes - Term Paper Example

Research (Framing Practice) An Analysis of the Chinese Culture Influences on the Contemporary Jewellery themes. Word Count: Table of Contents Introduction..............................................................................................................................3 Chapter 1: Jewellery in the Chinese Culture ...........................................................................4 Chapter 2: The Chinese Cultural Jewellery in the Contemporary Scene.................................8 Chapter 3 Contemporary Themes that Affected the Crafting of the Chinese Jewellery........14 Conclusion........................................................................................................................,..,,,19 References...............................................................................................................................20 Annotated Bibliography..........................................................................................................21 Pictures: Fig. Bangles made of Jade........................................................................................................5 Fig 2: Portrait of royalty wearing blue jewellery and Ming Emperor Zhu Yijuns Crown in blue................................................................................................................6 Fig 3: Image of a dragon and king fisher on Chinese ornaments.............................................7 Fig 4: The Fui Chui...................................................................................................................9 Fig 5: The dancing bird with Jade feathers.............................................................................10 Figure 6. Dickson Yewn’s “Lock of Good Wishes”...............................................................11 Figure 7. Master Bai’s award-winning filigree inlay jewellery suite....................................11 Fig. 8 Knotted neckpiece and a rose quartz pendant mounted in 18 K gold by Yue-Yo.......12 Figure 9. Yue-Yo Wang’s necklace combines green jadeite and red coral............................13 Figure 10. “Dancing on the Flowers”, Zhang’s award-winning jewellery suite.....................15 Figure 11. Jin Ren’s contemporary jewellery design.............................................................17 Figure 12. Jin Ren’s 2014 collection “Journey to the West”..................................................17 Figure 13. “Fishing Fun”, Kaka Zhang’s jade and gold pendant............................................18 The Chinese Cultural Influences on the Contemporary Jewellery Themes The popularity and consumption of Chinese contemporary jewellery has been on the rise. Chinese jewellery is projected to play an important role in the contemporary scene. However, Chinese jewellery like any other jewellery is heavily influenced by the ancient cultural themes of the Chinese. China is known to be a conservative country with policies that have for many years isolated it from the rest of the world. The country, which is the most populous in the world, has remained culturally closed for many years through policies that have conserved practices observed for thousands of years. However, the Chinese have expressed their culture in various platforms including art, design, and jewellery. It is a fact that the ancient designs and concepts from the Chinese have been widely accepted in the contemporary scene to be part of contemporary jewellery in most cultures. This article assesses the Chinese cultural aspects that influence their jewellery in the contemporary context. It takes a global view of the jewellery with the intention of enhancing awareness of the contemporary issues in the Chinese jewellery through critical engagement with the art and craft. The article has three chapters and conclusions. The first chapter explicates the art of jewellery in the Chinese culture and their place in the contemporary scene. The second chapter evaluates the meeting of the ancient Chinese cultural aspects of art with the contemporary jewellery. The third chapter discusses the contemporary themes that have affected the crafting of the Chinese jewellery. Chapter 1: Jewellery in the Chinese Culture The Chinese have always had a fascination for adorning themselves with jewellery, from the royal families all the way down to ordinary citizens, that in their 5,000 year history, jewellery designers and manufacturers were always in demand as they applied innovations in their pieces (Lucas et al., 2015). To understand the Chinese cultural influences on the contemporary scene it is important to understand the role of jewellery in Chinese culture. Contemporary jewellery finds essential thematic roles in their areas of application. History points out that the role of jewellery has gone beyond aesthetics especially if the people wearing them adopt a specific design and space or occasion to be worn. By understanding the role of the jewellery in the Chinese culture the design, identity, context, and space that the jewellery occupies can be interpreted in the context of the respective influences. This chapter aspires to unravel these issues. The history of China and jewellery can be dated back to the times during the Yang-Shao and Lungshanoid cultures in the delta of river Yangtze (Alfred & Speed, 1941). The growing civilization was marked with more sophisticated jewellery designs. The popularity of these cultures grew to influence other Asian cultures. Gold and silver have been known for their decorative function for the past 3,000 years. Gold jewellery has been in use for the longest time, as discovered in tombs dating from the Shang dynasty (1700 – 1100 BC), the Hang and Tang dynasties (265-907), with finer work perfected in precious metal art from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1912) as such products were crafted for royal families. Historically, minority groups in China have started craft traditions that modern jewellery designers now try to revive. These include chasing and repoussé from the Miao people and the filigree technique from artists in the Gui Zhou Province (Guo, 2012). The jewellery were mostly made from Turquoise, coral, silver, gold and jade including other precious gemstones. As much as the Chinese loved gold and silver, it was the precious stone Jade that seemed to be their favourite due to its special colour, luster and structure. They have had a penchant for it even from the New Stone Age (Zhang, 2006). Early references to jade referred to nephrite. It is believed that this precious stone represents China’s conservative culture and the people’s brave spirit. The stone possessed desired qualities such as hardiness, beauty, and durability. The gemstone was also associated with grace, dignity, and morality. From its original function as tools and sacrificial vessels, jade has extended its use to wares, jewellery and carvings. It is during this time that the compound milling technique of creating jewellery was discovered. Jadeite was imported from Burma, and an average of 200 tons are imported yearly to China (Hsu et al., 2014). Fig. 1 Bangles made of Jade The traditional culture of the Chinese promoted jewellery such amulets, pins, headbands, headdress, rings, and earrings. The culture also promoted these jewellery pieces as they were worn by both men and women. According to the Chinese, having jewellery is a sign of wealth (Alfred & Speed, 1941). The Chinese accorded much value to the jewellery worn with added meaning to the wearer’s social rank. Basically, the jewellery was a showcase of status and wealth as it is the case in the contemporary scene. The society had well prescribed status allocation based on the jewellery worn. For example, blue jewellery was reserved for the Chinese royal family. ‘A particular shade of yellow was reserved for the clothes of members of the imperial family and only the emperor himself was permitted to display a set of twelve ancient and rather puzzling motifs on his robes.’ (V&A) In the history of China, golden dragons were also symbols of the throne, where the emperor will wear clothes with twelve symbols, such as dragon, water weed, the fu pattern etc. Aside from jewellery, clothes also show the status of a person in old Chinese history. Fig 2: Portrait of royalty wearing blue jewellery and Ming Emperor Zhu Yijuns Crown in blue The designs of the jewellery were mostly oriental abstract and creatures. Dragons, kingfishers and phoenix were engraved or moulded to the jewellery. These were the most popular designs that were adopted by the Chinese. The Chinese emperor adopted the five clawed dragon as its mark. It was engraved or designed in most of the jewellery that adorned the emperor. The “fenghuang” phoenix was the adopted design for the empress. The design on the jewellery was matched with the culture of the people from China. Fig 3: Image of a dragon and king fisher on Chinese ornaments The context of jewellery in traditional China was beyond life. The reason why the ancient China cultural jewellery have resurfaced after remaining dominant for 5000 years is because the prominent personalities were buried with their jewellery. Jewellery during these days had cultural meaning beyond life. Turquoise in jewellery means a living stone in Chinese culture while coral is perceived to bring good luck (Alfred & Speed, 1941). In Chinese culture the dragon symbolizes power and good luck, the goldfish represented abundance while the phoenix represented good fortune, luck and opportunity. China’s rich and exotic culture is honoured by jewellery designers as they express it in their masterpieces. It is one way of perpetuating it, especially if they become heirloom pieces that gets transferred from one generation to the next. Chapter 2: The Chinese Cultural Jewellery in the Contemporary Scene During the period of China’s Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), jewellery became associated with capitalism, and when one was caught wearing it, were considered offensive and insensitive. Hence, jewellery designers and craftsmen merely stopped their work to avoid persecution. In the last decades of the twentieth century, the Chinese gem and jewellery industry began to pick up again, and by the end of the 1990’s, the industry has spread like wildfire, having about 20,000 jewellery businesses in operation with close to three million people engaged in the trade (Hsu et al., 2014). This overwhelming re-emergence of the jewellery industry saturated the market, and designs became replicated, producing lower quality of jewellery pieces (J. Bai, pers. Comm., 2013). Due to the apparent stagnation and lack of innovative designs, jewellery craftsmen sought ideas from professional training courses. This was a time when they learned about western designs as compared to their own traditional designs, and was exposed to contemporary jewellery. According to Den Besten, (2011) in a publication entitled On Jewellery: A Compendium of International Contemporary Art Jewellery, contemporary jewellery is jewellery that represents the present. The Chinese have borrowed a lot from their past challenges the concept of contemporary in their jewellery. However, the culture and themes from the Chinese culture have impressed the present to become a modern trend. This chapter evaluates the meeting point between the Chinese cultural jewellery and the contemporary fashion styles that accept the jewellery. The contemporary art world appreciates authenticity and perfect craftsmanship. The detail in the artwork in terms of articulation of the artwork on the jewellery is emphasized in art selection. The creativity value of jewellery is also a concept that drives acceptance. In addition to these factors, the value of the jewellery is of significance (Terese, 2012). The value of the jewellery is driven by the cost of the material that it is made of and the sentimental value of the jewellery. Chinese jewellery both the authentic and the imitations possess authenticity in the art. The Chinese art and concepts have been concealed from the world for a long time. The art work is unique in a way that it is original compared to other jewellery art because the engraves and designs are based on Chinese traditional culture. These factors make jewellery with Chinese themes acceptable in the contemporary market. Punched work, pierced work, and filigree are characteristics of Chinese jewellery. These art skills have been preserved from the village traditions from the Himalaya region (Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan) adopted from jewellery influenced by Persia and India (Mitter, 2008). The Chinese art and material concept has become a brand in itself in the contemporary scene. The jewellery has a sentimental value of having been preserved from the jewellery influenced by Persia and India to surpass the Mao Tse dung communism to the current time. The combination of the material choice, craftsmanship, design, and sentimental value has positioned the Chinese brand as a contemporary identity as is the case with the following brands. Fig 4: The Fui Chui is one of the jewellery that have been widely accepted in the contemporary time even with its deep Chinese heritage. The jewellery is a symbol of acceptance of the Jadelite as a material for jewellery (Pan, 2008). It was the main material for jewellery during the traditional Chinese culture jewellery era. Fig 5: The dancing bird with Jade feathers is one the contemporary jewellery that marks the meeting of the traditional Chinese cultural jewellery and the contemporary jewellery. The piece is inspired by a traditional Chinese design of including the dancing bird in the design. Learning modern designs allow the designer to interpret ideas from all around, including one’s history. Dickson Yewn, a popular jewellery designer from Hong Kong believed that designing jewellery should incorporate one’s culture especially if it has been suppressed for some time. Chinese culture is one example, and having been under social upheaval for a certain period of time, shunning the art of jewellery making, he believes that now is the time to recapture its glory (Lucas et al., 2015). Yewn has a better appreciation of his native culture and prefers to create distinctly Chinese designs because he wants to revive traditional craftsmanship in jewellery making (World Gold Council, 2014). Yewn uses themes borne from native traditions including lattice patterns, paper cutting, Manchurian motifs and peonies. One of his work known as “Lock of Good Wishes” comes from the interpretation of a native symbol of security, representing being “locked” in good health and longevity in Chinese culture. Babies are usually given precious metal lock pendants to “lock” happiness and health in their lives. Figure 6. Dickson Yewn’s “Lock of Good Wishes” The lock at the center is a clasp inspired by an ordinary gate lock from ancient China. The lock panel is decorated with bat patterns at the four corners, symbolizing good luck and happiness in Chinese culture. Another prominent Chinese jewellery artist reviving old techniques in the art of jewellery making is Master Jingyi Bai. She is adept with filigree inlay art which combines two crafting skills, namely filigree which uses threads of gold or silver in varying weights; and inlay work which involves setting stones and carving or filling precious metals around them (Lucas et al., 2015). Her traditional craftsmanship has won her the Best Craft Inheritance Award at the second National Jewellery Processing Craft Competition in 2011 (Lucas et al., 2015). Figure 7. Master Bai’s award-winning filigree inlay jewellery suite with thin gold threads bent to form springs and then rolled form cones joint together to shape the earring before mounting the precious stone. Because Chinese culture is very rich with traditions, literature, art and philosophy, it can be inspirational to several artists. One example is Yue-Yo Wang, a Taiwanese jewellery designer who devoted her work to designs inspired by traditional Chinese themes. (Lucas et al., 2015). One technique she is known for is Chinese knotting art, which she combines with modern designs. Knotting art in jewellery design has been practiced in China since 1600 BC. Wang became enamoured with the art that she started with knotted teapot covers and since then, has expanded her work to include clothing and decorations. Eventually, she realized that knotting art could enhance her jewellery designs. Her designs feature traditional Chinese symbols embellished with long tassels and thread patterns. She uses gems such as opals, corals, jadeites, tourmalines and chalcedonies. Wang’s work reflects the philosophy from 500 B.C. imparted by Zhong Yong, with Zhong standing for impartiality and Yong standing for permanence. (Lucas et al., 2015). This philosophy comes from the book translated as The Doctrine of the Mean, one of the first books written by the disciples of Confucius. Intellectuals find wisdom in this philosophy and practice it in their lives. Management practices of the ruling class are based on this philosophy. Confucian philosophy has become a central framework in most of China’s culture and is very much reflected in Wang’s jewellery. Figure 9. Yue-Yo Wang’s necklace combines green jadeite and red coral. The coral goldfish symbolizes good fortune and the pair symbolizes everlasting marriage, with the Chinese character in between them, a traditional Chinese wedding symbol. The jadeite boy and lotus under the pair of goldfish represent prosperity. It is quite impressive that the people of China truly value their cultural upbringing as they always find inspiration from it. This is especially reflected in their jewellery creations as even the most modern designs still have an element of Chinese heritage. Chapter 3: Contemporary Themes that Affected the Crafting of the Chinese Jewellery The Chinese cultural jewellery may meet all the needed specifications to appeal to the contemporary eye but without a thematic representation, the jewellery may be loved but tucked into drawers. Without thematic relevance in the contemporary scene, the jewellery would find no purpose or occasion to be adorned. This chapter assesses the contemporary themes that have affected the crafting of the Chinese jewellery (Mitter, 2008). The Chinese cultural jewellery provides a strong tactile experience. The conservation of the traditional designs, materials, and sentimental meaning gives the jewellery a different value. The art also has spatial elements embodied in it. The art goes beyond decorative to the ancient times of its representation. Most of the jewellery embody narrative qualities. They hold meaning that may not be represented by the contemporary wearer but they inspire inquiry (Pan, 2008). The jewellery tells their narrative through the rich semiotics. The growing banality of culture in the contemporary scene was enhanced by Chinese jewellery. This fact gives the jewellery a significant role in the contemporary world. The use of Jade and imaginary figures such as the dragon and phoenix in the designs raises questions about how it was made. The Chinese cultural jewellery has been able to successfully distance itself from the influence and appearance of industrialism. They are imperfect compared to the jewellery of other cultures but within the imperfection, they hold humanistic attributes (Pan, 2008). The jewellery makes the wearer unique in the process fostering self and identity. While the jewellery cannot be directly related to free will or determinism, they craft their way into a past that succeeds in the present. They send a strong image in relation to accessorizing the self from both a fashion perspective and the inner interpretation through its uniqueness. In the contemporary scene, the Chinese implied message in the design of the jewellery is lost. Now, one can wear jewellery adorned with a phoenix without being an empress or the colour blue can be used liberally in jewellery (Mitter, 2008). However, it gives the wearer significant strides from the influences of trending contemporary jewellery. The jewellery embodies the definition of a neo-modern contemporary culture. They have a strong ethnic attribution that may be confused as a strong alienation towards the orient especially to those ignorant of true Chinese culture (Pan, 2008). The fact is that the present oriental association was the reason for Chinese cultural jewellery to be almost extinct. The design and choice of material of the jewellery is a strong message of representation of the traditional pre-communist Chinese, if not the traditions of the Himalayan region (Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan) or Indians and Persians. Modern jewellery designers create pieces inspired by symbolisms from traditional Chinese culture. One innovative designer is Shirley Zhang who has been in the jewellery industry since the 1900’s. Her well-celebrated masterpiece, “Dancing on the Flowers” won a special award at the 2012 National Gems and Jewellery Technology Administrative Centre jewellery design and manufacturing skills competition (Lucas et al., 2015, p. 24). This very attractive and unique piece includes a shoulder drape, a cuff bracelet and a pair of earrings, accented with bee and flower designs. Zhang innovatively used “dumbbell” buckle links between honeycomb cells, providing freedom to move even if the pieces are worn, and the feeling of wearing a silky fabric instead of a rigid metallic sheet over one’s shoulder. It is also versatile enough to be reshaped by disconnecting and reattaching links in various combinations. (Lucas et al., 2015). The honeycomb design also allows for better attachment of the coloured stones and more light to pass through its myriad of colours and whichever angle is a breath-taking view. This is a typically Chinese theme, with bees symbolizing the people’s trait of diligence, and with this piece, Zhang also referred to the jewellery industry’s diligence as well for the past 20 years, since the competition was held in honour of the accomplishments of the industry for the past two decades. Zhang’ knowledge of contemporary designs and techniques in jewellery design was learned from her experience working abroad. She used plique-a-jour which is a technique that originated in the early 14th century from France and Italy. This technique allows light to pass through the glass materials to since they have no backing, so it looks like a miniature stained glass window embedded in a jewellery piece. Zhang has perfected this technique after several years of practice, that her company is the only one in China that applies this technique in jewellery design. Her themes of nature blended with oriental aesthetics result in creative and unique designs and combinations of materials and colours (Lucas et al., 2015). Another prominent Chinese jewellery designer is Jin Ren who is an expert in natural gemstone jewellery. He founded the School of Gemology at the China University of Geosciences in Beijing and wrote the first design textbook on Chinese jewellery (Lucas et al., 2015). His wisdom in gem design brought him fame as he co-hosted a haute couture show in Paris with Laurence Xu, a famous fashion designer. Ren claims that jewellery designing entails the control of shapes, sizes, colours and dynamics of materials with a strong emphasis on culture (Ren, 2011). Figure 11. Jin Ren’s contemporary jewellery design: inspired by snakes shedding their skin and growing a new one. Ren’s themes are derived from his experiences in outings with family and friends, movies, architecture and fairy tales. One of his renowned pieces used Baroque pearls that represented four main characters from a Chinese fairy tale considered to be a literary masterpiece. Figure 12. Jin Ren’s 2014 collection “Journey to the West” based on a famous ancient Chinese fairy tale. It used Baroque pearls to represent each character and they were designed based on their traits depicted in the story. Since jade and gold has been held in high regard in Chinese culture, with jade representing elegance and gold, splendour, the combination of the two symbolizes a happy marriage. Kaka Zhang, a jewellery designer from Shanghai revived this old Chinese favourite combination with designs inspired by the themes of nature especially of the natural shape and carving of the jade stone. The shape of the jadeite stone can inspire her to design something from a poem, a scene from a movie or a painting and then bases her design for jewellery on that theme. Figure 13. “Fishing Fun”, Kaka Zhang’s jade and gold pendant: designed as a fish on a fishing pole. This represents “going with the flow” which is considered by the Chinese as the highest spiritual state. Chinese jewellery designers who draw their inspiration from their cultural heritage have earned their share of the limelight as the world takes notice of their craftsmanship and creativity. They go on to becoming prominent artists in the international scene, promoting their culture as they do. Conclusion The Chinese managed to hold onto their design, concepts, and artwork to the present. The fact that these aspects of their culture were conserved and released in the present time made them valuable with more meaning than any other cultural design. Their distinct themes and images have made them unique in the contemporary world at a time when uniqueness is of great importance for jewellery. In the traditional Chinese culture, jewellery had important meaning. Jewellery was not just adorned for aesthetics but they had implied meaning on the wearer. The meaning was conceived out of the design and material that it was made of. The society understood what the particular jewellery implied and respected it. Although these aspects in Chinese jewellery have been lost, they are still the selling features of the jewellery. The design and material used to making the jewellery were adopted into the new world. They presented a new form of jewellery that was widely accepted across the globe. The workmanship, artistic value and the quality of the craft were preserved. In a world featuring other forms of jewellery, the Chinese jewellery ended up crafting a special niche in the contemporary world and that is how they became a domineering form of art. The jewellery held themes that are still relevant in the present. This is one of the factors that have made the Chinese jewellery acceptable in the contemporary world. Although styles of jewellery designers evolve over time as they learn more about their craft from the Western world, Chinese designers still maintain their culture in their creations. Much of their work reflects valued traditions, symbolisms and themes cherished by their people. Contemporary Chinese jewellery continues to awe the world with its intricate, unique and innovative designs, thanks to the creativity of the designers and the richness of their culture. References Alfred C. and Speed W. (1941) Outlines of Chinese Symbolism and Art Motives: An Alphabetical Compendium of Antique Legends and Beliefs, as Reflected in the Manners and Customs of the Chinese, Courier Corporation Den Besten, L. (2011) On Jewellery: A Compendium of International Contemporary Art Jewellery. Arnoldsche Guo, S. (2012) STUDIO 115: The Reclaiming of Chinese Jewellery Art. Craft Arts International (86) Lucas, A., Chaplin, Merilee, Lin, M. & Jia, X. (2015) The Chinese soul in contemporary jewelry design. Gems & Gemology, 51(1), 18-30. Mitter R. (2008) Modern China: A very short introduction, Oxford University Press. Moore, O. (1759) Traditional LIfe in China: Ruling. Retrieved from: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/r/ruling-in-china/ Pan A. (2008), China Gem and Jewellery Market Overview: Selling Jewellery in China: Zeefer Consulting. Hsu T., Lucas A., Qiu Z. L., Li M., Yu Q. (2014) Exploring the Chinese gem and jewelry industry. Gem & Geology, 50 (1), 2–29. Ren J. (2011) Luxurious Design: My Way of Designing Jewelry. Zhejiang University Press [in Chinese] Terese T. (2012) Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art. Asian Art Museum World Gold Council (2014) Love Gold meets Dickson Yewn. Love- Gold, http://www.lovegold.com/lovegold-meets/dickson-yewn. Zhang B.L. (2006) Systematic Gemmology. Beijing: Geological Publishing House. Photos: Fig. Bangles made of Jade Fig 2: Portrait of royalty wearing blue jewellery and Ming Emperor Zhu Yijuns Crown in blue Fig 3: Image of a dragon and king fisher on Chinese ornaments Fig 4: The Fui Chui Fig 5: The dancing bird with Jade feathers Figure 6. Dickson Yewn’s “Lock of Good Wishes”, (Lucas et al., 2015, p. 20) Figure 7. Master Bai’s award-winning filigree inlay jewellery suite (Lucas et al., 2015, p. 22) Fig. 8 Knotted neckpiece and a rose quartz pendant mounted in 18 K gold by Yue-Yo (Lucas et al., 2015, p. 23) Figure 9. Yue-Yo Wang’s necklace combines green jadeite and red coral (Lucas et al., 2015, p. 24) Figure 10. “Dancing on the Flowers”, Zhang’s award-winning jewellery suite. (Lucas et al., 2015, p. 25) Figure 11. Jin Ren’s contemporary jewellery design (Lucas et al., 2015, p. 27) Figure 12. Jin Ren’s 2014 collection “Journey to the West” (Lucas et al., 2015, p. 28) Figure 13. “Fishing Fun”, Kaka Zhang’s jade and gold pendant (Lucas et al., 2015, p. 29) Annotated Bibliography Author: Liesbeth Den Besten Critical Position: The book focused heavily on the development of the development of international contemporary art. Culture has become popular in shaping jewellery art as it develops in the US, Europe and other places of the world. Title: On Jewellery: A Compendium of International Contemporary Art Jewellery Publisher/Publications: Arnoldsche Date: 2011 Chapter/Article heading: A Compendium of International Contemporary Art Jewellery Subject/Key points (include page numbers): The key point shared in this works is that contemporary art is fluid, and should not only be understood in its present perception. It is also argues that contemporary art is influenced by different cultures. Quotation(s): The author in page 9 contents the definition of contemporary especially in its use on culturally informed design. However, the contradiction is reconciled in page 10 when the author recognizes the fact that contemporary is defined based on the present perception. It is fluid. It is argued, “...contemporary art is commonly understood from its present perception, a move that has denied many the opportunity to understand art as it evolves”Author: Pan A. Critical Position: The position of the author is that the Chinese jewellery business has greatly expanded to attract many investors from other markets. Title: China Gem and Jewellery Market Overview: Selling Jewellery in China Publisher/Publications: Zeefer Consulting Date: 2008 Chapter/Article heading: Selling Jewellery in China Subject/Key points (include page numbers): Selling jewellery in China has been an industry that has developed to transform business in china. Chinese jewellery art has become a significant force in the international jewellery industry due to the expansion of these markets. The author explains, “...China gem and jewellery market has evolved from a regional business into a popular international culture due to the unique design and materials adopted to Chinese culture” Quotation(s): Pan Andrew gives a unique perspective on the economic value of Chinese gems particularly Jade. Jade has been the symbol of Chinese jewellery. The book in pages 100 to 120 brings out the sentimental value of the jewellery adopted from its design and materials. Author: Alfred C. and Speed W. Critical Position: The main argument is that the motives of early artists in China were to keep culture through expanding on Chinese symbolism in art. Title: Outlines of Chinese Symbolism and Art Motives (Dover Fine Art, History of Art) Publisher/Publications: Arnoldsche Date: 1941 Chapter/Article heading: An Alphabetical Compendium of Antique Legends and Beliefs, as Reflected in the Manners and Customs of the Chinese, Courier Corporation Subject: The main subject of this work is developing a better understanding of the Chinese ancient culture and its influences on jewellery. In Pg. 24, the authors acknowledge that Chinese ancient culture is the inscribed symbol and unique force influencing modern ancient China jewellery. Quotation(s): The study borrows a lot on the meaning and symbolism of the artwork on Chinese jewellery. The book travels back to ancient China and identifies the meaning of inscribed images on jewellery. In page 24 the book lists the inscribed symbol and its respective meaning in ancient China. Author: Rana Mitter Critical Position: the author’s position is that early jewellery practices in China continue to shape the current modern Chin art. Title: Modern China: A very short introduction Publisher/Publications: Oxford University Press Date: 2008 Chapter/Article heading: A very short introduction Subject/Key points (include page numbers): Chinese culture has grown through various regimes. The main argument of this study is that the good foundation by early jewellery practices in China continues to shape the current modern Chin art. Quotation(s): This book takes us through the journey of the Chinese culture. It takes a discourse on how it has grown through various regimes. It brings out the early jewellery practices in China, its suppression by the communist, and its resurface in the contemporary world. “...the communist background of China suppression could not manage to suppress the passion of ancient artists to develop unique Chinese culture” Author: Terese T. Critical Position: Chinese Art has been sustained by increased use of art of symbolism by artists over the years. Title: Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art: Asian Art Museum Publisher/Publications: Zeefer Consulting Date: 2012 Chapter/Article heading: Asian Art Museum Subject/Key points (include page numbers): Art symbolism is a major factor that shapes Chinese art and will shape the future Chinese art. Quotation(s): This book is instrumental in giving the meaning of the symbolism that are found in the rings and their roles in the society. It gives comprehensive interpretation of the artwork on the jewellery. Author: T Hsu; A Lucas; Z Qiu; M Li; Q Yu Critical Position: Chinese Gem and Jewellery industry has developed due to the consistency of the artist in creating new contemporary art forms that are appealing to modern culture. Title: Chinese Gem and Jewellery Industr Publisher/Publications: Gems And Gemology Date: 2012 Chapter/Article heading: Asian Art Museum Subject/Key points: Chinese culture has evolved. Artists in China are more focused on developing new contemporary art forms that influence modern culture. Quotation(s): This book is instrumental in giving the meaning of artists role in the Chinese society. “...Chinese artists in China have taken on new discourses on representation of new art forms in the modern society” Author: Li M. Critical Position: sustained innovation has been the major driver in the growth of Chinese jewellery for hundreds of years. Title: Chinese jewellery industry Publisher/Publications: Crowell Date: 2013 Chapter/Article heading: jewellery industry in Chinese history Subject/Key points: China has received international recognition for its efforts in improving on jewellery art due to its consistency in taking on new innovations on art. Quotation(s): This book is instrumental in explaining the current developments in Chinese jewellery art. “..Chinese jewellery art has consistently developed due to the positive curve on the innovations adopted by Chinese artists” Author: Translated by Oliver Moore Critical Position: Title: Traditional LIfe in China: Ruling Publisher/Publications: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/r/ruling-in-china/ Date: 1759 Chapter/Article heading: Ruling Subject/Key points (include page numbers): pg.1 Quotation(s): This article show the hierarchy of in the old Chinese history, colours in whether clothing and jewellery were both showing a person’s status. For example, golden clothes must only be display and worn by the emperor of China, the King. Status symbols were a important fact in old China’s history. Useful Illustrations and other references (If have): Author: Judith Hart Burling; Arthur Hart Burling Critical Position: Chinese art in jewellery and other areas has expanded. Title: Chinese art Publisher/Publications: Crowell Press. Date: 2003 Chapter/Article heading: Growth in Chinese art Subject/Key points: The book gives comprehensive interpretation of the artwork on the jewellery in China. Quotation(s): This book explains that artwork in China has expanded influencing social values. Consistent growth in this industry has been a positive selling point for China. Author: Hui Y. And Jin, H. Critical Position: jewellery industry in China has expanded providing bigger markets for investors on culture and jewellery products. Title: Development status and prospect of jewellery industry in China Publisher/Publications: DBpia Press. Date: 2012 Chapter/Article heading: Asian Art Museum Subject/Key points: Chinese economy is developing rapidly in this 21st century, a move that is supported by culture consumption in Chinese emerging market. Quotation(s): “Chinese economy has been marketized with the scale of its economy reaching 12.3% of world economy in 2013, a trend caused by investment on culture development” Author: Jana S Rošker Critical Position: Chinese culture has been modernized through the consistent efforts made by Chinese artist to fit into modern changes. Title: Introduction: Modernisation of Chinese culture: continuity and change Publisher/Publications: Modernisation of Chinese culture Press. Date: 2012 Chapter/Article heading: Modernisation of Chinese culture Subject/Key points: China art has been flexible top change allowing Chinese artwork to fit into the contemporary world setting. Quotation(s): Chinese culture has transformed over time. The author writes, “Through consistent efforts by Chinese artists, China has been well placed to keep and sell its cultural ideologies to the world” Author: Tao Hsu, Andrew Lucas, Zhili Qiu, Mu Li, Qingyuan Yu Critical Position: Title: Exploring the Chinese Gem and Jewellery Industry Publisher/Publications: http://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/spring-2014-lucas-chinese-gem-industry Date: 2014 Chapter/Article heading: Subject/Key points (include page numbers): pg.1 The article shows the history of China’s jewellery were mainly using gold and silver, where jewellery made from these materials were meant to make for the royal families. In this case gold and silver became a symbol of rich and royal in the past. With the development and Quotation(s): Historical Perspective. Jewellery has a well-established history in China, where gold and silver have been used for decorative purposes for at least 3,000 years. Based on archaeological evidence, the Chinese began using jade even earlier, during the New Stone Age (Zhang, 2006).     Author: Ben Marks Critical Position: Title: Unraveling the Ancient Riddles of Chinese Jewellery Publisher/Publications: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/unraveling-the-ancient-riddles-of-chinese-jewellery/ Date: 2012 Chapter/Article heading: Subject/Key points (include page numbers): pg.1 This articles show an insight of symbols in the jewelleriy designs. For example the catfish symbolize a happy marriage and kingfishers are associated with longevity. It is important to consider the colours and the symbolized animals before trying to create a new design of a Chinese jewellery, where these could resulted an un matching symbols and colours. Quotation(s): Understanding the iconography on Chinese jade jewellery helps explain why these pieces are so prized. It’s not just the satisfaction that comes from solving the puzzle—for the record, the catfish symbolize a happy marriage, kingfishers are associated with longevity, and the lotus stands for harmony. Rather, the symbols on Chinese jewellery reveal the often single-minded traditions that have guided Chinese civilization for thousands of years, and continue to this day.   Read More