Bamboo ornament

Green pure hetian jade with a warm surface was used to form this pendant shaped like a section of bamboo root sliced in half, so that it is convex on the front face and concave at the back. Two horizontal joints indicate the root section; bamboo leaves are scattered on the left side and the top; a bat grasps the right top corner; and a fungus head (ruyi) sits at the center of the front face. The reverse side emphasizes the joints with two raised lines.

The design represents the phrase "longevity and happiness forever": the word for bat (fu) is a homophone for happiness, and the fungus is a symbol of immortality.

The design of this piece suggests carvings of bamboo that had spread from Jiading to all of the country and influenced other crafts. Among the more ingenious works of Jiading artisans were sliced bamboo armrests and plaques. The front face of these works was always polished and carved with decorations; the reverse was often left natural, revealing the raised joints. Many master artisans who practiced bamboo, wood, and jade carving experimented on jade with designs created for bamboo, and soon bamboo joints became beloved elements in jade. The Qing imperial household and intellectuals of that era particularly collected jade pendants and armrests in sliced bamboo forms (Zgyqqj 1991, vol. 6, plates 303–4).