The design of the medal for the Winter Olympics refers to the jade bib with concentric circles unearthed from the Tomb of the King of Nanyue
2021-10-29 10:45:48Source: Guangzhou Daily
On the evening of October 26, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics medal “Concentric” was released. The medal body is composed of a circle and a center. The image is derived from the ancient Chinese jade bii with concentric circles. It expresses the Chinese cultural connotation of “Heaven and Earth, and the Heart of the People”. It also symbolizes the Olympic spirit that unites people together.
The number of jade bibs unearthed from the Tomb of the Nanyue King is D54
According to the published information, the design team referred to the jade bib with concentric circles unearthed from the Tomb of the King of Nanyue as the visual source of decorative patterns for the 2022 Winter Olympics medals.
A total of 71 jade bibs were unearthed from the tomb of the Nanyue King discovered in 1983. The famous archaeologist Mr. Huang Zhanyue once commented: “Understanding the jade bii of the tomb of the Nanyue King, we also have a basic understanding of the jade bii of the Western Han Dynasty.”
By Bu Songzhu, All Media Reporter, Guangzhou Daily Photo/Provided by Nanyue King Museum Correspondent: Huang Qiaohao
10 jade bibs on the jade suit of the owner of the tomb of the Nanyue King
A total of 71 jade bibs unearthed from the tomb of the King of Nanyue
An expert from the Nanyue King Museum said that the jade bibs unearthed from the Nanyue King’s tomb can be divided into plain jade bibs, zonal jade bibs, carved jade bibs, and outgoing jade bibs. The “concentric circle jade bi” referred to in the Winter Olympics medals is the three-region jade bi in the zoning jade bi. As the name suggests, this jade wall surface is divided into three areas by three concentric circles. A total of 5 pieces were unearthed in the tomb, which is extremely rare in the Han tombs of the same period.
The official archaeological number D54 as an important creative source of the medal is made of sapphire, dark green, and comes from the coffin head box of the main coffin room of the tomb. Three groups of dragon patterns are inscribed in the inner area of the wall, the middle area is decorated with swirls, and the outer area is six groups of dragon patterns. It has an outer diameter of 28.1 cm, an inner diameter of 5.2 cm, and a thickness of 0.6-0.8 cm, with some unpolished edges.
The three-zone jade bibs unearthed from the Tomb of the King of Nanyue are generally larger in shape, mostly over 20 cm in diameter. Among them, the jade bii numbered D49 has a diameter of 33.4 cm, which is the largest known jade bii of the Han Dynasty.
The 71 jade bibs in the tomb of the King of Nanyue are divided into 6 rooms. The carving techniques and patterns of these jade bibs basically cover the published jade bibs of the Han Dynasty, and the unearthed location is clear and the combination relationship is clear. The jade pendant of the martyred group in the front room includes 3 jade bibs; the jade pendant of the martyred group in the east ear room includes 1 jade bib; 6 jade bibs were found in the west ear room, and another 5 glazed glass bibs were unearthed in the main coffin room. There are 49 jade pieces, including 1 jade garment on the left eye, 10 pieces on the body of the jade garment, 5 pieces on the underside of the jade garment, 14 pieces on the inside of the jade garment, and 3 pieces on the right side of the inner coffin opposite to the 3 pieces on the left side. , 7 pieces are stacked on the lacquer box with pearls in the head box, 2 large jade pieces are placed under the 149 pieces of pottery bii in the foot box, 1 openwork chain bib under the jade shoe cover, and 4 large jade pieces around the coffin. In addition, there are 2 jade bibs in the jade pendant of the owner of the tomb; the east side room is the place where the lady was buried. A total of seven groups of jade pendants, including 12 jade bibs, were found in the east side room; 1 jade bib was found in the west side room.
From the perspective of carving techniques, the jade walls unearthed from the tombs of the Nanyue Kings and the Mancheng Han tombs can be divided into two main categories: one is the traditional round jade walls with a round hole in the middle, and the two sides of the wall are carved or bas-relief. One type is the out-of-line jade bi, this type of jade bi is open-carved or engraved on the bi-face, and the inner hole or outer edge is open-carved and attached.
At present, many physical objects including D49 can be seen in the showcases in the Tombs of the Nanyue King Museum, while the D54 jade bi is on display in the “Haiyuyoutong” exhibition at the National Museum of Beijing.
The number of jade bibs unearthed from the tomb of the King of Nanyue is D49
There is a large-scale jade carving workshop in the Nanyue Palace
Jade bi is a kind of jade that originated earlier and lasted longer among the jade rituals. In the pre-Qin period, the jade bii was mainly used as a ritual tool for sacrifices. In the Western Han Dynasty, the jade bii was widely used as a funerary jade in the tombs of princes and kings. Huang Zhanyue pointed out that “the ancients believed that the dragon could ascend into the sky, could deepen the abyss, and change endlessly.” According to legend, Feng is the messenger of the Emperor of Heaven, and it is believed that with the guidance of the Phoenix, he can reach the heavenly court smoothly. The carving of dragon or phoenix patterns on the jade bii was probably the originality of the people during the Warring States Period, and it was continued later.
Li Minyong, director of the Nanyue King Museum, said that in addition to the unearthed jade bibs from the tomb of the king, a large number of jade products were also unearthed, such as jade pendants with dragon and phoenix patterns and heavy rings, many of which have unique styles.
There are more than 240 pieces of jade unearthed from the tomb of the King of Nanyue. Except for jade clothes, they are all practical objects, ceremonial jade, accessories and handicrafts. According to research, at least part of the jade bii was carved in the palace. The “Book of Han” records that Zhao Tuo once presented “a pair of white bii” to the Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. This shows that there was a large-scale jade carving workshop in the Nanyue Palace at that time. The jade carvers of Nanyue were probably the soldiers and descendants of the Qin army who had the skills of jade carving in the south. They retained the traditional jade carving styles of the Central Plains and Chu. After coming to Lingnan, they absorbed the local culture and made some of their own creations, forming a unique style with the convergence of the three cultures of Han, Chu, and Vietnam.
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