Zhai Xiang
@ZhaiXiang5
Stanfordian, Cornell'11 Scholar on China-US Relations Member of China's National Cultural Relics Society
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Continuing the story of the jade artifacts unearthed from the tomb of a Guo State ruler, located by the Yellow River bank and dating back 2,700 years. In the upper left is a delicately carved little elephant, charming in its posture. Judging by the craftsmanship, it dates back 3,000 years to the Shang dynasty, likely a war trophy preserved by the Zhou after their conquest of Shang. The upper right shows a jade deer - it might remind you of a Christmas reindeer. Where there is an adult deer, there is also a fawn. The lower left features a small, adorable jade carving of a young deer. In the lower right is a cormorant, captured in jade with a sense of fluid motion. Think about the moments when, 2,700 years ago, the Guo ruler gently touched this little elephant, and gazed upon that young deer. Today, under the soft lights of the exhibition hall, we meet them once again. Silent for millennia, they still speak to us - of civilization, belief, and beauty.
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