Two badgers. Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period (1736–1795), 5.2 x 5.1 x 1.7 cm; Museum Rietberg, Zürich; Reinhard J. C. Hoeppli Collection; deposit of the Swiss Confederation, Federal Office of Culture, Berne, acc. no. H 111. Photograph © Felix Streuli

Zurich - Softly translucent with a matte luster, silky smooth to the touch yet harder than steel, created by nature and crafted by man – no other material was as beloved in China as jade. The exhibition Forever Jade is a hymn to the Chinese art of jade. It presents around 130 jade miniatures from the collection of the Museum. The skillfully designed objects – most of them only a few centimeters in size – are masterworks of craftsmanship. Their delicacy and richness in detail are enhanced by large-scale photography by the renowned Zurich photographer Felix Streuli. His outstanding works unveil the spirit of the jade objects, reveal minute details, and are works of art in themselves.

In China, the name jade primarily refers to nephrite. This fascinating stone occurs in subtle shades ranging from milky white to pink and green to almost black. Its hardness and toughness pose the greatest challenges to the artisans. Nevertheless, it has been worked
since the Neolithic times.

Bird with bamboo and lychee. Qing Dynasty, 18th or 19th century, 6.9 x 2.9 x 4.0 cm; Museum Rietberg, Zürich; Reinhard J. C. Hoeppli Collection; deposit of the Swiss Confederation, Federal Office of Culture, Berne, acc. no. H 123. Photograph © Felix Streuli

From early on, jade was credited with having magical powers. As a talisman, it afforded protection against evil and demons, as a medicine it promoted health, and as a funerary object it granted immortality. At the same time, jade objects lent their owners status and prestige. 

In the tenth century, ancient jade objects began to be studied and collected as evidence of an idealized past. Before long, possessing an exquisite collection of antiquities was de rigueur among members of the educated elite. To satisfy the growing demand, jade workshops began imitating pieces in the “old style.” They also created new forms that were enthusiastically received in well-to-do circles.

Reclining horse. Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), 3.4 × 5.4 × 4.0 cm; Museum Rietberg, Zürich; Reinhard J. C. Hoeppli Collection; deposit of the Swiss Confederation, Federal Office of Culture, Berne, acc. no. H 35. Photograph © Felix Streuli

The passion for jade collecting reached its zenith in the eighteenth century, as did jade production. By then it was no longer a preserve of the elite: the aspiring middle class had also fallen in love with the material and begun collecting whatever jade objects they could afford. Stylistically, they tended to prefer playful, naturalistic scenes. This led to the production of large numbers of figurines and miniatures of mythical creatures, animals, flowers, and even fruits and vegetables, all of which have a symbolic but widely understood meaning. They wish their owners happiness, health, and a long life, a prosperous family with children in abundance, a swift rise to high office, harmony in marriage, and much more besides.

The fascination for jade was impossible to resist for the Swiss medical doctor and zoologist Reinhard J.C. Hoeppli (1893–1973). From 1929 to 1952 he lectured in parasitology at Beijing’s Union Medical College, and during that time he acquired a collection of over 200 jade objects, most of which probably came from the Chinese capital’s pulsating art and antiques markets. His great love was for intricately worked figurines measuring just a few centimeters across. A head of cabbage displaying delicately curled leaves, two lion cubs at play with a tiny loose ball, a spindly praying mantis awaiting her prey on a bamboo shoot – such naturalistic objects must have warmed his scientist’s heart. When Hoeppli left Beijing, he bequeathed his jades to the Swiss Confederation, and since 1960, his collection is in custody of the Museum Rietberg.

Ornamental plaque with a pair of phoenixes. Tang Dynasty (618–907), 7.8 × 16.1 × 0.6 cm; Museum Rietberg, Zürich; Gift of Charlotte Holliger-Hasler, acc. no. RCH 884. Photograph © Felix Streuli

Another one to be smitten with Chinese jade miniatures is the Zurich photographer Felix Streuli. In 2019, he was looking for art objects that would fire his imagination. The little jade pieces with their minute details, the translucent material itself, and the subtle sheen of its surfaces posed exactly the kind of challenge he had been seeking. His fascinating photographs have brought these objects to life. Whether it is the intense stare of a prowling beast, the luxuriant shoots of a lotus, the gentle posture of a resting buffalo, or the ethereal transparency of a perfectly formed bowl – under Felix Streuli’s artistic gaze, these tiny objects unfold a hitherto unseen presence, inviting us to contemplate them more closely.

Buddha’s hand citron. Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), 6.9 x 4.3 x 3.5 cm; Museum Rietberg, Zürich; Reinhard J. C. Hoeppli Collection; deposit of the Swiss Confederation, Federal Office of Culture, Berne, acc. no. H 537. Photograph © Felix Streuli

Confucius on Jade

The wise men of old found all the most excellent qualities united in jade:

Warm, soft, and shiny, it stands for humanity;
Fine, dense, and resilient, it stands for intellect;
Angular and incisive but not sharp, it stands for righteousness;
As a necklace or belt bowing down to the ground, it stands for etiquette;
With a sound that is clear, sonorous, and soon gone, it stands for music;
With a luster that neither conceals nor is concealed by imperfection, it stands for loyalty;
With inner properties that are visible from without, it stands for faithfulness;
With a radiance that resembles the splendor of a rainbow, it stands for Heaven;
As the embodied inner forces of mountains and rivers, it stands for Earth;
As ritual objects of special significance at audiences, it stands for virtue;
As there is no one on earth who does not value jade, it epitomizes the way of perfection.

from the Book of Rites

Spider and two dragonflies. Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period (1736–1795), 2.2 x 3.9 x 2.6 cm; Museum Rietberg, Zürich; Reinhard J. C. Hoeppli Collection; deposit of the Swiss Confederation, Federal Office of Culture, Berne, acc. no. H 95. Photograph © Felix Streuli

Jade as Medicine

The English word “jade” comes from the Spanish term piedra de ijada, “stone of the flank”, which is what Spaniards called the material ground and carved by the peoples of Mesoamerica. The sixteenth-century conquistadors were less interested in its cultural
importance than in its medicinal properties. In Mexico the stone was used as a cure for colic (“pain in the flank”) and for kidney pain.

Physicians in ancient China prescribed flakes of jade as a tonic and prophylactic. The body, it was believed, would absorb jade’s many positive properties. In Chinese folklore, jade jewelry also served as an omen. Lustrous, translucent jade promised good fortune while dull, cloudy jade portended disaster.

26/08/2022 − 22/01/2023