Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1922-10-06

there seems little reason to doubt the
existence of the mineral along the
whole Of the Kuenlun range. Much
difficulty is experienced in tracing the
veins, owing to the shifting sands.
A huge dixie Of nephrite, one form
of jade, embedded In the rocky banks
Of the Raskemdaria, on the eastern
slope of the Pamir, was another source
from which the Chinese formerly drew
large supplies. They extracted it by
lighting large fires on the rock and
then throwing water on 1t when 1t be-
came thoroughly heated. The rock
was abandoned some years ago in con-
sequence, 1t is said, of the illness of
a member of the imperial family, who
was taken sick after having slept on
bed made of Raskem nephrite. A
large block of the stone which was
then on its way to Picking was put In
chains and thrown on the roadside at
Kutchal 1t was from this ridge on
the Raskemdaria that was taken what
is probably the largest piece of
wrought jade in the world-the mono
lithic tombstone of Tamerlane. This
famous tomb of darkest-green jade
stands in half-ruined mosque at
Samarkand, and Is 7 feet 8 inches
long, IL inches wide, IA inches high,
and weighs about 1900 pounds. 1t is
broken through the middle, but Is well
polished, completely covered with in
scriptions, and rests on a white marble
base.
The Chinese use the utmost care in
carving jade. The workman, having
determined from the natural form OF
the block and It's visible and probable
flaws, into what object he will carve
it, fixes 1t on a lathe and gives 1t the
general outline. The interior is then
followed out by first drilling, with
damond-pointed needles, innumerable
little holes all over the surface which
Is to be broken away. When this Is
completely honeycombed the parti-
lions are broken down by being sharp
ly tapped with hammer. Too hard
tap might develop come hidden flaw
and shatter the half-finishec object.
The piece is finally polished with CO.
rundum. The harder the stone and the
more difficult the cutting the more
brilliant the polish 1t Is capable Of
acquiring. 1t Is claimed the jade Is
softer when freshly taken from the
quarries. So great Is the difficulty OF
carving jade that an elaborate piece
may represent llfetimes labor. In
Kienlung's ateliers, In the summer
palace at Picking, the workmen sue.
ceeded each other without Interrupt
ton night and day. Even then many
years were occupied in completing a
single piece.
Put to Many Uses.
The uses to which Jade has been put
by the Chinese are almost endless.
Discs of the stone, which when struck
give forth clear, resonant note, are
used as temple gongs and musical In
struments. Ritual vessels are made OF
1t. Tablets inscribed with sacred writ
ings, bowls and vases Of fantastic form
and intricate design, statuettes OF
Buddha, perfect alike m conception and
execution, candelabra, boxes, pencil
| holders and all the paraphernalia OF
the writing table, as well as buckles,
bracelets, rings, hooks, buttons and
other ornaments are all wrought with
| untiring patience and matchle=s skill
from the same intractable material.
AS a material for artistic workman
ship Jade was known in India only
from the time of the Moguls, who en-
couraged its employment unstintingly.
| The arts of carving in frost-like open
work and Of inlaying, which found
/ such perfect expression in the TAI
Mahal, were lavished In miniature on
jade cups, beetle-boxes. sword and
dagger hits, and turban ornaments,
for which there was an unfailing de-
Imand at court.
Many specimens of jade work as
we'll as of the unwrought stone have
been purchased In China; but some OF
the best Western collections owe much
indirectly to the looting of the Pekin
palaces by Europeanssoldiers In 1861
and again in 1900 and 1901.
!