Jade Vase

A gift to Joseph Stalin by the state delegation of the People’s Republic
of China, headed by Minister Foreign Affairs of PRC, Zhou Enlai, 1952

Jade vase on a wooden stand, decorated with fretwork:
a unique gift to the Leader of the Soviet Union.
A fine 19th century artwork from the era of the Chinese Qing dynasty.

Please note the superb craftsmanship of the gift.
The vase itself and the exquisite parts of it with side-hanging
rings are all made out of a jade monolith! Through the centuries
of crafting this semi-precious stone, the Chinese masters achieved
a high level of perfection in stone cutting. Apart from that,jade is as
hard as steel. Isn’t it the best material for the gift to the Soviet
leader, whose party name, Stalin, originates from the word “steel?”

Jade: “the Chinese national stone”

Jade was used back in the 3rd century B.C.

to make the famous Imperial seal of China,

which was handed over from dynasty

to dynasty.

Jade

At times jade was valued in China above gold and silver

as it was considered that this “stone of life” brought prosperity.

This is why the old Chinese saying goes:

“Gold has a price,

but jade is priceless.”

Interesting coincidence:

It is most curious that in the Chinese writing, the hieroglyphs,

jade, imperial jade

which are used to write the words “emperor” and “jade”

are similar. This fact was enough to determine that jade

was not only valued as a precious stone, but was also

a known symbol of authority and power.

Emperor