In the Han Dynasty , jade craft developed further on the basis of the jade craft in the Warring States Period . The basic setup of he Chinese jade culture was established . In the Han Dynasy , jade articles might be divided into four categories : etiquette jade , burial jade , ornamental jade and exhibition jade . The burial jade and he exhibition jade were the most artistic . The burial jade included the jade garment, the nine-aperture jade plugs ,the mouth jade and the holding jade . The jade garments were sewn respectively with gold threads ,silver threads and copper threads , depending upon the status of the deceased . The nine-aperture jade plugs were used to cover the nine human apertures (ears , eyes , mouth , nostrils , anus and genital) for the purpose of stopping the “spirit” from getting out and preventing the corpse from rotting . The exhibition jade articles were mostly sculptures and reliefs , showing the bold Han artistic style . Recently , a large number of ornamental jade articles were unearthed from the Han tombs in the southern Yue Kingdom in modern Guangdong province . Of these , the dragon-tiger jade belt hook and the linked jade rings with chased dragon and phoenix patterns were most refined , and were rare national treasures .
The jade articles in the Tang dynasty unearthed were not many but were all refined art works with excellent draftsmanship . The Tang jade craftsmen drew artistic nourishment from painting , sculpture and art of the Western 
Region , and made jade articles characterized with thriving Tan style . The practical ornamental jade articles were predominant among the jade articles in Song , Liao and Jin Dynasties . Their purpose was more for amusement than for etiquette . A typical jade article of the Yuan Dynasty was the Dushan Jade Bowl , shaped like a sea animal in a surging sea , showing the bold style of the Mongolians .
The Ming and Qing Dynasties were the heyday of Chinese jade craft with respect to quality of material , craftsmanship , variety and quantity . The scope of the uses of jade articles was unprecedented . The imperial families of the two dynasties , loved jade very much . Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty spared no effort to advocate using jade and o find theoretical reasons for it . The jade bowls of the Ming Dynasty unearthed from the Ding Mausoleum , and the chrysanthemum-petal jade trays and the jade carving depicting some maids in the shade of a parasol of the Qing Dynasty , were all royal jades . At the same time , jade shops did a brisk business . Jizhu Lane is Suzhou of Jiangsu province was the center of the jade craft in the Ming Dynasty , as stated in a saying , “Superb jades were gathered in the capital / But ingenious jade craftsmen gathered in Suzhou.”
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In the two dynasties , many tea cups and wine sups were made of jade . Thee appeared many jade articles , such 
as jade stoves , incense burners , vases , tripods , food containers , etc ., imitating the ancient bronze sacrificial vessels . Although they resembled the ancient bronze vessels in appearance , yet their patterns and styles belonged to the craftsmen in the Ming and Qing Dynasties . Jades were in wide use by scholars in their studies : jade stationery and jade decorations were both fashionable . Borrowing from painting , sculpture and other arts , and assimilating the technique of intaglio , relief , hollowing , chasing , tinting , and burning , the jade craft attained the highest level .
With the care and ingenuity of the jade craftsmen and the advocating for emperors , officials and scholars , after a very long period f continuous development , jade articles are thought to have a supernatural power . They are omnipotent and omnipresent , a spiritual necessity in the life of the Chinese . Chinese jades also have a unique place in the culture of the world , splendid and charming forever
