Ancient Chinese Hongshan Jade Fish: Rebirth into Carp Dragon & w/Translation

Description

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
Artifacts, Antiques & Fine Collect
i
bles
Neolithic Chinese Carp Amulet: A Man’s
Reincarnation
into a Dragon
Ritual Transformation/Rebirth of a Man into a Carp Dragon
Over 20+ Ancient Pictographic Characters
English Translation Provided
Hongshan Culture
c.
4,700 BC—2,250 BC
“The Sons and Grandsons Emphatically Announce to Their Ancestors
the Rebirth of Their Father/Grandfather as an Omnipotent Carp Dragon”
~Translated by W.D. Houghton, Ancient Civilizations
NOTE:
William D. Houghton, the President of ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
, a State of Washington Licensed Business,
assumes all responsibility for the information contained in this description and for the English translation and transcription of the ancient Chinese graphic characters.
Furthermore, I prohibit the further dissemination of this information in any written, video, or electronic format without my expressed, written approval.
Thank You!
SUMMARY
Item:
Neolithic Chinese Fish Amulet with Dragons
Material:
Nephrite jade, translucent celadon green.
Pictographs:
20+ incised, pecked, and painted pictographic characters.
Chinese Dynasty:
Hongshan Culture. The Hongshan culture was a Neolithic culture in the Liao river basin in northeast China. Hongshan sites have been found in an area stretching from Inner Mongolia to Liaoning, and dated from about 4700 to 2250 BC. The culture is named after
Hongshanshou
, a site in Hongshan District, Chifeng.
Est. Date:
3,500 BC
Approximate Measurements:
·
Length:
5.63” (143mm)
·
Width:
.68” (17mm)
·
Height:
1.42” (36mm)
·
Weight:
4.2 oz. (120gr)
"The carp has leaped through the dragon's gate."
~An old Chinese proverb (
lǐ yú tiào lóng mén
鲤
鱼
跳
龙
门
)
Condition:
Very good museum quality with correct jade patina.
Some of the mineral deposits and micro-crystalline jade white jade in the cut lines has been professional removed by the previous owner in China. Although not normally recommended, this conservation does expose the beauty of the Dragon statue and allows us to transcribe and translate some of the small, pictographic symbols/characters that are some of the earliest written language ever used in Neolithic China some 5,500-years-ago.
Further antiquity evidence includes diffusive markings and calcification and a wide variety of characters that could only be found on authentic and original Neolithic Chinese ritual jades.
Provenance/History:
Formerly in a private family collection in China for nearly 65 years.
This amulet has never been exhibited anywhere in the world or has the symbolic meaning revealed and some of the 20+ pictographic characters translated until it was acquired by this author.
The statue is now part of a private collection in the State of Washington.
“A Dragon can be unseen or visible, minute or huge,
long or short.  However, always it is great.”
—Shuo Wen (c. 100 AD)
This jade Carp amulet is over 5,500-years-old and dates to the Hongshan Culture (4,700 BC—2,250 BC) in China.
It contains the written documentation in ancient pictographs of the transformation/ reincarnation of a man into an omnipotent Carp Dragon. The Hongshan Culture Emperor was thought to be the embodiment of the
Son of the Supreme God of Heaven,
Shang Di
, who was an omnipotent Dragon.
This small, 5.63” long fish statue of a carp contains an inscription of an estimated 20+ pictographic characters incised, percussively pecked, and painted onto the carp’s body—especially on his dorsal fin area. This large number of characters on a Neolithic piece of jade is unique, as most early jade artifacts have no characters or perhaps just 2-3.
The incised pictographs range in size from about 4mm to
less than 1mm
, and are best viewed under 4x or 10x magnification!
Utterly AMAZING
!!
These tiny characters were not meant to be read by human eyes, but rather only suitable for the sacred eyes of the gods and ancestors.
I have translated into English the larger ones and those that I can see clearly enough.
{See my detailed translation below.}
“The Sons and Grandsons Emphatically Announce to Their Ancestors
the Rebirth of Their Father/Grandfather as an Omnipotent Carp Dragon”
DETAILS
This Neolithic Chinese stone statue in the shape of the sacred, omnipotent Dragon Carp is approximately 5,000-years-old and dates to the Hongshan Culture.
Historically, the Chinese dragon was associated with the Emperor of China, who claimed to be the Son of the Supreme God in Heaven
Shang Di
.
For millennia, Chinese Emperors
used the image of a Dragon as a symbol to represent their power and only the Emperor could use this image—others would be put to death immediately.
There is a dedication of approximately 20+ tiny characters pecked, incised, and even painted on this small amulet.
Some tiny characters were painted inside the suspension hole on the Dragon, as they were not meant to be read by human eyes, but rather only suitable for the sacred eyes of the gods and ancestors.
I have translated into English the larger ones and those that I can see clearly enough.
{See my detailed translation below.}
Inside and on the surface of each of the jade cut lines on the carp statue there are tiny, white, micro-crystalline jade crystals that can only form on carved jade that has been buried in damp soil for millennia.
These tiny white crystals are very delicate and can be destroyed even with an edge of a fingernail.
It is imperative that extreme care be taken so as not to destroy these crystals any further, as they are the definitive proof that a piece of jade dates to the Neolithic era of China.
The image of a Dragon was considered so precious that only the Sons of
Shang Di
—the Emperors and Warlords who ruled Neolithic China—were allowed to use the image.
Anyone else who used or tried to use the image of a Dragon, especially a five-clawed one, would be immediately sentenced to death.
Translation of Pictographic Characters
NOTE:
William D. Houghton, the President of ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
, a State of Washington Licensed Business,
assumes all responsibility for the information contained in this description and for the English translation and transcription of the ancient Chinese graphic characters.
Furthermore, I prohibit the further dissemination of this information in any written, video, or electronic format without my expressed, written approval.
Thank You!
As noted above, this unique Carp Dragon statue contains an estimated 20+ ancient, Chinese pictographic characters that have been incised, pecked, and even painted onto the amulet.
The characters were normally written to document sacrifices and prayers to the Ancestors, and to plead that they accept the soul of the departed into Heaven (
Tian
) for eternal life.
In this case, however, they also state the reincarnation or rebirth of a man into a Carp Dragon.
We know that this amulet was made in the mid-Hongshan Culture (4700 BC—2250 BC) because of the characters on this amulet, as this Neolithic culture used this type of character/word (also called graphics) from 3,800 BC until about 3,000 BC.
This style of writing called “Oracle Bone” and was used before the next type of Chinese characters were used to form a written language that we now call
Shuowen Jiezi
and then Seal Script or
Ku’wen
.
{Ref:
Chinese Characters
, Wieger, S.J., pg. 366.}
These amazing graphics can best be seen under 5x—10x magnification, but even then I cannot see all of them clearly enough to decipher and translate them.
Millennia of mineral deposits, natural pitting, fading of the ink, and weathering have made it difficult for me to clearly see the tiny figures—some less than 2mm tall, and the largest is only 15mm long.
This artwork is truly spectacular and of museum quality. Here are just a few of the characters that are engraved in the ancient pictographic script over 5,000-years-ago:
·
The Carp amulet itself represents a powerful Carp Dragon
.
·
One of the largest characters at the top dorsal fin area of the Carp is that of a painted black, Carp Dragon as he approaches Heaven (
Tian
) that is symbolized by the suspension hole, that is classified as a “bi-conical hole.”
You can see his long, extended whiskers.
{See highlighted photo # 3.}
·
“
Wang
” a king or prince. Looks like the letter “
I
”.
·
“
Huang
” a mouth on top of man or to speak strongly or emphatically. Could also be “
Yueh
” that means “good words that dispel grief and rejoice the bearer” or “to speak & to rejoice.”
·
Animal sacrifices, this time by the Sons and young Grandsons, who are pictured as frog-like creatures with 4 legs that are between the legs of their fathers.
·
Several characters of “Man” or “
Jen
.”
One of a man with his legs bent as he “steps forward” or in “reincarnated.” {see photo # 4}
·
Tiny images pecked inside both the carp’s eyes and on his eyebrow. Left eye has the character that looks like the letter “
U
” and is the ancient Chinese character “
Kou
” for “Mouth” or “To Speak”—
see Blue highlighted square in photo # 9.
The right eye also has a single character, but it is unidentifiable.
{see photo # 10.}
·
And over an estimated 15+ other graphics/characters.
Here is my rough and expanded translation of the many pictographic characters and symbols contained on the jade carp that I can see clearly enough to translate.
My apologies in advance for any errors that are solely those of this author:
“The Sons and Grandsons Emphatically Announce to Their Ancestors
the Rebirth of Their Father/Grandfather as an Omnipotent Carp Dragon”
In ancient times, inscriptions, and dedications to honor the deceased were oftentimes inscribed in places that only the Ancestors and Gods could see, or made so small that only the Ancestors could read them.
It was believed that mere mortals were not worthy to read inscriptions meant only for the eyes of departed Ancestors in Heaven (
Tian
).
The pendant has a suspension hole on the very top of the amulet.
Archaeologists classify these holes as “double-bevel holes,” which were one of the common types of holes made by the Hongshan Culture.
It was necessary to drill from both sides with a hollow, bamboo tube that would be dipped into abrasive and then rotated rapidly against the stone to affect a ring-form type of hole, leaving the solid core intact.
Therefore, the meeting place of the two borings is not true to a single, straight channel and a curved remnant ridge that is not ground or polished-out remains at the common junction.
The center core was often snapped off by tapping or pushing the center core to one side and thus completing the long hole.
{See macro photos #  7 & 11.}
Then entire pendant is defined by precise incision lines and plain modeling that was common in Neolithic jade amulets.
It presents a powerful image of protection in the afterlife and one meant only for the upper social
class
or the royal family.
Dragon Symbolism in China
In China, the Dragon (in Chinese “
Long
”) has for millennia been the symbol of the Emperor, the Son of Heaven, eternity, Yang and Yin, as well as for male vigor and fertility.
The Dragon is considered as one of the 12 Ornaments and one of the most comp00lex and multi-tiered Chinese symbols. The Chinese dragon can fiercely protect one from Evil Spirits and harm.
The nine major characteristics of a lung-type dragon include a camel-like head, deer-like horns, hare-like eyes, bull-like ears, an iguana-like neck, a frog-like belly, carp-like scales, tiger-like paws and eagle-like claws.
This bronze dragon has a pair of large canine teeth and long, tendril-like whiskers extending from either side of its mouth that were thought to be used for feeling its way along the bottom of muddy ponds.
In China, the dragon is credited with having great powers that allowed it to make rain and control floods by striking the river with its mighty tail, for example.
Dragons are also revered for their ability to transport humans to the celestial realms after death.
They are symbols of the natural world, adaptability, and transformation to immortal status. When two dragons are placed together in opposite directions, they symbolize eternity, i.e., the famous Yin-Yang symbol.
Chinese emperors literally thought they were the real dragons and Sons of Heaven. Thus, the beds they slept on are called "dragon beds;" the throne, a "dragon seat;" and the emperor's ceremonial dresses are known as "dragon robes."
In the minds of the early Chinese people, the dragon was a god that embodied the will and ideals of the Chinese people. It is said that the dragon is a large-scaled reptile, which can become dark or bright, large or small, long or short, and fly into the sky in the spring and live underwater in the fall.
It seems that the dragon is capable of doing almost anything.
Traditionally, the dragons were considered the governors of rainfalls in Chinese culture. They had the power to decide where and when it would rain. They also believed kings of water dragons lived in dragon palaces under the ocean. The Chinese sign for the dragon appeared during the Yin and Shang dynasties (16th-11th century BC -- the period of the earliest Chinese hieroglyphs), between inscriptions on bones and turtle shields. The inscriptions depicted a horned reptile, with teeth, scales and sometimes even claws.
In ancient China, nobody had any doubt about the existence of dragons. People showed great respect for any depictions of dragons -- in paintings, carvings and writings. As a result, the dragon became the symbol of the Chinese nation. All people in China, including the emperor, prostrated themselves before the image of a dragon with reverence and awe. As a result, this fictional creature became the spiritual sustenance for the nation first as the totem of a tribe and then as the symbol of the nation. Eventually, the dragon became the symbol on the national flag of the last feudal dynasty, the Qing Dynasty. The Chinese people considered themselves the descendants of the dragon.
As the emblem of the emperor and imperial command, the legend of the Chinese dragon permeates the ancient Chinese civilization and has shaped its culture. Its benevolence signifies greatness, goodness and blessings.
DETAILS OF “THE DRAGON’S GATE”
{Courtesy of WIKIPEDIA}
On the Yellow River in China’s Hunan Province, there is a waterfall called the Dragon Gate. It is said that if certain carp can climb the cataract they will transform into fish dragons—like the two shown here.
Every year in the third month of spring, they swim up from the sea and gather in vast numbers in the pool at the foot of the falls cascading from a legendary mountain.
Many carp swim upstream against the river’s strong current, but legend said that only 71 could make the climb in any year and were capable or brave enough for the final leap over the waterfall.
If a carp successfully makes the jump, it was transformed into a powerful dragon—called a Fish Dragon, which is easy to spot in depictions of them by their fined tails and fish scales.
There is even a fish called the “Dragon Fish” that is highly prized in modern China since about 1980.
The rare and endangered fish is actually called an
arowana
and they are so prized today that a normally
arowana
can cost USD ,000—,000 in China and one extraordinary albino example reportedly sold in 2009 for a record US 0,000 to a prominent Chinese Communist Party official!
Only a Japanese 10-year-old koi fish has sold for more money at US 1.8 Million!!
The red and gold
arowana
came to symbolize luck, prosperity, and wealth in several Asian countries.
The Chinese dragon has long been an auspicious symbol of great and benevolent, magical power.
The image of a carp jumping over Dragon’s Gate is an old and enduring Chinese cultural symbol for courage, perseverance, and accomplishment.
Historically, the dragon was the exclusive symbol of the emperor of China and the five-character proverb,
Lǐ Yú Tiào Lóng Mén
("
The carp has leaped through the dragon's gate.
") was originally used as a metaphor for
a person’s success in passing the exceedingly difficult imperial examinations, required for entry into imperial administrative service.
Many candidates would take the grueling exams, but only a very few would pass it and become part of the emperor’s administration.
Please examine the macro photos carefully as they are part of the description.
The stand is not part of the auction, just included to give you a better perspective.
And please ask any questions before you buy.
International Buyers are responsible for all import duties, import taxes, shipping charges and insurance costs.
International Returns are
NOT
accepted.
Note:
Please ask any questions you may have before you bid!  Thanks for Looking!