Jade Mountain Da Yu Taming the River
The Jade Mountain Da Yu Taming The River, carved during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1796) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and kept in the Forbidden City in Beijing, is the biggest jade article in China and one of the biggest in the world.
The jade mountain is 224cm in height, 96cm in width and 5,000kg in weight. The jade looks gray, and is a three-dimensional sculpture. It is not only the most costly and time-consuming jade carving work but also a jade article with the finest carving and the most splendid verve in China.
Craftsmen carved the jade into a vivid picture of Da Yu Taming The River. There are hills, flowing springs, flying falls, ancient trees and green pines spread all round. On the mountain, mysterious caves can be found all over the dangerous and steep precipices and cliffs. The workers, gathering in crowds and groups, are cutting mountains. Some of them are holding the bouquet; some are scooping out the grit; some are using simple lever machines to pry up stones and drive piles into the earth, the whole scene is burning with ardor.
This huge jade sculpture took the craftsmen ten years to carve, and it was not until 1788 was it finished completely. It took hundreds of thousands person-times, and more than one million taels of silver to finish this masterpiece. It is the crystal of intelligence and strength and a matchless treasure of art.
