The materiality of Japanese jadeite through the ages

Due to its special characteristics, jade always has been valued worldwide. Although little-known outside Japan, arguably no mineral has played as influential a role in rock-loving Japanese culture as jadeite (hisui). This paper deals with the materiality of this jadeite; drawing on archaeological, historical and ethnographic data, it aims to illustrate how the social value, symbolism and usage of jadeite changed over time in tandem with transformative socio-cultural developments, and how jadeite still plays an important role in Japanese culture and identity today. Prehistoric hunter-gatherers discovered its source area 6000 years ago in a remote area along the Japan Sea Coast, learning to transform this hard material into tools and objects. Its use slowly shifted, from communal amulets imbued with magical powers to increasingly important status markers. Curved “magatama” beads during the state formation period (AD 3rd to 7th C) circulated in elite-controlled exchange networks spanning Japan and Korea, found almost exclusively in royal mounded tomb burials. The importance of jadeite during this period is reflected in Shinto mythology. After the introduction of Buddhism in the 8th century, jadeite curved beads were donated to decorate sacred statues at Buddhist temples. Knowledge of the original source area was lost; scholars assumed that jadeite originated from China. Farmers handed over accidental finds to temples as divine relics from the Age of the Gods, while wealthy 18th and 19th century collectors valued jadeite beads as collectible antiquities. In the mid-20th century, archaeologists rediscovered the jadeite source area (now protected as Itoigawa UNESCO Global Geopark), turning this impoverished rural area into a popular tourist destination. Jadeite rock outcrops and unworked pebbles now have also become valued in their own right. Moreover, the concept of jadeite-as-sacred-material still plays a significant role in popular culture. Author: Dr Bausch, Ilona - University of Tokyo (Presenting author)