Jade
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Glasgow Museums has a collection of jade that dates from the Bronze Age to the Qing dynasty (AD 1644-1911). This includes approximately 146 items in the Burrell Collection. In Chinese tradition, jade is a symbol of nobility and glory; it represents the gentleness and mercy of human nature, and is regarded as an important material. Many of the objects had a ritual or ceremonial function, for example, Bi 璧 Cong 琮 and various amulets; while some others were for decorative or domestic use, such as the pendants and ewers. The finest piece of jade in the collection is the ‘Champion’ vase dating from the 13th to 14th century AD. This beautifully crafted vessel is formed of two hollow cylinders linked on one side by an eagle with outspread wings standing on top of a bear. The name 'champion' vase is a pun on the word ying 鷹 for ‘eagle’ and xiong 熊 for ‘bear’, which put together in Chinese sounds like ‘hero’ 英雄.
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