In the collection of the National Palace Museum, two of the most famous works on display are “Jadeite Cabbage” and “Meat-shaped Stone,” which is why these two are often exhibited together for visitors to appreciate.
Jadeite Cabbage 翠玉白菜
Jadeite | Guangxu Reign (r. 1875-1908), Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) | Dimensions – H:18.7cm, W: 9.1cm, Thickness: 5.07cm | National Palace Museum Collection 玉｜清 光绪（公元1875年-1908年在位）｜高18.7公分，宽9.1公分，厚度达到5.07公分｜國立故宮博物院藏
This carving of a napa cabbage in jadeite is the most popular piece in the collection of the National Palace Museum. The craftsman followed the natural colours of the jadeite to turn the green part into the leafy area and the white one into the stems.
Despite the cracks and impurities in the white part, they were skillfully adapted by the craftsman and turned into a freshly cut stalk. Also at the top of the leaves are a katydid 蝈蝈 and locust 蝗虫, which instantaneously turn this vegetable into a lively rustic scene. These insects were selected for their reproductive capability, signifying abundance in offsprings.
This piece originally was part of a beautiful potted decoration at the Qing court, a wedding gift for Consort Jin 瑾妃 from Emperor Guangxu. The jadeite was placed upright in an enamelled planter and at the bottom accompanied by a wood carving of spirit fungus 灵芝. The precious jadeite and spirit fungus as a symbol of longevity and auspiciousness, combined with the colourful cloisonné enamel ware, make the jadeite cabbage appear eternally fresh!
There are other jadeite cabbages from the Qing palace, two others are with National Palace Museum in Taipei, one (right) in The Palace Museum in Beijing, and one (left) in Tianjin Museum.
The last set was really interesting – Jadeite cabbage-shaped flower holder 翠玉白菜花插; this is not a standalone sculpture but a vase secured on a panel or screen to hold a stalk of flower.
Meat-Shaped Stone 清 肉形石
Jadeite | Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) | Dimensions – L:7.9cm, H: 6.6cm | National Palace Museum Collection 玉｜清（公元1644年-1911年）｜長7.9公分 通高6.6公分｜國立故宮博物院藏
Displayed together with bokchoy is a piece of pork belly, just like the perfect match of braised pork belly with bokchoy in real life. What looks tantalisingly similar to a tender piece of mouth-watering braised pork belly is actually a hard mineral known as banded jasper. This mineral naturally appears with layers that, in this case, can suggest those of fat and meat in a piece of pork.
The craftsman utilised this feature to stain the layers from top to bottom with darker to lighter shades of brown, respectively, giving the effect of fatty meat stewed in soy sauce. Even more remarkable is that he created many dimples on the upper surface to mimic the hair follicles of pork skin, making this tough mineral look even more like a tender piece of stewed Dongpo pork just scooped from the pot, the tender surface having a gelatinous quality.
The visual features here perfectly convey the colour of braised pork and can even elicit its aroma and taste in the viewer’s mind, not only preserving the essence of Chinese culinary tradition but also recalling fond memories of this dish. To help you with this image, this was an excellent example I tasted many years ago, the flavour and presentation lingered in my memories all these time.
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
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