The Art ofAbrasion Starting around 6000 BC,people living in what is now central China began to manufacture ritual objects out of jade. Remarkable about these early pieces is the difficulty of working on jade,which cannot be cleaved like other stones,but must be shaped by the process of abrasion.Strictly speaking,jade cannot be“carved. Early pieces of jade were placed in graves alongside the dead and used as plugs in various bodily orifices,as jade's hardness was believed to confer immortality on the wearer.For the same reason,and for its semi-transparency,jade has been attributed the quality of moral virtue.and this is one reason why Chinese 这些早期制品的显著之处在于玉的加工十分困难-玉不能象其它石头 那样被分割，必须经过打磨过程才能出形. also imparts his or her personal virtue upon the jade.To the Chinese,jade is much more than a hard,cold stone.In fact,one test of authenticity is that jade should have a slightly oily touch.The Art of Abrasion Starting around 6000 BC, people living in what is now central China began to manufacture ritual objects out of jade. Remarkable about these early pieces is the difficulty of working on jade, which cannot be cleaved like other stones, but must be shaped by the process of abrasion. Strictly speaking, jade cannot be“carved”. Early pieces of jade were placed in graves alongside the dead and used as plugs in various bodily orifices, as jade’s hardness was believed to confer immortality on the wearer. For the same reason, and for its semi-transparency, jade has been attributed the quality of moral virtue, and this is one reason why Chinese people today still treasure jade and wear it close to their persons. As jade confers virtue upon the wearer, the wearer also imparts his or her personal virtue upon the jade. To the Chinese, jade is much more than a hard, cold stone. In fact, one test of authenticity is that jade should have a slightly oily touch. 这些早期制品的显著之处在于玉的加工十分困难----玉不能象其它石头 那样被分割,必须经过打磨过程才能出形