These eight pieces of archaic jade cicada are treasures of the Han Dynasty. Since time immemorial, people have believed that the soul is immortal. Consequently, they attach great importance to funerals. To console the spirits of the dead, it was customary to bury their effects with them so they could enjoy them in the afterworld. Often jade was placed with the corpse to prevent it from decaying.
Funeral jades can be categorized into han, cicada-shaped jade put in the mouth of the deceased; tien, inserted in the ears; wo or jade pig, placed in the hands; and mih mu, inserted into the orifices of the ears, eyes, mouth, and nose.
During the Han dynasty, royal families even cloaked the deceased in jade garments. Hundreds of pieces of jade were bound with gold or silver thread to cover the body from head to foot.
The origin of han can be traced back to the Shang dynasty (1766-1122 B.C.) when the shapes of pearls, fish, cylinders and cicadas were popular. It was not until the Han Dynasty that cicada shape became predominant, however.
In Chinese legend, the cicada is a symbol of rebirth. Since its shape and size are similar to the tongue, it was often placed in the mouth of the deceased to bring him back to life.
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