A masterpiece of the Ming dynasty, this white jade armrest was used to cushion the arms of scholars as they practiced Chinese classical painting and calligraphy.
Chinese characters are written from right to left, top to bottom. As the authors of old wrote or painted with brush pens, the ink dried slowly, so they used the armrest to prevent their arms and hands from touching the wet paper. While most armrests were made from bamboo or wood, fastidious writers would use jade for its cool, soft and comfortable qualities.
The armrest pictured here is in the shape of a bamboo section, with a painting of bamboo on the surface. In Chinese tradition, the bamboo is endowed with gentlemanly qualities, which blend well with the jade's five virtues of benevolence, justice, wisdom, courage, and fidelity to make the masterpiece even more priceless.
Most of the precious jade in ancient China came from the two provinces of Sinkiang and Yunan, and was mainly excavated from jade mines in mountains or river beds. The latter source is considered the most ideal, since the jade is polished naturally by the action of the water.
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