Carving out a symbol of virtue

Jade-carving master Dong Wenzhong, who played a major role in producing these four pieces, told China Daily shortly after their completion in December 1989 that chain carving was the most challenging part of this basket.

They had to be extremely careful to avoid flaws in the jadeite; and once the chain broke, they could never repair it — using adhesives to fix broken jade is considered dishonest by jade carvers, he said.

The leftover materials after carving out the hollow basket were turned into a dozen flowers — peony, chrysanthemum, Chinese rose, plum blossom, and magnolia, among others — and put back into the basket, interwoven and well-balanced.

Nine dark green dragons writhing in the sea of apple-green and opal white clouds, powerful and unrestrained, are depicted on a relief screen that is only 1.8 cm thick, their claws, horns and beards vividly detailed.

This fourth piece is made of the best-quality jadeite among these "national treasures", whose materials stem from one raw stone, Yang says.

Before carving, the artisans cut this lustrous material piece into four slabs and assembled them into this unprecedented large jadeite screen that is 146 cm wide and 74 cm tall.

The long, yellowish-brown impurities of the jadeite are cleverly hidden, integrated into the image of the jet of water a dragon spits out and lightning released by another hitting the clouds with its claws.