Myanmar-born artist Soofeen Hu (inset) donated two jade art works to the Palace Museum. Photos: Sun Aimin
China is renowned as the cradle of jade culture, with art carved from the precious stone a major attraction for admirers of its beauty. "People go to Louvre to see the Mona Lisa and I hope one day people will come to the Forbidden City to see jade art works," said Soofeen Hu. The Myanmar-born artist of Chinese descent donated two jade sculptures titled Harmony in Perpetuum and The Sweetest Dew to the Palace Museum on Tuesday in the hopes of allowing more people to appreciate the sculptures.

Hu founded the Museum of Jade Art in Taipei in August 2009. It stands out among museums around the world for specializing in jade works. The museum represents one artist's quest to bring modern sensibility to the making of jadeite art. At the same time, it also embodies Hu's desire to share his passion for the stone, prized by many as the "king of jades."

Harmony in Perpetuum depicts two orchids sprouting from a single rope knot. It was carved by Hu from a rare and valuable piece of jadeite with rich purple and green hues. The Sweetest Dew shows a lotus in autumn and is comprised entirely of empty cells in an ultimate display of craftsmanship.

It is the first time the Palace Museum has accepted pieces of contemporary jadeite art into its collection. Not only full of artistic merit, the sculptures' arrival marks the centenary of the Xinhai Revolution that led to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in 1911.

Jewel of Chinese art

Hu has visited museums all over the world and spoken with art critics at length. He disagrees with the view that jade lacks the elegance of other precious stones or metals. In Chinese culture, jade is considered a symbol of life, wealth, authority, power and beauty.

Jade is tightly woven into the fabric of Chinese history and culture. The Chinese say that while gold is valuable, beautiful jade is priceless. In jade culture, art works are often appraised on four key standards: the quality of the jade itself, its coloring, the inherent interest of the shape and the quality of the workmanship.

"In Europe, all kinds of materials are used in art, such as bronze, marble, stainless steel, even plastic. Jade is conspicuous in its absence, mainly because it is exclusive to Chinese art," said Hu.

Priceless prestige

When asked about the prices of his art works, Hu offered a wry smile before saying it was "immeasurable."

A lot of the things on the market these days are quite gauche, in contrast to Hu's refined works. Jade is an expensive material for an artist to work with. For Harmony in Perpetuum, Hu pared down the original block of jadeite weighing about 20 kilograms into a piece weighing less than half a kilogram. It took immense focus and persistence to complete the sculpture over three years.

"Selling original blocks of jadeite seems to be easier and more profitable," Hu said. "I invest time into creating art works because it's worthwhile, not because I can sell them for a good price."