Forever Jade: Chinese Jade Miniatures from Four Millennia

Objects from the Museum Reitberg in Zurich’s exquisite jade collection, superbly photographed by Felix Streuli.

Luminous, with a silken glow and soft to the touch, yet harder than steel, created by nature and shaped by the human hand: no other material has been more highly valued in China for millennia than jade. Since humanity’s earliest days, magical properties have been attributed to it. As a burial gift, it confers immortality and is said to improve health when given as medicine, and as a talisman, it bestows good fortune and protection. It is hardly surprising that jade objects became sought-after collectibles as early as the tenth century.

Zurich’s Museum Rietberg is home to an exquisite collection of Chinese jade objects spanning four millennia. In striking images, Zurich-based photographer Felix Streuli brings them to life. The images reveal the most intricate details and make these works of art almost tangible to the viewer. This book features around sixty of Streuli’s outstanding photographs, supplemented with concise texts on the objects and an introduction to the history of Chinese jade. This richly designed book is interspersed with short stories and poems revolving around the mythical gemstone and also includes reflection on the photographer’s gaze.

Alexandra von Przychowski is a scholar of art history and sinology and curator of Chinese art at the Museum Rietberg in Zurich.