南京出土明代宝石玉器来源考 ; A study into the origins of jade and gemstones of Ming Dynasty excavated in Nanjing

As the capital of the early Ming Dynasty, a large number of high-grade items composed of jade and gemstones were excavated in this area. By collecting and categorizing relevant archaeological records, the current study suggests that those items are mainly composed of jade plate and jade sets. Texture of jade diversifies by different kinds. Moreover, other objects made of jade and gold were unearthed, among which gems believed from other countries were also found. As universally acknowledged, Early Ming Dynasty witnessed a series of major historical events that influenced gravely on the China's foreign exchanges at that time, such as Zheng He's expedition to the Western Ocean, the establishment of tributary system. In this sense, Early Ming Dynasty was at its peak time of making foreign exchanges through both Land and Maritime Silkroad. Following the historical background, the current study looked into different origins of jade and gemstones of diversified textures that were excavated in Nanjing. By doing so, we tried to explore the history of Nanjing as the center of early Ming Dynasty for cultural exchange with East Asia and even the rest of the world. ; 中谷伸生教授古稀記念号