The Excellence

Has actress Chen Duling (陈都灵) made a mistake with her jade pendant? In the costume drama The Excellence (翘楚), her character wears an extremely long strand of jade ornaments. Is it meant to be a necklace or a waist decoration? This question from viewers points to a fascinating detail in historical attire: the Jade Group Pendant. Far more than mere decoration, these elaborate assemblages of carved jade pieces served as a walking symbol of power, status, and ritual propriety in ancient Chinese courts. Their placement—around the neck or at the waist—was not arbitrary but evolved through dynasties, reflecting changes in fashion, function, and social hierarchy. The controversy around a modern interpretation opens a window into the complex language of jade in antiquity. Necklace to Waistpiece The earliest forms of the Jade Group Pendant, dating to the Shang and early Zhou dynasties, were indeed worn around the neck. These were significant, multi-component ornaments. However, from the Eastern Zhou period onward, the primary location shifted to the waist. As other forms of lighter, more delicate necklaces developed, the larger, more complex assemblages became predominantly waist pendants. This historical shift means that many modern attempts at historical costume restoration, which place substantial group…