Date: Southern Song dynasty (AD 1127-1279)

Dimensions: 6.7 x 2.6 x 3.6 cm

Unearthed in 1974 from the Southern Song tomb of Shi Shengzu and his second wife

Quzhou Museum

The Hetian jade paperweight was carved into the shape of a crouching hare, with front paws tucking under the chest and ears gathered behind. Incisions in the belly and the legs highlight the texture of the hare’s fur. It has round sparkling eyes; its split upper lip and whiskers are finely delineated by thin grooved lines, as if it is chewing.

Shi Shengzu (1191-1274) was a native of Meishan during the Southern Song dynasty. He had devoted his life to public service until he had to move to Quzhou to seek shelter from war in his later years. He was a pursuer of Neo-Confucianism and author of many books. Thirty-eight precious pieces of relics made of gold, silver, jade, porcelain and bronze were excavated from his tomb with his second wife. These relics not only demonstrate the excellent craftsmanship and the fine taste of people at that time, but also constitute a microcosm of the main stream culture led by the distinct social class of scholar-officials.