Yupei

is composed of the Chinese character which literally means 'jade' and which means 'pendant'. While the term 'jade' typically refer to nephrite and jadeite in scholarly literature, the character in China can also be applied to other forms of precious stones and materials, such as agate, serpentine, soapstone, marble, tremolite, and hornblende The True jade () in China is actually nephrite, which has been used and prized for millennia. Jadeite became popular in jewellery making due to its bright green colour. == Design and construction ==

Yupei could be stringed together to make an ensemble of jade pendants (which would hold at the belt and could also be composed of chains of .), and/or could be carved in the shapes of diverse objects (such as gourds) appeared as early as the Liangzhu Neolithic culture (c. 3000 BC) in Zhenjiang and Jiangsu provinces. Jinbu (禁步) , Western Zhou Ensemble of jade pendants and/or jade strings which were combined with other precious materials (such as silver or gold accessories) were called jinbu; jinbu were a type of (waist accessories) which were typically worn by women to press down their clothing. Jinbu appeared thousands of years ago and were initially only worn by nobles, but with time, it was gradually adopted by all women regardless of their social ranks. The jinbu also used to be an indicator of elegance and etiquette in ancient times: if the behavior of its wearer is discourteous (i.e. walking too fast), the jinbu would sound loud and thus, the jinbu would remind the wearer to mind his manners and elegance; on the other hand, if its wearer behave appropriately, the jinbu would sound melodic and pleasant. This is also explained in the chapter in the Liji: == History ==

Ancient In the pre-Qin period, unearthed jade pendants were found to be carved in human and anthropomorphic figures and/or combination of human and animals design (e.g. human faces, White jade, Hotan jade in particular, was well-liked in the Western Zhou; however, strict regulations on the use of jades, based on their qualities and colours, were established. Wearing yupei ensemble also served to: (1) remind its wearer to walk in an orderly manner which would eventually make gentlemen develop an elegant and regular walking pattern over the years despite being constrained by the jade pendants, and (2) remind the gentlemen to behave according to the decorum which is based on the sound of the jade tinkles when they walk. File:组玉佩SPIA.jpg|Ensemble of , Tang dynasty. Qing dynasty In Qing, it was popular for women to wear green, translucent jade jewelries; pendants which were carved in the shape of a curving dragon was popular. File:Qing Jade Pendant (10126846995).jpg File:Qing Jade Pendant 02.jpg|Jade pendant, Qing dynasty File:Pendant Plaque with the Scholars Lin Bu and Mi Fei LACMA M.2001.179.7 (1 of 2).jpg|Jade plaque pendant File:Qing Jade Pendants.jpg File:清 翡翠雲龍紋佩-Pendant with dragon MET 184068.jpg|Yupei carved with dragons, Qing dynasty, 20th century. File:清中期 玉團壽紋佩-Pendant MET 32935.jpg|Yupei, Qing dynasty, 18th–19th century == Gallery ==

File:Ming Jade Pendant.jpg|Ming Jade pendant File:I-Ch'ing (Ba Gua & Yin-Yang symbol) Chinese jade pendant amulet, Oude Pekela (2018) 06.jpg|Yupei with bagua and yin and yang symbol, 2018 == Similar items ==

• Yajin - Chinese accessories which hungs on clothing lapels at the chest area • Shibazi - An 18-beads bracelet, which can be hang on Chinese clothing lapels at the chest area • Yaopei • Norigae - A Korean clothing accessory == See also ==