Carved jade

Japanese: 彫玉 - ちょうぎょく

This refers to gems and precious stones decorated with intaglio (intaglio) and cameo (relief) carving techniques. Its origins lie in the carving of the owner's mark to clarify the ownership of the gem or precious stone, and is thought to have originated in southern Mesopotamia in the second half of the 4th millennium BC. Later, as techniques developed, it became possible to express complex shapes and letters. It became possible to process not only soft stones such as steatite but also precious stones, and in ancient Western Asia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, it developed to the level of an artistic craft.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

陰刻(インタリオintaglio)，陽刻(カメオ)の彫技によって装飾を加えられた宝石･貴石を指す。起源は宝石･貴石の帰属を明らかにすべく所有者の目印を刻んだことにあり，前4千年紀後半の南メソポタミアに発すると考えられる。その後，技法の発達に伴い，複雑な形像や文字も表現しうるようになる。凍石(ステアタイト)のような軟石だけでなく貴石などの加工も可能となり，古代西アジア，エジプト，ギリシア，ローマにおいて，工芸美術の水準にまで発達した。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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