Nine tales about Chinese jade

A jade bi-disk with characters for "Eternal Happiness" carved in openwork from the Eastern Han (25-220),  housed in the Palace Museum. [Photo/dpm.org.cn]

He Shi Bi

He Shi Bi is a piece of jade stone found in the State of Chu during the Zhou Dynasty by a man named Bian He. He recognized the value of the jade and offered it to King Li. The King had his jeweler examine it who said it was mere stone and the king punished He by having his left foot cut off. Years later He offered the stone to King Wu, successor of the throne, but had his right foot cut off for the same reason. He held his jade stone and cried for three days and three nights, accusing the king of mistaking an honest man for a liar. Hearing this, the new King Wen had his jeweler cut open the stone and a large pure jade was revealed. King Wen named the jade He Shi in honor of Bian He’s integrity.

Bi is a carved jade ornament shaped like a disc with a hole in its center, they have been found placed with dead bodies in tombs.