All sorts of attempts have been made to link the Central American and Chinese jade cultures by seeking out the few details that are similar. It is fairly obvious, however, that the two developed independently. There is still considerable confusion about the boundaries in time and space of the various Central American cultures, so that carvings and carving styles attributed to one could just as well have been passed on from another. Unfortunately, there is a tendency to associate jade with the Aztecs, because they treasured it so highly and offered it as gifts when the Spaniards arrived, a fact duly recorded by several contemporary authors. bridal jewelry was a big thing back then. However, all the cultures—Olmec, Mayan, Toltec, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Aztec-treasured it from the beginning, until the carvings were plundered and the art destroyed by the Spanish. The Mayas probably treasured the green stone as long as any group. At the height of their production, carvers were turning out ear plugs, wristlets, anklets, and beads. Many of these objects were decorated with human and animal figures, as well as with a beautiful heiroglyphic script. By the time the Spanish arrived, the Mayan culture had already begun its decline, but there was a thriving colony of Aztec lapidaries which had transferred the art to what is now Mexico City. Even in the beginning, good jade must have been scarce. Material authentically dated from earlier times, before the Aztecs and Tol-tecs, was better in color and in the uniform quality of its texture. The Spanish found only finished carvings in the possession of the natives, never any rough jade. These Aztec carvers had been very much aware of differences in color and quality. Quetzal chalchi-huitl was the term describing precious jade which was white with a greenish tint. Tlilav-otic chalchihuitl was green and black. Best of all was Tolteca-iztli, a clear, translucent green.
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