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These incredibly slow changes over forty centuries have finally made it possible to produce a very intricate piece in a relatively short period of time. There are many jade connoisseurs, however, who will argue that the older carvings, done before all the changes, were really better. The hand-rubbed, meticulously cut old jades do have a smoother surface and fewer visible cutting errors, such as rough edges and irregular fine lines. It has been said that in ancient times there were no poor jade carvings. The work was so difficult and proceeded so slowly that there was more time to think about the product and very little chance of making a faulty cut which might require alteration of the carving plan. One glance at a present-day Hong Kong jade shop reveals the decline in the high art of jade carving brought about by rapid mass production with diamond jewelry abrasive and power machinery.
Whatever the methods and materials used by Chinese carvers, their purpose was clear. Jade had become to them the most suitable material in which to give artistic expression to the philosophy which was the primary driving-force of their culture—and still is to a high degree. Taoism was a conception of the Universe as the result of an original cause called Tao. Development of an extensive Tao philosophy and mystique resulted eventually in a simple, nature-centered religion which worshiped the Sun, the Earth, stars, Heaven, North, South, East, West, etc. Although the objects of religious adoration were relatively few and easily understood, some of the related symbolism became so complex that its meaning is now lost and its expression in carvings as related to the basic philosophy is obscure.