In a mesmerizing AI-driven vignette, New Zealand’s Hei Tiki pendants encounter a jade dancer from China’s Western Han Dynasty (202 BC–AD 8), bringing two millennia-old traditions face to face.
The dancer, draped in a flowing digital robe with one sleeve arched like a question and the other sweeping like an answer, seems to pivot between past and present. Her animated form captures the spiritual grace that jade once conferred on emperors and sages in the Chinese mainland.
Thousands of miles away, Hei Tiki pendants carved from pounamu (New Zealand greenstone) have embodied Māori mana (status) and identity for generations. These heirlooms link families, communities and the land in stories of resilience and belonging.
Jade in the Chinese mainland, too, carries deep resonance: a symbol of harmony between heaven and earth, used in rituals and personal adornment for over 4,000 years. Its journey from riverbeds to imperial workshops echoes the way pounamu is ethically sourced and carved today.
When these jade spirits converge across the Pacific, they spark fresh dialogue on cultural heritage, sustainable sourcing and the power of digital art to bridge worlds. For globally minded young audiences, this fusion is a reminder that innovation and tradition can dance together, ushering ancient wisdom into a connected future.
Reference(s):
Echoes of jade: New Zealand's Hei Tiki cheers for China's jade dancer
cgtn.com
