 Jade became a favorite material for the crafting of Chinese writing materials, such as rests for calligraphy brushes, as well as the mouthpieces of some opium pipes, due to the belief that breathing through jade would bestow longevity upon smokers who used such a pipe.The Qing dynasty was the final dynasty to gain political power within China, beginning in 1644 until 1911.Emperor Shengzu, who was also known as the Kangxi Emperor, ruled between circa 1662 until 1722.