Agate is a kind of gem with uncertain shape, which usually has many colors such as red, black, yellow, green, blue, purple and gray. , usually with layered and circular stripes of different colors, similar to tree rings.
Blue, purple and green agates are relatively high-grade and rare, also known as "chalcedony". Agate is a bed of crystals, and many crystals grow on agate ore, which is also an ancient gem similar to crystals.
Legend has it that owning agate can strengthen love and adjust the feelings between yourself and your lover. This statement comes from the legend of the origin of Tencel agate in northern China:
According to legend, there was a young woman named Yu Mei in Baozhuyingzi, Fuxin, Liaoning Province, who was beautiful, kind, intelligent and hardworking. After she married her husband Tian Long, the couple respected and loved each other and had deep feelings. Unexpectedly, the paranoid and stubborn Tianmu was upset with her and found fault with her, threatening Tian Long to divorce her.
Tian Long was forced by her mother, but she had to persuade Yu Mei to leave her family for a while and then try to take her home in the future. When they parted, they vowed never to lose each other. Tian Long vowed to pick him up later. Who knows that after Yu Mei returned to her mother's house, her flattering brother forced her to remarry with the official's son and held the wedding on the same day.
Tian Long hurried to take Yu Mei away, but when he arrived at Yu Mei's house, Yu Mei had jumped into the wide river in front of the sedan chair. Tianlong jumped up with sadness. Both of them died of double suicide, and their bodies sank deep into the river. The aquatic plants in the river surround them and are moved by their eternal love, wrapping their bodies and gathering the essence of heaven and earth.
After thousands of years, their bodies are integrated with aquatic plants and become extremely hard aquatic agate stones, which are crystal clear and unique as natural green ribbons and dreamlike.
Later, when the river dried up, this jade was discovered. In order to commemorate their firm love, it was named "Tencel Agate", which means that it will be entangled in life like a ribbon in the sky and never give up.
Agate has a long history and is one of the earliest gem materials used by human beings. Agate has been decorated by people since ancient times because of its beautiful stripes. In ancient China, agate beads were very common, mostly necklaces.
For example, agate cups and agate beads were found in primitive cultural sites such as Yangying, Beiyin, Nanjing. Among a large number of agate beads, one is made to ward off evil spirits, with a length of 1.7 cm.
In addition, agate beads were also found in Qijia Cultural Site in Dahezhuang, Yongjing, Gansu, Chunqiu Tomb in Dadian, Junan, Shandong, and Jin Dong Tomb in Xiangshan, Nanjing, Jiangsu.
Agate producing areas in China are also widely distributed, almost in all provinces. Famous producing areas are: Yunnan, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Hebei, Xinjiang, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia and other provinces.
For example, two agates from the Spring and Autumn Period were found in the Eastern Zhou Tomb at Langjiazhuang 1 in Linzi, Shandong Province. This agate is milky white and translucent. The two pieces are the same shape, 8.5cm long and1.5cm wide. Slender as a dragon. Head sticking out a corner. The bent body has a pointed tail, and a hole is drilled in the middle of the body for wearing.
The agate patterns with the same shape as these two pieces are composed of six groups, and the stringing method can be divided into two types, one of which is composed of ring patterns, which is similar to that found in Jinqing Zhao Tomb in Jinsheng Village, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. They are all in pairs, located between bones, legs, feet, or coffins under their feet.
Therefore, it is speculated that this kind of jewelry may be double-row under the ring, but there seems to be no customized quantity and connection method when it is matched with the ring. Therefore, it is judged that these two agates are artifacts in the late Spring and Autumn Period.
There are two ancient tombs in Yimen Village, the southern suburb of Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, and some agates have been found. A set of agate string ornaments, consisting of 108 agate and two jadeites, are stacked together, and the wearing objects are rotten. The original string ornaments are not completely clear. Agate has bamboo tube, waist drum tube, bead tube, dome tube and so on.
Most of them are deep red and a few are light red. Polished surface, natural color, crystal clear, individual transparent or translucent.
Among them, a dark red agate has a round flat bottom and a conical top. Four white rays are painted from the vertex, each with a small white spot, and the white pigment particles are very fine. Two pieces of jade and agate are in a pile, round and white, with some defects. There are holes on it, and it is also decorated with hook-shaped variation animal facial lines, feathered fine lines and so on.
During the Warring States period, precious agate shells were found, two of which were 9.5 cm and 6 cm in diameter respectively. They are ring-shaped, with bright texture, regular processing and smooth grinding. The surface of the ring is chamfered, and the edge is flat and thin, and it is thicker near the hole. The inner and outer edges of the ring are ground by chamfering.
There are many records about agate in China ancient books. In the history books before the Han Dynasty, agate was also called "Qiongyu" or "Chiyu". Guangya has the saying that "agate stone is second to jade" and "jade is the first jade".
For example, the agate sword found in Shuanglong Han Tomb in Haizhou, Jiangsu Province is 7 cm long and 2.4 cm wide. Agate is translucent, and the natural red texture is skillfully carved into a raised mound on the surface of the object, which is exquisite in workmanship and colorful.
An agate ball of Han Dynasty was also found in Luoyang, Henan Province. The diameter of the ball is 3.3 cm, the color is tea red, the glass is shiny, the surface is aging, and there is a weathered texture like "cooked pig liver". Judging from the age, soaking, leather shell and workmanship, it should be from the Han Dynasty.
Feather cup has always been a drinking utensil from the Warring States to the Han Dynasty. The agate feather cup of the Han Dynasty, which was found in Shaanxi, has the dragon pattern of Yun Chi on it, which is the most typical decoration in the middle of the Han Dynasty. It symbolizes the mythical scene of animals playing and entertaining in the Heavenly Palace.
Cao Pi, the Wei Wendi, wrote the poem "Agate Happiness": "Agate belongs to the jade genus, and it is out of the Western Regions, and its arts and sciences are intertwined, like agate, so its people are named after it." Since agate is not spit out from the horse's mouth, how is it formed? Wang Jinjia's "Notes on the Collection"? Gao Xin gave a bizarre answer:
"said: agate, the word is the blood of evil spirits, condensed into this thing. In the past, the Yellow Emperor, in addition to Chiyou and fierce people from all directions, also had various demons and spells, which poured blood into the valley and gathered bones like mountains. After a few years, blood clots are like stones, white bones are like ashes, and frost flows into springs. "
He also said, "The land of Danqiu is full of ghost blood. If it is turned into Dan stone, it will be agate." The record of the so-called "agate, which is transformed from ghost blood" in the era of the Yellow Emperor added a strange color to agate.
Chen Zangqi, a writer in the Tang Dynasty, wrote Notes on Materia Medica and said, "Red and rotten, like agate." Perhaps it is precisely because this gem looks like a horse's brain that some Hu people say that agate is spit out from the horse's mouth. For example, "Materia Medica" records: "Hu people say that horses spit."
The word agate may come from Buddhist scriptures. "Lotus Sutra" records: "The color is like a horse brain, hence the name." The Sanskrit real name "Asma Garbo" means "agate". It can be seen that after Buddhism was introduced into China, Qiongyu or Chiqiong was renamed "Agate" in China.
Agate is one of the seven treasures of Buddhism. Since ancient times, it has been used as an exorcism and amulet, symbolizing friendly love and hope, and helping to eliminate stress, fatigue and turbidity.
The seven treasures mentioned in the Prajna Sutra are gold, silver, coloured glaze, coral, amber, canal and agate.
In addition to chalcedony, sometimes a small amount of opal or aphanitic granular time is found in the fine minerals that make up agate. Strictly speaking, there is no pattern feature, so it cannot be called agate, but chalcedony.
Pure agate is white, and it is gray, brown, red, blue, green, emerald, pink, green and black because it contains other metals, and sometimes several colors are mixed or appear alternately. Agate blocks are transparent, translucent and opaque, with glassy to waxy luster.
There is a sad legend about red agate in northern China:
In the north of our country, there is a famous river, that is Heilongjiang. The river is wide and flat, like a big mirror, and the dazzling agate stone on the shore is like a gem set in a frame, shining with the water waves. Really beautiful!
Legend has it that a long time ago, on the shore with the most agate stones, there was a Daur city village named tolga. The leader of the village in the city is called Duoyinchabu. He has a son Amory, 10 years old, with a pair of magical big eyes.
It is said that this child has many strange things. He knew all kinds of birds and beasts from birth, and he could see carp in the deepest part of the river. When he is just able to walk, he can go hunting and fishing with adults.
In a golden autumn season, Balda Yilai, the leader of the neighboring tribe, invited the leader of Duoyinchabu to lead the whole village to dinner.
When he left, Duoyin Chabu called Amauri to his side and said, "Amauri, you stay here. Everyone will be relieved to have you in the castle. "
Amauri is like a deer, jumping and running, picking up the brightest and roundest agate stone on the beach. Pick it up, pick it up, Amauri's bright big eyes were suddenly flashed by a golden light, and he immediately ran to that golden light.
Amauri came to the water's edge, and a fish dived to the bottom. After a while, Amauri took out an agate stone brighter than gold and rounder than swan's egg.
Amauri took pictures while playing with the golden agate, and kept jumping. The sun went down, he was tired and sleepy, lying on the grass softer than a blanket and warmer than a wool mattress, and fell asleep sweetly. The golden agate lay on his chest, emitting charming golden light.
Suddenly, a dark cloud came. Several sailboats appeared quietly from behind the headland. At this moment, Amauri woke up. He was startled: Who are these people? Yellow hair, blue eyes, high nose, unkempt beard, all holding a piece of furniture and an iron pipe in their hands ... So Amo mechanically followed the ancient customs of the Daur people and enthusiastically said, "distinguished guests, where are you from?" Among this group, a bearded man in a robe said, "We are the monarchs of all countries in the world and the loyal subjects of the great czar. To protect you. " "protection? Ha ha ..... "Amauri smiled happily. After laughing, he said, "Thank you for your kindness. Tell him that we Daur people never need the protection of outsiders! "
"Beard" greedily looked at the golden agate in Amauri's hand, blinked and said, "Let's exchange, we also have our own treasures, look!" He asked his men to open the hatch.
Amauri with eyes swept away, it was not a baby. It's obviously some rubble coated with wild boar's blood. Amauri just shook his head and said nothing. "Beard" said, "Little Prince, do you want me to touch your gem?" Amauri thought that since he wanted to touch it, but he didn't want to take it away, he might as well let him touch it. what
He gave the agate to Beard. "Beard" took the agate with trembling hands and put it in his arms without even looking. Amauri was angry. He ran into Beard. "Beard" was suddenly rolled into a somersault, and the golden agate fell from him. Amauri quickly picked it up and ran to the beacon tower left by his ancestors in the distance. "Get him! Strangle him! " With the roar of beard, the robbers pounced on him. Amauri ran to the front of the beacon tower, quickly untied his bow and shot a whistling arrow into the distance with a whoosh. At this time, the robbers have surrounded the beacon tower. ...
Duoyinchabu drank happily at a banquet held in Balda. Suddenly, a whistling arrow landed on a big hide in front of Dobb and Balda. People immediately put aside the wine bowl sent to their mouths and the meat raised to their mouths: something must have happened at home.
Under the guidance of Duoyin Chabu, dozens of fast horses rushed to tolga City Village. But it's too late. People saw smoke and fire rising from the beacon tower. In the light of the fire, some people are pulling cattle and driving sheep, and some people are carrying bundles of mink from the warehouse. ...
After a short and fierce battle, the robbers left several bodies and escaped to the ship alive.
People looked for Amauri everywhere, but until night fell and the fire went out, Amauri was still missing. Duoyinchabu and Quanzhai people didn't give up, they kept looking.
Looking for it, suddenly, on the collapsed beacon tower, there was a red light, which became brighter and brighter, and dyed the whole river, the village in the city and the sky red. People immediately rushed to the beacon tower and found a bloody agate on a pile of jade bones.
Duoyinchabu picked up the agate stained with blood and said with tears, "If the blood on this is my son's, it will definitely dissolve with my blood." As he spoke, he bit his finger and dripped blood on the agate. The blood flower spreads rapidly and blends with the original blood.
Holding agate, Duo Yincha said bitterly, "If you have my son's soul, you will certainly shine the demon of human skin."
As soon as the voice fell, I saw a tree reflected in the agate, and a small magic shadow was hiding behind the tree. Doinchab immediately led his men to a big tree. When the hunter shot an arrow at the thick leaves, a man with a dirty face fell from the tree. It turned out to be the bandit leader.
Multi-tone difference cloth immediately drew his sword to assassinate. Many people's hair and teeth were also found in his gastrointestinal tract ... With the help of the agate stone dyed red with Amoli's blood, the Daur finally defeated the demons, hence the name Red Agate. The most famous agate vessel is the animal head agate cup found in hejia village cellar in the southern suburb of Xi 'an, Shaanxi Province in the Tang Dynasty. 6.5 cm in height, 15.6 cm in length and 5.9 cm in diameter.
Made of agate wrapped in orange and creamy white sauce, the upper mouth is nearly round and the lower mouth is in the shape of a beast's head. This animal's head is round, staring at the front, as if looking for and spying on something There are two curved antelope horns on the animal's head, but its face looks like a cow, but it looks serene and elegant without any affectation.
The snout of the animal head has a golden hair similar to the mouth of the cage, which can fall off, and there is water in it, which highlights the color and beauty of the animal head. This cup is carefully crafted, with glass luster and sparkling beauty.
This agate cup is carved with a rare piece of colored silk wrapped agate, which is vivid and vivid. The beast's mouth is inlaid with gold, which plays the role of finishing touch. Actually, this is the stopper of the wine glass. Pull out the plug and the wine can flow out from here.
A pair of antelope horns on the head are spirally bent and connected with the cup body, and two round convex strings are appropriately decorated below the edge of the cup mouth, so the lines are smooth and natural.
The material of this wine glass is rare and precious, and craftsmen skillfully use the natural texture and shape of the material to carve it. It is the only exquisite color sculpture in the Tang Dynasty, with perfect material selection, design and technology. It is the most exquisite jade in the Tang Dynasty and unique in China.
Li Shizhen said in Compendium of Materia Medica: There are many varieties of agate according to the thickness and shape of its stripes. Those with onyx stripes are called onyx, and those with red stripes are the most precious, called red onyx.
In addition, there are strip agate, city agate, tan agate, moss agate, big red agate, zygote agate, sauce mottle agate, cypress agate, curved agate, water bile agate and other varieties.
In the "chalcedony" without grain and pattern, there are also many jade raw materials. According to different colors, there are carnelian, chrysoprase, chrysoprase, chalcedony and jasper.
For example, the agate single ear cup in Ming Dynasty is 6.8 cm high and 9 cm in diameter. The cup is made of agate, with yellow-brown markings in the gray agate. The vessel is irregular and round, and one side is carved with a dragon as the cup handle. The forelimbs and mouth of the vessel are placed at the edge of the cup mouth, and the lower limbs and tail are connected with the peach blossom branches and leaves embossed on the outer wall of the vessel to form the vessel foot.
A four-character official script with hollow lines at the bottom. The shape of this agate cup is the standard of the Ming Dynasty, and the carving process is the jade carving process of the Ming Dynasty. The style should be carved after the Qing Dynasty. In the early Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng studied hard and made three agate seals with him. "Zhai Yi" seal of Yongzheng agate and rectangular seal of turtle buckle in Qing Dynasty. Seal script "fasting". Width 1.3 cm, length 1.6 cm, height 1.6 cm, and button height of 0.9cm.. Yongzheng agate arrogance in Qing Dynasty? Debate? づψ: This is called afternoon W? ".The surface is 1.8 cm square, the overall height is 1.6 cm, and the new height is 0.9cm.. In the Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng agate "half-couch piano book" seal and new seal were used. The seal script Banta Qinshu has a square surface of 1.7 cm, a height of 1.7 cm and a height of 1.2 cm.