Agate, a type of chalcedony mineral. Most of them are striped blocks mixed with opal and cryptocrystalline quartz, with a hardness of 7-7.5 degrees. Since ancient times, Chinese literati and scholars have especially loved strange stones such as pictorial stones and picture stones, and have more precious treasures and highly regard those patterned stones with pictograms, peculiar pictures, smooth lines, good texture, bright colors, and beauty.
The history of agate is very distant, about 100 million years ago, underground magma was spewed out in large quantities due to changes in the earth's crust, and when lava cooled, vapors and other gases formed bubbles. Bubbles are sealed up when the rock freezes, so many holes are formed, and after a long time, the holes are immersed in a solution containing silica and condensed into silica, the molten components of the iron-containing rock enter the silica gel, and finally the silica crystallizes into agate.
Colorful agate carvings and two immortals
Source: Treasure World App
Age of collection: Modern times
Collection specifications: Height: 10.5cm Width: 6cm
Collection Description: This ornament is made of agate, which is warm and simple and has no lack of luster and brilliance. The sculpture of two children sits side by side, with a lively posture and eyes, showing the innocent and lovely character of the child. This product is exquisite in craftsmanship, the child is depicted meticulously, the hair is fine and uniform, the clothes are smooth and natural, the accessories are exquisitely carved, and the ingenuity is seen in the small places, which is a product with excellent craftsmanship, and will be loved by the viewer.
Origin of the name Agate
The debate over whether agate is stone or jade began during the Wei and Jin dynasties and reached its peak in the Ming Dynasty. At that time, agate was written as a stone character on the side, and it was considered to be a stone. In the end, the agate jade people had the upper hand, abandoning the stone character side to the jade word side, and there was a thousand kinds of agate and ten thousand kinds of jade! According to Zhang Hong's argument in Shi Ya, before the Han Dynasty, China called agate Qiong (an alias for beautiful jade), red jade, or "Qiong Yao".
Ancient Chinese books record that agate comes from the tributes of the Western Regions, India, Persia, Japan and other countries, and the visible documents include the "Agate Fu" of Cao Pi of the Three Kingdoms. Ancient Chinese agate may have been first introduced from India. In many Buddhist texts, agate is also one of the Seven Treasures of Buddhism. Its ability to ward off evil spirits and protect the body, symbolizing goodness and love, also proves that agate has a very long history as a treasure in India.
The origin of the name agate is widely disputed. The first theory is that the ancient Indians saw that the color and beautiful pattern of agate resembled the brain of a horse, and thought that it was a stone turned from a horse brain, so Sanskrit called it "horse brain". It was first found in the later Han An Shigao's translation of the Seven Sons of an abode. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Kumarosh translated the Lotus Sutra as saying: "Horse brain, Fan Yun curbs wet Mahabharata", "Color is like a horse brain, so from his name". The Tang Dynasty monk Huilin wrote "All The Sutras and Sounds" to explain: "The 'Ah Shi Binding', this cloud 'horse' also, the 'unveiling wave', the brain also."
Another theory is that during the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Pi and his father Cao Cao northern expedition to Wuhuan, the local people paid tribute to an agate wine cup, Cao Pi saw that the wine cup was red like a flying xia, crystal clear, so he wrote down the "Horse Brain Lefu", and said in the preface: "Horse brain, jade genus also, out of the western region, the literature and science are intertwined, similar to the horse brain, so its fang people fixed their names." Or tie the neck, or to decorate the lewer. Yu Has sler, beautiful and endowed. Ordered Chen Lin and Wang Yue to do it together. ”
Agate is skillfully carved and mouthwashed
Collection specifications: Height: 15.5cm Width: 4.5cm
Collection Description: Agate carving, flower mouth, thin wall. The texture of agate is warm and pleasant, delicate and soft, and its surface is light-free and the natural texture is clearly visible. Craftsmen "take the shape, according to the shape layout", "according to the color of the clever, with the shape of the change", the material is cleverly carved. Looking at this device, the material and carving are superior, the overall shape is small and exquisite, the lines are smooth, the polishing is fine, the texture is soft, translucent, the luster is delicate, very beautiful, and it is a rare high-grade stationery.
Types of agate
Agate colors come in many layers, translucent or opaque. It has different color compositions, usually green, red, yellow, brown, white, etc. It is often made into various playthings, ornaments, ornaments, etc.
The types of agate can be divided into red agate, white agate, black agate, blue agate, green agate, purple agate, etc. according to color, as well as purple-green agate that has appeared in recent years.
Among them, red agate is the most familiar and loved by the public, and the southern red in the red agate family is the hottest jewelry on the market in recent years, which is loved by jade carvers, and in recent years, its value has doubled.
Agate carved dragon ear live ring four-legged stove
Collection specifications: Height: 20cm Width: 22cm
Collection Description: This vessel was made by Beijing jade carving master Zuo Yongfu using the carving techniques of the Royal Manufacturing Office. This agate incense burner has a simple and beautiful shape. The carving is delicate and exquisite, the concept is exquisite, and the attention is paid to the demeanor, which is extremely rare. The whole apparatus is rarely seen variegated spots, the furnace body is round, simple and generous, the shoulders on both sides are carved with ears, the lower three animal feet, the animal face is delicate and exquisite, and the god shape is both. The carving knife method is simple and powerful, the shape is regular and generous, smooth and clean, pure and beautiful, showing the outstanding achievements of handicraft.
Agate carvings
Because the hardness of agate is as high as 7, it is very hard, so it is difficult to carve agate, and it takes a lot of manpower and material resources. Generally speaking, if the craftsman can skillfully use the natural color and shape of agate, it is interesting to produce an agate collection with a unique shape. At the same time, because the natural agate stone is hard, so the production process needs dozens of processes, if its shape is cumbersome, the cost of cost will naturally increase, and finally the value of the agate work will be higher.
Agate skillfully carved Panasonic Coats against ornaments
Source: Treasure World
Age of collection: modern and contemporary
Collection Specifications: Height: 21.5cm Width: 9cm
Collection Description: Agate as a material, the material selection is exquisite, warm and delicate, pure and transparent. Using techniques such as circular carving and through carving, it is depicted as two high priests playing against each other, fighting in the black and white world, with a focused look and a moving posture. The layout of the whole instrument is reasonable, the engraving is skillful and sophisticated, the blade is sharp, the pen is sparse and freehand, the lines are simple, and the image is outlined in a few knives. The characters have natural expressions, slender lines, delicate and smooth ornamentation, showing a scene of paradise. It shows Coats' yearning for a leisurely and free life. The materials are all of the highest quality, which is a masterpiece of agate, and it is pleasing to the eye when placed on the desk. With mahogany inlaid silver wire base. This work is the prototype design of Mr. Chen Changhai's 1985 Chinese Arts and Crafts "Hundred Flowers Award" creation and design first prize work Agate "Orange In two sorcerers", which is extremely precious.
Many of today's agate works are rich in subject matter, artistic value and practical value coexist. According to the characteristics of agate, the jade carver can really exert a lot of good ideas, so that the work shape is unique, exquisite, exquisite craftsmanship, delicate finished products, and many beautiful works are rare treasures. The unique colors of agate are cleverly outlined and designed, perfectly retained, and skillfully presented in combination with the author's conception, making the work more characteristic. Using a variety of techniques, circular carving, flat carving, printing engraving, yang engraving, etc. show the essence of design, making the perfect combination of material and work.
There are thousands of agates in the world, but not all of them are suitable for carving and creation, and there are only so many that can enter the eyes of jade carvers. Whether it can be made into a material, has a beautiful appearance and a stable structure is the top priority, and it is also one of the necessary conditions for collection.
Nowadays, agate is no longer a simple object such as beads, but a work with modern significance. The works contain rich allegories, which make the works more interesting.
Agate skillfully carved dragon turtle high foot wash
Collection Specifications: Height: 16.5cm Width: 16.5cm
Collection description: This vessel is made of agate, crystal clear, colorful, the whole instrument is outlined by a simple knife method, the dragon turtle means longevity, and has a very high reputation in the folk. The overall atmosphere is mighty, the color distribution is different, the color shades are different, and the lines of the outer wall decoration of the wash are smooth and graceful, so that the overall shape tends to be beautiful and stable, which really makes the pen wash have the tendency to soar. Ingeniously conceived and exquisitely carved, it has a high historical and collectible value.
Notes on collecting agate
1. Pay attention to the color
When collecting agate, first look at the color pattern of agate, only the overall color is clear, the color is bright and bright, and the agate with clear texture pattern is more artistically appreciative, and it is worth buying and collecting.
The key to the color of agate is purity, and the use of beautiful colors also occupies a large proportion. Generally speaking, high-quality natural agate is glassy and oily, the color is bright and pure, clean and delicate, the texture is smooth, especially on the agate has a gradient color, the bands are obvious, the color is bright, and there is a strong sense of layering.
The color of agate is red, blue, purple and pink as the best, gorgeous and transparent, and the requirements are flaws that do not contain impurities and cracks. Pretty color works should be clear in color and pay attention to whether the contrast between the colors is strong, agate pretty color masterpiece on the basis of clear color also requires material shape, that is, to make the shape of the color fit together, the use of shape and color is just right, such an agate work can be called a beautiful and wonderful product.
2. Pay attention to the process
In general, the more complex the agate work, the higher the value. Therefore, when collecting agate, it is necessary to look at the production process and shape, the better the shape, the more complex the production process, the more worthy of collection.
3. Pay attention to the variety
Generally speaking, agate is good for the texture of glue, such as the southern red agate on the color is bright, the gum texture is strong, the oiliness is very good and the price is expensive, very collectible.