30 
Field Museum of Natural History 
a rank inferior, but next to their highly prized jade. 
Agate, accordingly, was appreciated, though not the 
equal of jade and not like the latter a sacred substance. 
It was recognized as a hard stone, being capable of 
resisting cutting instruments. Red, white, and black 
varieties were distinguished. Those which after carv- 
ing and polishing offered pictures of men, animals, 
birds, or objects were most highly esteemed. In 
southern China a kind of agate of a pure red and with- 
out veins was found ; it was made into cups and vases. 
A dark green variety was obtained in the northwestern 
parts of the country. Moss agate is designated 
"cypress-branch agate," also "nettle-hemp agate"; 
undulated agate, "cloud agate." Other terms like 
"brocade-red agate, silk-thread agate, rice-water 
agate" refer merely to color varieties. "Lampwick 
agate" is a variety with white veins. "Dark-like-gall 
agate" is what we call bloodstone. "Bamboo-leaf 
agate" came from Yi-chou in Shan-tung Province, and 
was used for inlaying in screens and tables ; as implied 
by the name, it displays designs like bamboo leaves. 
The same locality produced another kind termed "jade 
agate." 
Chinese authors speak of a kind of agate that is 
brilliant white of color if looked at straight, but that 
appears like coagulated blood if looked at from the 
side. It was called "double foetus agate" (kia t'ai ma- 
nao). "Purple-cloud agate" was found at Ho-chou in 
An-hui Province. 
The ancient Chinese conceived the origin of sev- 
eral stones and salts as marvelous transformations 
from other substances; thus, white rock-crystal was 
believed to be thousand years old water changed into 
ice. By a similar process of naive reasoning agate was 
interpreted as a transformation of the blood of the 
manes or departed spirits, also of malignant devils. 
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