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Field Museum of Natural History 
product of the country of the Yiie-chi, known to us as 
the Indo-Scythians. A tribute of agate was sent from 
Samarkand to the Chinese Court in the beginning of 
the eighth century. It is specifically asserted that 
agate was imported into China by the Arabs, but this 
product in all probability was carnelian, as it is de- 
scribed as "standard red in color without flaw." It 
was the raw material which was imported and which 
was wrought into objects by the Chinese. Subse- 
quently, however, agate was discovered by them in 
many localities of their country, especially near Ning- 
hia, Kwa-chou, and Sha-chou in Kan-su Province and 
in the outlying deserts, also in some mountains of 
northern Shan-si, Chi-li, and Shan-tung. 
Toward the end of the Ming dynasty, in the first 
part of the seventeenth century, as we learn from a 
Chinese cyclopaedia completed in 1632, agate was im- 
ported into China from Europe; this became known 
as "foreign agate." That of red color was most highly 
appreciated; in its interior it displayed branches of 
cypresses and veins of various colors, as fine as silk 
threads; a variety with white veins was regarded as 
superior. Soon afterwards the same stone was dis- 
covered in Yun-nan, and was termed "native agate." 
The Ai-lao Mountains in the prefecture of Yung- 
ch'ang of that province enjoy a special reputation for 
their agates. Agate was also imported into China from 
Japan in three varieties — red, black, and white. As 
stated above, rough agates are exported from India to 
China in considerable quantities, particularly to Canton. 
Small flat disks of red agate, usually covered under 
the surface with fine white lines of clayish origin, have 
been found in graves of the Han period (206 B.C.-A.D. 
220) . There are several early records of wine- vessels 
of agate having been discovered in tombs. Horse's- 
bits of agate are also mentioned. Large agate beads of 
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