Agate - Cultural Carrier of Silk Road Millennium Trade

Agate, anciently called qiong yu (divine jade), appeared in the Book of Songs.  The Tang Dynasty's "Gilded Beast-Head Agate Cup" from the Hejia Village hoard encapsulates Silk Road exchanges—crafted from West Asian banded agate, its Persian rhyton shape fused Greek drinking vessel motifs with Central Asian totems, reflecting Chang'an's cosmopolitanism.

The Yuan Dynasty established an "Agate Bureau" tasked with "producing agate vessels," per History of Yuan.  The "Dragon-Pattern Agate Bowl" in Taipei's Palace Museum, carved with five-clawed clouds dragons, demonstrates Mongol rulers' adoption of Central Asian techniques.  Ming scholar Cao Zhao's Essential Criteria of Antiquities prioritized agate with "rooster-comb red" hues.  Tibetan dzi beads, made from etched agate, feature "eye patterns" (○) symbolizing Buddhism's infinite wisdom.

Qianlong-era Hindustan jade artisans combined agate with gold inlay.  The Palace Museum's "Arabesque Agate Plate" blends Persian acanthus motifs with Chinese craftsmanship, showcasing Islamic-Chinese artistic fusion.

For young collectors, Luming's "Dunhuang Ceiling" agate ring series uses Inner Mongolian Zhanguo red agate.  Artisans carve the Three-Hares motif from Mogao Cave 407 onto the stone, while the band incorporates Tang-era "lotus medallion" patterns with 0.3mm gold filigree, bridging ancient and modern aesthetics.