Soapstone is called “post rock”, a result of scarcity, the second because of the special use. Rare, because only China has the world’s, first discovered in China Zhejiang Changhua Yu gora Soapstone Soapstone. Later found Balin Right Banner of Chifeng City, Inner Bahrain bloodstone. 90’s again in the 20th century in Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, Hunan, Yunnan, found bloodstone. Now we Changhua cinnabar (mercury) is approaching the end, so production is very limited Soapstone produced, so Bloodstone by mining a long history of surviving less and the most precious. While useful, are generally used for seals and sculptures, high-brow the seal, especially the seal, as well as gifts of international friendship. Such as the Kangxi and Qianlong, Xianfeng, Tongzhi Xuantong Emperor, Empress Dowager Cixi are Bloodstone as Po Xi, Chairman Mao Zedong also had the use and collection of Bloodstone.
Soapstone is called “post rock”, a result of scarcity, the second because of the special use. Rare, because only China has the world’s, first discovered in China Zhejiang Changhua Yu gora Soapstone Soapstone. Later, Balin Right Banner of Chifeng City in Inner Mongolia found in Bahrain bloodstone. 90’s again in the 20th century in Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, Hunan, Yunnan, found bloodstone. Now we Changhua cinnabar (mercury) is approaching the end, so production is very limited Soapstone produced, so Bloodstone by mining a long history of surviving less and the most precious. While useful, are generally used for seals and sculptures, high-brow the seal, especially the seal, as well as gifts of international friendship. Such as the Kangxi and Qianlong, Xianfeng, Tongzhi Xuantong Emperor, Empress Dowager Cixi are Bloodstone as Po Xi, Chairman Mao Zedong also had the use and collection of Bloodstone.
The Legend of Soapstone
Soapstone true not only beautiful, but its bright red color of the just and the Chinese cultural tradition of respect for the red two-phase fit, so people can Exorcist yingxiangjie eyes, pray down blessing Swiss stone. Temple dedicated to Buddha with it for the material, the Quartet enthusiastic believers to come, and responsive, particularly efficacious. Sino-Japanese War period, some senior generals believe in bloodstone the “spirit” and even put it as lucky charm to carry the hope to go through fire and water, good luck.
And other names, like rock legend’s life experience has Bloodstone same load with a beautiful legend, the origin of the Changhua chicken blood has such a Phoenix off locusts, Die Yu of rock, moving story.
A long time ago, and now Chang Yu-yama area of fossil origin, year after year locust infestation, disease, and crops can not be long, people no Ning. Then a pair of Wizard beautiful Phoenix, Seeing this, it is mercy, determined to do this to people, pesticides, for the benefit of one party. Thus, they landed in the jade of rock, to eliminate the locusts, the plague dissipated, so that the local return to peace. Jade Iwayama of people extremely grateful to request to stay in Phoenix Jade Iwayama, living with them happy and generation Kangle Ping An. Phoenix is the people who touched the hearts of good faith, then settled in jade Iwayama, married.
But soon came a pair of jade of rock, the tyranny of Ukraine lion. They nest on the Phoenix mountain home were so beautiful, to create such a brilliant career, so loved by the people, very jealous, attempting to drive away Phoenix, Zhan Shan dominate. One day, Wu lion malicious challenge on the Phoenix. Phoenix is not afraid of evil, courage against, fought several times, defeated Ukraine lion. Ukraine does not stop there but the lion, do everything possible to look for opportunities, Yu Zhi Phoenix to death. Year after year, the opportunity came. While the female into the incubation period of Phoenix, Phoenix busy foraging male occasion, Ukrainian female lion take nothing to prepare for Phoenix, Phoenix Nest attack, stormed the female Phoenix. Phoenix rose up against the female several times repulsed Ukraine lion, but the end result are weak, are two Ukrainian Lions snapped a leg, blood flow through the jade gora. Phoenix return until the male and female Phoenix has been exhausted, difficult to move. Phoenix tears of grief hung his mouth, defeat Wu lion. In order to heal the wounds, they had to burying the birds, lions trampled the Phoenix egg, vacated away. Yamashita people deplore the extreme. They pray to the gods bless Phoenix requesting safe escape the temple, to give the jade to bring joy and happiness gora.
Phoenix birds can, people of prayer, a sense of heaven and earth. Jade Emperor sent the Crown Prince visited the truth down to earth, so that the jade of rock, king of the underworld Phoenix Dan blood spots into a beautiful stone, and give horizontal Dan Stone to gain good luck, evil spirits and promote good, evil cloth sign the power of love. Phoenix egg that has miraculously become a magnificent jade crystal, to the foot of the mountain people, brought great wealth. The evil lion Ukraine, see Phoenix has flown away, that jade can be of rock, from its own territory, and that the Phoenix eggs can also become your own meal. They once again came to Jade Iwayama, want to review the fool’s paradise. But they never imagined, when they set foot on Jade Iwayama and less close to the Phoenix Egg, Dan, that land of red stone immediately sent round after round of golden light, to burn the black lion Ukraine coke. Since then, Jade Iwayama to restore the harmony and joy, by the Phoenix and the Phoenix egg spots of blood into the stones have become today’s treasures. Due to this beautiful legend Soapstone Stone should have called the phoenix blood, but later generations found in the exploitation of its color and drops of freshly killed chickens are similar in jade, it used to called “bloodstone.”
Although the legend can not be trusted, but to Bloodstone adding to the mystery, romantic colors and enriched its cultural connotations. The so-called Bloodstone is said to ward off evil and families, has been passed so far. It is precisely because of its hundred years before dumping in many emperors, Poet Ascot, Fu Jia Juzi. In the Qing Dynasty, used Bloodstone engraving Yuxi of the King and Queen is the largest, with Qianlong, Jiaqing, Xianfeng, Tongzhi Xuantong, Empress, etc.. Meanwhile, the Soapstone is famous as a gem, officials in the Qing Dynasty costumes, the feathers of a red flower top as the highest grade, has on behalf of chicken blood red coral, carnelian red flower products for the decoration of the top honors.
Emperor Qianlong of a number of pieces of Bloodstone, Bao Xi. Which one is the “Qianlong Chen Han,” The Indian high 15.2 cm, surface 8.4 cm square, 24-year system in the Qing Emperor Qianlong (1759), many Bao Xi Qing Emperor Qianlong of the most beautiful. Of Wei Cheng Fang, Henan Province, is a Qing Dynasty sculpture teacher. Works drawn from the Qianlong toured in southern China’s beautiful scenery of West Lake swim, walk Lotus plexus Double-Crane, duck pond cross neck, played out underwater fish, dragonflies fluttering leaves Flowers, frogs, crabs jump with one of vitality. Lotus pond rocks on the shore side engraved with three, of which one goes: “Liantang ten miles, four from the breeze. Mandarin ducks fly not only in the Ouhua. The Spring Day over the West Lake, see Lotus brilliant, copy of in stone ……”。 Yang Wen its printed, engraved “Qianlong Chen Han.” Reportedly, this printed material is then Qing Gaozong first trip to the south to West Mount, giving the source Zen Temple Yubi wood “Heart Sutra” roll, abbot grateful, Bloodstone, carefully prepared this tribute. Gojong treasure, Long Yan Taiyue, then Chifeng as a “national treasure.”
As the Bloodstone in the “blood” is cinnabar, but the main raw material refining mercury, Bloodstone had suffered a traumatic experience of painful. Tons of ruby was thrown into the fire, burning waste, I do not know how many heavenly Putian. The value of re-discovery was in connection with a diplomatic incident.
Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations in 1972, Zhou Enlai carefully selected a pair of “Big Red Robe,” Bloodstone presented to visiting Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka, who is a surgeon Having seen playing rock and seal by Shen feel, Mr. Liu Youdan. Thus, Soapstone fame in Japan, giving rise to an upsurge of collection bloodstone. A large number of Japanese tourists to China, they will Soapstone as a preferred gift to take home. With this trend, the value of Soapstone regained people’s recognition of the growing collectors, the price rise, and become the new darling of today’s collection marketplace.
Bloody highest price
The main consideration Soapstone color collection, blood volume and hardness. First color is the first, because those who Soapstone respect for your red, tasting blood stone, first of all is to see “blood” red, with its fresh, pour, thick is better. Persons such as dripping of fresh red blood coagulation were together and not dispersed, those that have the thickness of thick layers deep through the rock layer. The more the bright red color of the more beautiful the more popular these days, but stressed the need of fresh, as if just out of the cock, the kind of rigid and sluggish red greatly reduced price. Second, to see blood. Soapstone pay attention not only to more blood, but also concentrated distribution. Usually a stone with 70% of the amount of blood is considered the top grade, 70% to 80% as the “Big Red Robe”, 80% of the Need for bloodstone. Continuous distribution of blood on the more expensive sheet, followed by linear blood, scatter blood more times. Finally look at the hardness, since the vast majority Soapstone seal used to seal for use, so the hardness is very important. Under the same conditions, the more beneficial the lower the hardness of stone carving, stone is more delicate and gentle, the price naturally high. General the hardness of less than 3 degrees Soapstone classified as soft, hardness higher than 3 degrees as hard. Soapstone in hard and less red varieties, reaching levels not collections.
Another Bloodstone Bloodstone land is an important basis for judging. Manner that is dyed red and what kind of stone. Soapstone land to pure, translucent, no nails and blood of the red color of pavilions for the top grade. Soapstone’s products could be divided into square, rectangular, oval, round, deformity, size, roughly 5 – 2 cm in diameter side is appropriate.
Soapstone delicate texture, with toughness, structure, does not collapse by the knife, is doing a good seal material. Experts said the increase is not good Soapstone carving. Red “chicken blood” outside the background there are black, white, yellow, green, blue, Hui He, purple, blue and other basic colors, plus shades of shades of all colors are blended into a natural muddy, do not to artificial cloud-riding god, has constituted a pattern depicting the natural beauty. “You could say that any increase in general for the carving of the chicken blood cover the defect is less than the expensive.”
In addition, as the two main origin of today’s Bloodstone, Bahrain Soapstone color instability, not polymer powder color, easily oxidized dark; and Bloodstone Bloody together and not dispersed, the same quality, the market price than Bloodstone Bahrain Soapstone high, learn to distinguish. In addition, we must learn to distinguish the true and false Bloodstone. Soapstone’s hardness is low, real blood as “blood” inside out by three-dimensional distribution of layered color gradient process is layered, and the lack of fake red blood stone level, to see more and more experience than would have.