Chicken-blood stone 鸡血石

Chicken-blood stone is one of the most prized ornamental stones in China. It is considered rare and highly regarded for its value and auspicious qualities. Found in only two locations around the world and the one from Changhua is considered even more precious and valuable for their higher quality and vibrant color. It is found only in Yu Yan Mountain, more than 1,000 meters above sea level, in the Changhua County (Zhejiang Province) in China.

"Soft, smooth, solid, delicate, moist, and coherent" are six characteristics used to describe this precious stone known as chicken-blood stone. The stone gets its name for its bright red colour, resembling fresh chicken blood.

In China, a longstanding belief is that chicken-blood stone protects its owner from evil and brings good luck and blessings. Thus the Chinese give chicken blood stone to bless people for events such as marriages, birthdays, promotions, and success. In 1972 Premier Chou Enlai (the firste prime minister of new China) presented a pair of chicken blood stone seals to the Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei to celebrate the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between China and Japan.

Alans Museum has collected a fairly large piece of chicken-blood stone. It has traces of red colour on the front face of the stone. The stone sits on stand carved out of a piece of greenish colour soap-stone.

Chicken-blood stone 鸡血石