Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
1970.001.099 |
Object Name |
Quartz |
Description |
This is an egg-shaped bloodstone or heliotrope. The donor believed this artifact was acquired in England in the nineteenth century. The description of the artifact from the donor reads as follows: "Blood stone; shaped like goose egg; used many years ago to hold in hand during periods of pain in hopes that coolness of stone would draw out pain." This stone of heliotrope, also known as bloodstone, has been shaped to resemble a goose egg. It is an aggregate containing a jasper or quartz mixture. The classic bloodstone is composed of green jasper with red inclusions of hematite. Traditionally, this gem is believed to exhibit many different powers. Most prominently, bloodstones have been utilized to draw out pains and illnesses from the afflicted person's hand. An interview with Rebecca Beyer, an Appalachian forager-witch and scholar, with contents related to the function of bloodstones in Appalachian folk culture, can be listened to from the Reece Museum's website. https://www.etsu.edu/cas/cass/reece/recollections/bloodstoneepisode.php |
Date |
c. 19th Century |
Dimensions |
H-9 W-4 L-6 cm |
Collection |
Nat T. Winston Collection |
Place of Origin |
Europe/England |
Material |
bloodstone / heliotrope |
Subjects |
rocks and minerals |
Other Name |
Bloodstone Egg |
Search Terms |
sacred folk culture folklore |