Premium Recommendation - Sheep bezoar

*本次藏品：羊宝*

典藏尺寸：重：7.3g

羊结石的形成需要满足多个条件。首先，羊需要长期摄入难以消化的角质类物质，如植物纤维、毛发等，这些异物进入羊的瘤胃和网胃后，会在其中反复研磨。其次，羊的消化液中的矿物质，如碳酸钙、磷酸镁等，会逐渐沉积在这些异物的表面，从而形成类似珍珠的同心层状结构。这个过程需要持续数年甚至更久的时间，并且在这期间，羊体不能发生严重的病变，否则可能会导致结石排出体外，无法形成完整的羊结石。

由于形成条件较为苛刻，羊结石的形成概率非常低，仅为万分之几，远远低于牛黄（约千分之一）和马宝（约万分之三）的形成概率。

在传统医学领域，羊结石具有较高的药用价值。清代的《本草纲目拾遗》中就记载羊宝可 “定惊痫、平狂躁”。现代药理学分析显示，羊宝中含有胆红素钙盐、胆酸衍生物以及多种微量元素，其中的活性成分能够调节 γ - 氨基丁酸受体，对于癫痫和小儿惊厥有着显著的缓解效果。

羊结石的收藏遵循 “以克论价” 的原则。一方面，羊结石具有不可再生性，单只羊终生至多形成 1 - 2 颗；另一方面，它还具有文化附加价值，比如蒙古族将其视为辟邪圣物；同时，在医学上，由于野生牛黄资源逐渐枯竭，羊宝成为了牛黄的首选替代品，这些因素都使得羊结石的收藏价值较高。

在部分少数民族文化中，羊宝有着特殊的文化寓意。除了蒙古族将羊结石视为辟邪圣物外，还有一些民族认为羊睾丸具有滋补强身、增强生殖能力的象征意义，这种文化认知也在一定程度上影响了羊宝在这些地区的地位和价值。

The formation of sheep bezoars requires the fulfillment of multiple conditions. Firstly, sheep need to ingest indigestible keratinous substances (such as plant fibers and hair) for a long period. After these foreign bodies enter the sheep's rumen and reticulum, they undergo repeated grinding there. Secondly, minerals in the sheep's digestive juices, like calcium carbonate and magnesium phosphate, gradually deposit on the surface of these foreign bodies, forming a concentric layered structure similar to that of pearls. This process takes several years or even longer to complete. Moreover, the sheep must not suffer from severe diseases during this period; otherwise, the bezoar may be excreted from the body, making it impossible to form a complete sheep bezoar.

Due to the harsh formation conditions, the probability of sheep bezoar formation is extremely low, only a few ten-thousandths. This is far lower than the formation probability of bezoar bovis (cattle bezoar, approximately one-thousandth) and horse bezoar (approximately three ten-thousandths).

In the field of traditional medicine, sheep bezoars hold high medicinal value. Supplements to the Compendium of Materia Medica (a classic Chinese medical book from the Qing Dynasty) records that sheep bezoars can "calm convulsions and relieve mania". Modern pharmacological analysis shows that sheep bezoars contain calcium bilirubinate salts, cholic acid derivatives, and a variety of trace elements. The active ingredients among them can regulate γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors and have a significant relieving effect on epilepsy and infantile convulsions.

The collection of sheep bezoars follows the principle of "pricing by the gram". On one hand, sheep bezoars are non-renewable, and a single sheep can form at most 1 to 2 bezoars in its lifetime. On the other hand, they also possess cultural added value—for example, the Mongolian people regard them as sacred objects for warding off evil spirits. Additionally, in medicine, as wild bezoar bovis resources are gradually depleted, sheep bezoars have become the preferred substitute for bezoar bovis. All these factors contribute to the high collection value of sheep bezoars.

In the cultures of some ethnic minorities, sheep bezoars (and related substances) carry special cultural connotations. Besides the Mongolian people viewing sheep bezoars as evil-warding sacred objects, some other ethnic groups believe that sheep testicles (sometimes also referred to as "yangbao" in certain contexts) symbolize nourishing the body and enhancing reproductive capacity. This cultural perception has also, to a certain extent, influenced the status and value of "yangbao"-related substances in these regions.

*本次藏品：羊宝*

典藏尺寸：重：7.3g

羊结石的形成并非偶然，需满足 “异物摄入 - 沉积 - 长期留存” 三大条件，整个过程持续数年甚至更久，且中途稍有异常便会终止，这也是其稀缺性的核心原因：

异物摄入：形成的 “初始诱因”

羊是草食性动物，主要以牧草为食，但在养殖或野外环境中，可能误食难以消化的 “异物”—— 如毛发（自身脱毛或其他动物毛发）、植物纤维（如干枯的芦苇杆、荆棘纤维）、塑料碎片（养殖环境中的饲料袋残留）、砂石等。这些异物进入羊的消化系统后，无法被瘤胃（羊的主要消化器官）中的微生物分解，也无法通过肠道排出，只能长期留存于胆囊、胆管或瘤胃中，成为结石形成的 “核心”。

矿物质沉积：结石的 “生长过程”

羊的消化液（如胆汁、瘤胃消化液）中含有大量矿物质（如碳酸钙、磷酸镁、胆红素钙盐）与有机成分（如胆酸、黏蛋白）。当异物留存于脏器内时，这些成分会逐渐附着在异物表面 —— 首先是黏蛋白形成 “保护膜”，随后矿物质与胆酸交替沉积，形成类似珍珠的 “同心层状结构”。这个过程极其缓慢，每年沉积厚度仅 0.1-0.3 厘米，一颗直径 3 厘米的羊结石需至少 10 年才能形成。

机体稳定：留存的 “必要条件”

在结石形成过程中，羊的身体必须保持相对健康 —— 若羊出现严重疾病（如胆囊炎、瘤胃积食），可能导致脏器收缩或排泄功能异常，将未成熟的结石排出体外；若羊因误食异物引发感染死亡，结石也会随尸体腐烂而损坏。因此，只有 “长期健康且摄入异物” 的羊，才有可能形成完整的羊结石，这进一步降低了其形成概率。

根据中国畜牧业协会 2024 年的数据，我国每年羊出栏量约 3 亿只，但羊结石的检出率不足万分之二，且其中仅 10% 左右符合 “优质羊结石” 标准，稀缺性远超牛黄（检出率约千分之一）、马宝（检出率约万分之三）。

羊结石的药用价值最早记载于清代《本草纲目拾遗》，书中提到 “羊宝，出塞外，羊腹内结石也，味甘咸，性凉，能定惊痫、平狂躁、解毒热”，主要用于治疗小儿惊厥、癫痫、咽喉肿痛等症状。现代药理学研究进一步验证了其功效，具体可从成分与应用两方面分析：

核心药用成分：

胆酸衍生物：包括胆酸、去氧胆酸、鹅去氧胆酸等，占羊结石干重的 12-20%（优质羊结石含量更高）。胆酸衍生物具有抗炎、解热、镇静作用，能抑制中枢神经系统过度兴奋，对癫痫发作时的神经异常放电有抑制效果；同时，去氧胆酸还能促进胆汁分泌，改善肝胆功能。

胆红素钙盐：含量约 5-10%，具有抗氧化、解毒作用，能清除体内自由基，减轻毒素对肝脏的损伤，常用于辅助治疗肝损伤、黄疸等疾病。

微量元素：含有锌、铁、铜、锰等，其中锌元素能调节免疫功能，增强机体抵抗力；锰元素参与神经递质合成，对缓解焦虑、烦躁有辅助作用。

现代临床应用：

目前，羊结石主要用于 “辅助治疗神经系统疾病” 与 “肝胆疾病”：在神经系统方面，将羊结石研磨成粉，与其他药材配伍，可用于缓解小儿高热惊厥；在肝胆疾病方面，羊结石提取物可用于治疗慢性胆囊炎，能减少胆囊收缩频率，缓解疼痛症状。

需注意的是，羊结石属于 “中药材”，并非 “神药”，其使用需遵循中医辨证论治原则，不可自行服用 —— 例如，脾胃虚寒者服用后可能出现腹泻，孕妇禁用（可能刺激子宫收缩）。

羊结石的收藏价值源于 “不可再生性”“文化附加价值” 与 “替代需求” 三大因素，使其成为收藏市场中的 “小众珍品”，价格以 “克” 为单位计算，远超普通贵金属。

单只羊终生至多形成 1-2 颗结石，且无法人工培育（目前尚无成熟的人工合成技术能模拟天然羊结石的成分与结构），随着野生羊数量减少（如藏羚羊、岩羊受保护），天然羊结石的存量逐年下降，“物以稀为贵” 的属性尤为突出。

在蒙古族、藏族等游牧民族文化中，羊结石被视为 “辟邪圣物”—— 牧民认为，羊结石是羊 “吸收天地灵气” 形成的，佩戴或供奉可保佑家人平安、牲畜兴旺。这种文化认知赋予羊结石超越 “药材” 的精神价值，进一步推高其收藏价格。

牛黄（牛胆囊结石）是传统名贵药材，但其检出率极低（约万分之一），且野生牛黄受《野生动物保护法》限制，无法合法流通。羊结石的药用成分与牛黄相似（胆酸含量约为牛黄的 60-80%），成为牛黄的 “首选替代品”，医药企业对羊结石的需求增加，也带动了其收藏价值上升。

The formation of sheep bezoars is not accidental; it requires three core conditions: "foreign body ingestion, deposition, and long-term retention." The entire process lasts for several years or even longer, and any abnormality midway will terminate it—this is the core reason for its scarcity.

1. Foreign Body Ingestion: The "Initial Trigger"

Sheep are herbivores that mainly feed on forage. However, in captive or wild environments, they may accidentally ingest indigestible "foreign bodies," such as hair (their own shed hair or that of other animals), plant fibers (e.g., dried reed stalks, thorn fibers), plastic fragments (residues from feed bags in captive settings), and gravel. After entering the sheep’s digestive system, these foreign bodies cannot be decomposed by microorganisms in the rumen (the sheep’s main digestive organ) nor excreted through the intestines. They can only remain in the gallbladder, bile ducts, or rumen for a long time, serving as the "core" for bezoar formation.

2. Mineral Deposition: The "Growth Process" of Bezoars

The digestive juices of sheep (e.g., bile, rumen digestive fluid) contain a large amount of minerals (such as calcium carbonate, magnesium phosphate, and calcium bilirubinate) and organic components (such as cholic acid and mucin). When foreign bodies remain in the organs, these components gradually attach to the surface of the foreign bodies: first, mucin forms a "protective film," and then minerals and cholic acid are deposited alternately, creating a "concentric layered structure" similar to that of pearls. This process is extremely slow, with a deposition thickness of only 0.1–0.3 centimeters per year. A sheep bezoar with a diameter of 3 centimeters takes at least 10 years to form.

3. Physical Stability: The "Necessary Condition" for Retention

During bezoar formation, the sheep must remain relatively healthy. If the sheep suffers from severe diseases (such as cholecystitis or rumen impaction), it may cause abnormal organ contraction or excretion function, leading to the expulsion of immature bezoars from the body. If the sheep dies from infection caused by ingesting foreign bodies, the bezoar will also be damaged as the carcass decomposes. Therefore, only sheep that are "long-term healthy and have ingested foreign bodies" can potentially form complete sheep bezoars, which further reduces the probability of their formation.

According to 2024 data from the China Animal Agriculture Association, approximately 300 million sheep are slaughtered in China each year. However, the detection rate of sheep bezoars is less than 0.02% (two per ten thousand), and only about 10% of these meet the standards for "high-quality sheep bezoars." Their scarcity far exceeds that of cattle bezoars (bezoar bovis, with a detection rate of approximately 0.1% or one per thousand) and horse bezoars (with a detection rate of approximately 0.03% or three per ten thousand).

Medicinal Value of Sheep Bezoars

The medicinal value of sheep bezoars was first recorded in Supplements to the Compendium of Materia Medica (a classic Chinese medical text from the Qing Dynasty). The book states: "Yangbao (sheep bezoar) originates from beyond the Great Wall; it is a stone found in the abdomen of sheep. It tastes sweet and salty, has a cool nature, and can calm convulsions, relieve mania, and detoxify heat." It is mainly used to treat symptoms such as infantile convulsions, epilepsy, and sore throat. Modern pharmacological research has further verified its efficacy, which can be analyzed from two aspects: components and applications.

Core Medicinal Components

Cholic acid derivatives: Including cholic acid, deoxycholic acid, and chenodeoxycholic acid, they account for 12–20% of the dry weight of sheep bezoars (with higher content in high-quality bezoars). Cholic acid derivatives have anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and sedative effects; they can inhibit excessive excitement of the central nervous system and suppress abnormal neural discharge during epileptic seizures. Additionally, deoxycholic acid can promote bile secretion and improve liver and gallbladder function.

Calcium bilirubinate: With a content of approximately 5–10%, it has antioxidant and detoxifying effects. It can scavenge free radicals in the body, reduce toxin-induced liver damage, and is often used as an adjuvant treatment for liver injury, jaundice, and other diseases.

Trace elements: Containing zinc, iron, copper, manganese, etc. Among them, zinc regulates immune function and enhances the body’s resistance; manganese participates in neurotransmitter synthesis and has an adjuvant effect in relieving anxiety and irritability.

Modern Clinical Applications

Currently, sheep bezoars are mainly used in the "adjuvant treatment of neurological diseases" and "liver and gallbladder diseases":

In neurology: Ground into powder and combined with other medicinal materials, sheep bezoars can be used to relieve infantile febrile convulsions.

In liver and gallbladder diseases: Extracts of sheep bezoars can be used to treat chronic cholecystitis, reducing the frequency of gallbladder contractions and alleviating pain symptoms.

It should be noted that sheep bezoars are a type of "traditional Chinese medicinal material," not a "miracle drug." Their use must follow the TCM principle of "syndrome differentiation and treatment" and should not be taken without professional guidance. For example, people with deficient and cold spleen and stomach may experience diarrhea after taking them, and they are contraindicated for pregnant women (as they may stimulate uterine contractions).

Collectible Value of Sheep Bezoars

The collectible value of sheep bezoars stems from three factors: "non-renewability," "cultural added value," and "substitution demand," making them a "niche treasure" in the collection market. Their price is calculated per gram, far exceeding that of ordinary precious metals.

Non-renewability: A single sheep can form at most 1–2 bezoars in its lifetime, and artificial cultivation is impossible (currently, there is no mature artificial synthesis technology that can replicate the composition and structure of natural sheep bezoars). As the number of wild sheep (e.g., protected species like Tibetan antelopes and bharals) decreases, the stock of natural sheep bezoars declines year by year, highlighting the attribute of "scarcity driving value."

Cultural added value: In the cultures of nomadic ethnic groups such as the Mongols and Tibetans, sheep bezoars are regarded as "sacred objects for warding off evil." Herders believe that sheep bezoars are formed when sheep "absorb the essence of heaven and earth," and wearing or enshrining them can bless the safety of family members and the prosperity of livestock. This cultural perception endows sheep bezoars with spiritual value beyond their role as "medicinal materials," further driving up their collection price.

Substitution demand: Cattle bezoars (gallbladder stones of cattle) are a precious traditional medicinal material, but their detection rate is extremely low (approximately 0.01% or one per ten thousand). Moreover, wild cattle bezoars are restricted by the Wild Animal Protection Law and cannot circulate legally. Sheep bezoars have a similar medicinal composition to cattle bezoars (their cholic acid content is about 60–80% of that in cattle bezoars), making them the "preferred substitute" for cattle bezoars. The increased demand for sheep bezoars from pharmaceutical companies has also boosted their collectible value.

*本次藏品：羊宝*

典藏尺寸：重：7.3g

以上藏品相关信息请与：四川尚亿拍卖有限公司联系。 

For information about the above collections, please contact: Sichuan Jun Zailai Auction Group Co.