{"product_id":"ancient-etched-carnelian-longevity-tortoise-shell-bead-24mm-bloodspot-medicine-dig-ac-101026-cm2","title":"Ancient Carnelian Longevity Motif Bead — 24.4 mm, Bloodspots, Medicine Dig, 1000–1500 Years (AC-101026-CM2)","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe never retouch our photos. What you see is exactly what you will receive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThree things set this bead apart from the other etched carnelian in our collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIts age.\u003c\/strong\u003e Estimated at 1,000 to 1,500 years old, it reaches back to the early medieval era of the Central Asian trade routes, when the etched carnelian tradition was at or near its height.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIts medicine digs.\u003c\/strong\u003e Two deliberate hollows have been made in its surface at some point in its life — not damage or wear, but intentional acts. Their edges are now worn smooth and filled with aged mineral deposits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIts bloodspots.\u003c\/strong\u003e Warm rust-brown cinnabar inclusions run through the carnelian, visible in the close-up photographs alongside and within the decoration — the same natural inclusions prized in dzi beads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe form is a wide, compact octagonal prism: eight flat faces with sharp edges, squat and solid at 24.4mm long and 16.6mm wide — the broadest of our three etched carnelian pieces, and heavy in the hand for its length. The carnelian is very dark, a deep reddish-brown shifting to purple-brown in the densest areas, with warm orange-red showing inside the drill holes where light passes through. The surface has the fine, micro-pitted texture of carnelian handled across many centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe motif is the tortoise shell longevity pattern — the geometric panel network of the tortoise's carapace, one of the oldest longevity symbols in Chinese and Central Asian art. The white decoration has reached an extreme state of mineral build-up: in places it has spread beyond its original lines, blooming across the ground and merging between neighbouring elements, so that reading the design takes close attention. Under magnification the deposit shows several layers — crystalline, crumbling at the edges and slightly metallic in sheen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe two medicine digs sit on separate faces. Their edges are smooth and worn, aged in place, their interiors showing the same mineral character as the surrounding surface. Medicine digs on ancient etched carnelian are found across Central and South Asia: the bead was believed to hold healing or protective power, and the scraped powder was used in medicinal or ritual preparations. A medicine-dug bead was one considered too valuable to discard and too powerful to leave unused.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Tortoise Shell Longevity Motif\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tortoise shell motif (龜甲紋) is among the oldest longevity symbols in East and Central Asian decoration. The tortoise is one of the Four Divine Beasts of Chinese cosmology, linked with the north, with water and above all with long life. Its geometric shell became a symbol of ordered, protected, enduring life. A bead like this was made to be worn close to the body and handed down through generations, carrying its wish for longevity to whoever wore it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotif:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tortoise shell longevity (龜甲紋); geometric panel network across all faces, partly blurred by heavy mineral build-up\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLength:\u003c\/strong\u003e 24.4mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 16.6mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eForm:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wide, compact octagonal prism\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Natural carnelian, deep reddish-brown to purple-brown; white-silver mineralised decoration\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAge:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ancient, estimated 1,000–1,500 years\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Excellent for its age; heavy mineral build-up in the decoration; two medicine digs with smooth, aged edges; no structural cracks; small original drill holes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBloodspots:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes — Light; rust-brown cinnabar inclusions visible in the close-ups\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMedicine digs:\u003c\/strong\u003e Two, on separate faces\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProduct ID:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ac-101026-CM2\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCollection:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ancientdzishop.com\/collections\/original-ancient-dzi\"\u003eAncient Dzi Beads\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ancientdzishop.com\/collections\/carnelian-dzi-pema-raka-dzi\"\u003eCarnelian Dzi\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eYou May Also Like\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ancientdzishop.com\/products\/ancient-etched-carnelian-cross-longevity-bead-27mm-octagon-ac-101026-cl6\"\u003eAncient Etched Carnelian Six Cross and Longevity Bead (Ac-101026-CL6)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ancientdzishop.com\/products\/ancient-etched-carnelian-eight-cross-dzi-bead-22mm-beveled-ac-100126-cm8\"\u003eAncient Etched Carnelian Eight Cross Bead (Ac-100126-CM8)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ancientdzishop.com\/products\/ancient-lotus-tiger-tooth-carnelian-dzi-wide-barrel-ac-032320-ltt\"\u003eAncient Lotus and Tiger Tooth Carnelian Dzi (Ac-032320-LTT)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFurther Reading\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ancientdzishop.com\/blogs\/news\/carnelian-dzi-beads-pema-raka-guide\"\u003eCarnelian Dzi Beads: The Pema Raka Guide\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ancientdzishop.com\/blogs\/news\/where-do-dzi-beads-come-from-origin-history-mystery\"\u003eWhere Do Dzi Beads Come From?\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNine unretouched photographs: five side views covering all faces, two angled views of the drill ends, and two close-ups of the mineralised surface and medicine dig.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ancient Dzi Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57596034285734,"sku":null,"price":1200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0979\/7198\/files\/ancientcarnelianlongevitydziwithbloodspots-AC-101026-CM2-_2.webp?v=1791570362","url":"https:\/\/www.ancientdzishop.com\/en-tw\/products\/ancient-etched-carnelian-longevity-tortoise-shell-bead-24mm-bloodspot-medicine-dig-ac-101026-cm2","provider":"Ancient Dzi Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}