Eight Eye Motif, 50.3×12.5mm, Very Dark Brown Agate (At-073126-8E)

We never retouch our photos. What you see is exactly what you will receive.

The eight eyes on this bead are arranged four and four — two groups, each in a two-by-two grid on opposite faces, so the full count only completes when you turn the bead all the way round. On one face you see four eyes at once, two above and two below, linked by bold pointed cream V-forms pressing in between them. On the side face the design changes: two eyes framed by broad, sweeping arches curving in from the corners. Turn further and the second group of four appears, mirroring the first.

The design is as ambitious as the count. The cream lines are bold and wide throughout; the pointed connectors are substantial elements in their own right, and the arches give the side faces a strong character of their own. At 50.3mm the bead is a substantial antique barrel, and the eight eyes fill it densely, leaving little dark ground unoccupied.

The body is a deep, warm, very dark brown, consistent across all four faces. Both end caps are a warmer, lighter brown, the agate's natural colour at the tips. The bright cream lines contrast strongly with the dark ground, and fine age texture runs across the dark areas. No cracks or chips.

The Eight Eye Motif

Eight is a number of completeness and good fortune in Tibetan Buddhism. The eight eyes are associated with the Eight Auspicious Symbols — the parasol of protection, the golden fish of abundance, the treasure vase of wealth, the lotus of purity, the conch of proclamation, the endless knot of interdependence, the victory banner of accomplishment and the Dharma wheel of teaching. An Eight Eye dzi is traditionally worn to receive the blessing of all eight at once.

Specifications

• Motif: Eight Eye (八眼天珠); two groups of four eyes in two-by-two grids on opposite faces, with pointed V-connectors and arches on the side faces
• Length: 50.3mm
• Diameter: 12.5mm
• Form: Barrel
• Material: Agate, very dark brown with warm brown end caps
• Age: Antique, estimated 200–300 years
• Condition: Good; fine age texture across the dark areas; no cracks or chips
• Bloodspots: None
• Product ID: At-073126-8E
• Collection: Antique Dzi Beads

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• Antique Nine Eye Dzi with Medicine Dig (At-091626-9E2)

Further Reading

• The Eight Eye Dzi Bead: Symbolism and Significance
• Dzi Bead Motifs and Their Meanings

Six unretouched photographs; colour and surface detail are exactly as shown.