Antique Nine Stripe Chung Dzi with Bloodspots, 44.7×11.6mm, pitch-black ground (At-110223-9SBS)

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

The bloodspots on this bead appear in two different places, and they look quite different.

Look at the macro photographs, Images 7 and 8, and you will see fine dark micro-dots scattered across the pale stripe surfaces. They are not dust or surface debris. They are natural cinnabar inclusions (硃砂, zhūshā) held inside the pale agate of the stripe bands, visible because the agate in those zones is translucent enough to show what lies beneath. Then look at Image 6: the left end cap reads as a warm reddish-brown, where a concentration of cinnabar within the agate colours the tip from within. Two presentations, two locations, one bead.

The ground of this bead is pitch-black across all four faces in the white-background photographs. Nine bright white to very pale blue-grey stripe bands run across this black field, evenly spaced from tip to tip, with the central stripes marginally wider than those approaching the ends. The contrast between the pitch-black zones and the pale stripe bands is as strong as this motif can produce. In strong light, the stripe surfaces catch a subtle blue-grey cast, the agate's own translucency reading through the white etched surface.

The body is an elongated fusiform, tapering acutely at both ends to small rounded tips. At 44.7mm it is one of the longer pitch-black Chung dzi in the collection. Both drill holes are small and centrally placed, consistent with antique hand-drilling. The right drill hole (Image 5) appears slightly tighter; the left (Image 6) slightly more worn and open, a difference consistent with centuries of stringing and use.

The surface carries a high-gloss polish across both dark and light bands. At the mid-body ridge (Images 2 and 3) there is fine surface micro-abrasion, lines along the upper curve consistent with long-term contact wear, not damage. A fine vertical surface score line is also visible across two dark bands in Image 8 and is disclosed here. No chips at either tip. No medicine digs.

Compared with the seven stripe Chung dzi in the collection, the near pitch-black, warm honey-brown and dark brown ancient pieces and the antique honey-brown seven stripe, this bead offers a different look: nine stripes, a pitch-black ground, and cinnabar in two distinct forms.

The Nine Stripe Chung Dzi (瓊珠九線紋)

Nine is among the most auspicious numbers in Tibetan and Chinese tradition: the highest single digit, associated with completion, longevity, and the fullness of heaven. The stripe of a Chung dzi is the continuous line that does not end, associated with protection and steady, uninterrupted success. In the Chung tradition a higher stripe count does not make a bead more potent; what matters most is that the bead looks pleasing to the one who wears it. Read more in Chung Dzi: The Complete Guide to Striped Dzi Beads.

The cinnabar bloodspots in this bead, ranging in colour from vermilion to rust-orange to deep reddish-brown, are natural mineral inclusions in the stone, prized in Tibetan and Himalayan tradition for their auspicious and protective associations. Bloodspots cannot be added to a bead, but they occur in new beads as well as old ones, so they are a feature rather than a proof of age. Learn more in our guide to bloodspots in dzi beads.

Specifications

• Motif: Nine stripe Chung (九線紋); nine etched bands, bright white to very pale blue-grey on a pitch-black ground; central stripes marginally wider than tip stripes
• Length: 44.7mm
• Diameter: 11.6mm
• Form: Elongated fusiform; acute taper to both tips; high-gloss surface
• Material: Natural agate; pitch-black ground; bright white to pale blue-grey etched stripes
• Age estimate: Antique, 300–500 years
• Condition: Surface micro-abrasion on the mid-body ridge (age-consistent wear); fine vertical surface score line across two dark bands (Image 8, disclosed); no chips; no medicine digs
• Bloodspots: Yes, in two forms: warm reddish-brown cinnabar colouring the left end cap (Image 6), and fine cinnabar micro-dots within the pale stripe bands (Images 7 and 8)
• Product ID: At-110223-9SBS
• Collections: Chung Dzi | Antique Dzi Beads | Bloodspot Dzi

You may also like

• Ancient Single Stripe Chung Dzi with Bloodspots, pitch-black and white
• Pair of Antique Nine Stripe Chung Dzi Beads
• Ancient Seven Stripe Chung Dzi, near pitch-black ground
• Ancient Five Stripe Cho Dzi 措思天珠

From the blog

• Chung Dzi: The Complete Guide to Striped Dzi Beads
• Bloodspots in Dzi Beads

Nine stripes, two kinds of bloodspot, one pitch-black stone.

We never retouch our photos. Every bead is photographed exactly as it is. What you see is what you receive.