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Ancient Dzi Shop

Three Eye & Tiger Stripe Carnelian Dzi, 52.4 × 15.1mm, dark chocolate-brown (At-071322-3ETT)

Name: Three Eye & Tiger Stripe Carnelian Dzi, 52.4 × 15.1mm, dark chocolate-brown (At-071322-3ETT)
Price: 1000.0 USD
Availability: InStock

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

There is no blank face on this bead. The motif covers every surface, and the diamond eyes are the only places it pauses.

This carnelian dzi is one of the most densely decorated pieces in the collection. From end to end, the whole surface is covered in paired V-chevron tiger stripe bands in cream-white lines — a continuous herringbone pattern that wraps the full circumference without a break. Against the deep warm chocolate-brown carnelian, the cream-white lines read with real force. Three diamond eyes sit around the bead, one at the centre of each face, each given a little room by a slight widening of the chevrons so that the eye sits within the tiger stripe field rather than replacing it.

The three eyes differ in appearance. On Face A (Image 2) the diamond interior shows the warm brown carnelian through it, so the eye reads open and clear. On Face B (Image 3) the same diamond is partly filled with grey mineral deposit, so the eye reads darker and more closed. Face C (Image 4) shows the third eye. None has been cleaned or standardised; each has worn differently over time.

The end views (Images 5 and 6) show the lines at their clearest: rough, granular edges with irregular pitting, cream-white mineral deposit in the grooves, and the uneven quality of genuinely old decoration. The bands run right to the tapered tips, meeting at each drill hole without interruption.

The body is an elongated fusiform — pointed at both ends and widest at the centre. At 52.4mm long and 15.1mm wide it has a noticeably fuller presence in the hand than our other antique carnelian beads. The ground is deep chocolate-brown throughout, with no two-tone banding; the very darkest edges seen in Images 2 and 3 are simply the natural darkest tones of the carnelian.

Compared with the Three Diamond Eye and Tiger Tooth carnelian At-053126-3DETT — a compact 27.2 × 13.6mm barrel with isolated eyes and sparse tiger tooth borders — this bead is nearly twice as long, spindle-shaped rather than barrel-shaped, and covered in a continuous tiger stripe field. Same tradition, very different objects.

The Three Eye and Tiger Stripe Motif

The diamond eye is among the earliest protective symbols in the dzi tradition. Three eyes are associated with happiness, prosperity and longevity, each eye a watchful presence facing outward in a different direction. The tiger stripe (虎紋) is the mark of the great predator — strength, authority and courage that needs no announcement. Placing three eyes inside a continuous tiger stripe field joins watchfulness and strength in one surface, so the two energies work together rather than in turn.

Specifications

Motif: Three Eye and Tiger Stripe (三眼虎紋); three diamond eyes within continuous paired V-chevron tiger stripe bands
Length: 52.4mm
Diameter: 15.1mm
Form: Elongated fusiform with pointed ends
Material: Natural carnelian, deep warm chocolate-brown, with cream-white motif lines
Age: Antique, estimated 200–500 years
Condition: No cracks; mineral deposit in the grooves; Face B eye interior partly darkened by mineral deposit (shown in Image 3); drill holes clean and centred
Bloodspots: None observed
Product ID: At-071322-3ETT
Collection: Antique Dzi Beads | Carnelian Dzi

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Summer Sale! Enjoy 30% Discount At Checkout

Three Eye & Tiger Stripe Carnelian Dzi, 52.4 × 15.1mm, dark chocolate-brown (At-071322-3ETT)