Ancient Round Treasure Vase Motif Dzi Bead, 19.0×15.4mm, agate (Ac-011824-TVR)

✦ All photographs are unretouched. ✦

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The vase on this bead doesn't sit in a fixed position — and depending on the rotation, it isn't always clear where one vase ends and the next begins.

The Treasure Vase motif on a round bead behaves differently from its barrel-form counterpart. On a barrel dzi, four vases sit on four defined faces, each separated by clear borders, each readable in isolation. On this bead there are no defined faces and no fixed axis — the motif wraps a near-sphere, and as the bead rotates the vase elements shift, merge, separate, and recompose. Image 2 shows a clear vase silhouette at the base of the face: a broad rounded body narrowing at the neck, the characteristic curved shoulder lines framing a central field. Rotate to Image 3 and the same lines read differently — the shoulder curves now appearing as flowing bands rather than a contained vessel form. Image 4 shows the drill-end view: the motif elements radiating outward from the drill hole in a composition that reads more like a cross or star than a vase. Images 5, 6, and 7 continue this rotation — each face presenting a different subset of the same composition, the vase present throughout but never identically resolved.

The ground across this bead is the same deep cool grey-brown seen on the Ancient Round Tiger Tooth bead (Ac-021724-TT) in this collection — the same material, the same cool-toned agate, the same high-gloss surface that has settled over centuries into a deep, quiet depth rather than an applied shine. The lighter cream-to-cool-white motif zones sit within this ground with softly diffused edges, the transitions between dark and light fully integrated rather than sharply ruled — a characteristic of genuine age etching rather than recent production. The overall contrast between ground and motif is moderate: not the high-contrast cream-on-dark of many dzi in this collection, but a quieter tonal relationship in which both elements belong to the same cool grey-brown family.

Image 6 shows the drill hole end clearly: the hole is small, well-centred, and surrounded by a slightly recessed zone of the same deep cool grey-brown ground. Image 7 shows a face where the cream elements are more broadly distributed, the motif zones covering a higher proportion of the visible surface than on some other faces — on this rotation the bead reads as predominantly cream-white with dark zones as the markings, the inverse of most other rotations.

No cracks or chips are visible in any of the six photographs, confirmed as my own independent finding. The live listing's "no cracks" claim is confirmed.

The Treasure Vase Motif

The Treasure Vase dzi (寶瓶天珠, bǎo píng tiānzhū) draws its symbolic meaning from one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Tibetan Buddhism — the vase understood as a vessel of inexhaustible wealth, health, and spiritual attainment, its sealed neck ensuring that whatever it contains can never be depleted. Four vases distributed around the circumference of the bead mean the motif operates in every direction simultaneously, the protective and auspicious quality of the vessel present from any angle of approach. On a round bead of this age, the motif is understood as an especially complete expression of the vase's symbolism: a form with no beginning and no end, the wealth it holds circling the bead without interruption.

Spec Block

Motif: Treasure Vase (寶瓶天珠 / Bǎo Píng Tiānzhū) — four vase elements wrapping full circumference; cool cream-white motif zones; deep cool grey-brown ground; composition reads differently at each rotation
Length: 19.0mm
Diameter: 15.4×14.8mm
Form: Near-spherical oval; no fixed axis; slightly irregular organic form consistent with age and hand-production
Material: Agate — deep cool grey-brown ground; cool cream-white motif zones; same material character as Ac-021724-TT
Age Estimate: 500+ years
Condition: No cracks or chips visible in any photograph — independently confirmed. High-gloss surface intact. Softly diffused motif edges consistent with age-etching.
Bloodspots: None
Product ID: Ac-011824-TVR
Collection: Ancient Dzi

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Related Treasure Vase & Round Motif Dzi Beads

The Treasure Vase motif represents inexhaustible wealth and spiritual bounty — on round forms, it circulates without end. Below are companion pieces and related round-form dzi, organized by age tier.

Ancient (500+ Years)

The core collection of ancient round dzi featuring complementary motifs and the same deep material character:

• Ancient Round Tiger Tooth Dzi Bead, 16.5×14.6mm, Agate, 500+ Years (Ac-021724-TT) — $2,500.00
• Pair of Ancient Six Eye Lotus & Cross Motif Dzi Beads, 21.5×18.4mm & 21.3×18.6mm, Agate (Ac-020124-6ELC) — $15,000.00
• Ancient Round Eight Eye Lotus Dzi Bead, 24.4×22.4mm, White Agate (Ac-082326-8EL) — $5,000.00

Antique (100–500 Years)

Antique round dzi with treasure vase and related protective motifs, carrying the same symbolic function across centuries:

• Antique Round Four Eye, Lotus & Treasure Vase Dzi Bead, 19.9×16.6mm, Warm Dark Brown Agate (At-080926-4ELT) — $500.00
• Antique Round Wave & Tiger Tooth Motif Dzi Bead, 18.6×17.5mm, Agate (At-111325-WTT) — $800.00
• Antique Round Six Eye Lotus & Cross Motif Dzi Bead, 21.2×17.5mm, Agate (At-121025-6ELC2) — $800.00
• Antique Round Wave & Tiger Tooth Dzi Bead, 17.8×15.6mm, Very Dark Brown Agate (At-080926-WTT) — $500.00
• Antique Tiger Tooth & Lotus Dzi, Near-Sphere Form, 25.4×20.1mm, Deep Dark Grey-Brown, Mirror Gloss (At-061826-RTTL) — $5,500.00

Vintage & New (Contemporary Round Forms)

Vintage round Treasure Vase pairs and new round-form dzi continuing the tradition of rotating motif composition:

• Vintage Round Treasure Vase Dzi Pair, 20.5–20.9mm, Dark Agate, Taiwan (V-052526-TVP) — $600.00
• Pair of Round Treasure Vase Dzi, 20.1×19.0mm & 20.5×18.5mm, Dark Brown Agate (V-073026-TVP2) — $600.00
• Treasure Vase Motif Pair, 20.7×18.3mm & 20.1×17.7mm, Dark Brown Agate (V-071426-TVV) — $600.00
• Vintage Double Wave Round Dzi Bead Pair, 20.2×17.6mm & 20.3×17.3mm, Dark Brown & Honey-Tan (V-060426-DWP) — $600.00
• Double Wave Motif Pair, 20.6×18.0mm & 20.4×17.4mm, Dark Agate (V-071426-DWP3) — $600.00

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• What Are Dzi Beads? History, Meaning & Authentication
• The Meaning of Dzi Bead Motifs

Five centuries on a sphere — and the vase still hasn't settled on a single face.

✦ All photographs are unretouched. ✦

Photos: Unretouched product images. All photos taken by Ancient Dzi Shop.

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