Vintage 1980s Taiwan Chalcedony Dzi Bead — Tiger Tooth & Lotus with Bloodspot 29.4 mm (N-B-101426-TTL)

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

This bead measures 29.4 mm along its long axis and 11.2 mm at its widest point — a short, wide, squat barrel proportion that gives it a compact presence distinct from the more elongated cylinders typical of ancient dzi. The material is chalcedony, the stone used in the Taiwan dzi-making tradition that developed and flourished from the 1970s and 1980s onward, and its surface character reflects that origin: the polish is high-gloss, smooth, and evenly distributed across the full barrel, with a bright reflectivity and surface uniformity that differs from the more settled, slightly irregular surface of natural aged agate beads. In direct light the chalcedony has a depth and warmth to it; the ground color is a dark warm brown — distinctly brown in tone, not black, with warmth that becomes visible as the bead is rotated.

The motif is tiger tooth and lotus, rendered in cream-white on the dark brown chalcedony ground. The tiger tooth element takes the form of repeating fang or claw shapes — pointed, slightly curved cream forms that project from band lines along the barrel, their tapered tips giving the composition a directional, rhythmic energy. The lotus element introduces rounder, petal-form cream shapes between and around the tooth forms, softening the angular quality of the tiger tooth units and creating a complementary interplay between the pointed and the rounded within a single surface composition. The motif distributes across the full barrel surface, reading clearly from multiple rotational angles. The cream-white is well-defined against the dark ground, and the contrast between the two is strong.

The bead carries bloodspot patina. In the photographs — particularly the macro close-up (image 6) — the bloodspots appear as fine dark speckling distributed across both the cream-white and the dark zones of the motif surface. In natural light, however, the spots are red: a warm, mineral red characteristic of iron-rich bloodspot patina in chalcedony dzi. Macro photography compresses the tonal range and can shift reddish-brown mineral tones toward near-black in reproduction, and this piece is a clear example of that limitation — the spots that read as dark in the photographs present as distinctly red when the bead is held in hand. The angled end view (image 5) shows the warm amber tone of the tip at that end, where the bloodspot character of the material is more legible in the photograph. The bloodspot patina is distributed across the surface rather than concentrated in one area, and it is present on both the dark and light zones of the motif.

Both drill holes are functional and centered at the two tips of the bead. The tip in image 4 is a cooler grey-toned chalcedony; the tip in image 5 shows the warmer amber tone where the bloodspot character of the material is visible. This tonal variation between the two tips is a natural feature of the stone.

The Tiger Tooth and Lotus Motif

The tiger tooth motif draws on protective symbolism associated with the strength and ferocity of the tiger — the fang or claw forms understood as embodying these qualities and transmitting them to the wearer. In Tibetan and broader Himalayan amulet traditions, tiger imagery carries associations with courage, power, and the warding of negative forces. The lotus motif introduces a complementary register of symbolism: in Buddhist iconography the lotus represents purity, spiritual unfolding, and enlightenment, its form rising from the water unstained. The pairing of tiger tooth and lotus within a single bead composition brings together protective force and spiritual aspiration, and is among the recognized motif combinations in the Taiwan dzi tradition. Bloodspot patina in chalcedony dzi is understood to add a further protective quality, the red mineral patterning associated with vitality and auspiciousness across the cultures that value these beads.

Specifications

Motif: Tiger Tooth and Lotus — repeating cream-white fang and claw forms (tiger tooth) alternating with curved petal elements (lotus); cream-white on dark warm brown chalcedony ground; bloodspot patina distributed across surface
Length: 29.4 mm
Diameter: 11.2 mm
Form: Short squat barrel
Material: Natural chalcedony
Color: Dark warm brown chalcedony ground; cream-white motif; bloodspot patina (red in natural light — photographs darker in macro)
Bloodspots: Yes — fine red mineral speckling distributed across surface; appears dark in macro photograph, red in natural light
Tier: Vintage
Origin: Taiwan, 1980s
Condition: Good. Motif intact. Both drill holes functional.
Product ID: N-B-101426-TTL
Collections: Ancient Dzi · All Products

Other vintage dzi beads in the collection:

• N-062126-2E — Vintage Two Eye Dzi Bead, Dark Reddish-Brown Agate, 32.6 mm

Further reading: How to Identify Genuine Ancient Dzi Beads · Tibetan Dzi Beads: Luck, Fortune & Meaning

Every piece at Ancient Dzi Shop is photographed unretouched and described exactly as found. What you see is what you will receive.

Photos: Unretouched images of the exact bead listed. Six product photographs: three white-background lateral profile views showing the full tiger tooth and lotus motif from different rotational angles and the high-gloss chalcedony surface; two angled end views showing both drill hole apertures and the contrasting tip tones (grey tip in image 4; warm amber bloodspot tip in image 5); one macro close-up (image 6) showing the bloodspot patina distribution across the motif surface — note that bloodspot mineral tones photograph darker in macro than they appear in natural light, where the spots are distinctly red.

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